• Role of the Diaspora

Role of the Diaspora

Using the Mexican community in Switzerland as a case study, this paper argues that highly skilled migrants have a potential to act as agents of development. In spite of potential threats of brain drain, highly skilled emigrants can help improve the quality of life of those who remain in the countries of origin. The authors argue that the long-term effectiveness of development strategies based on scientific and technological cooperation and promoted through the circulation of knowledge to a large extent depends on the support received from national policies. The lack of political stability and of a long-term national vision can also be prejudicial. There is therefore a need for sustainable political commitment from governments to provide adequate, sufficient and continuous financial support for research and an active commitment to science as a socio-political tool, integrating it within political and economic decision-making at all levels.

In the case of Mexico, the authors argue that policy makers should implement effective strategies to retain the highly skilled by focusing on methods that eliminate the structural imbalances that encourage such migration. Public policy decision makers must also consider policies that go beyond the physical repatriation of highly skilled scientists and professionals, using other mechanisms of association that recover the skills and talent of human resources in science and technology (HRST). The authors promote the establishment of links and activities between Mexican HRST expatriates and their country of origin.

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