Diaspora, Knowledge and Community
Diaspora is a term of self-identification used by a community of people who live outside a shared country of origin, ancestry, or affinity, but maintain active connections with it. In Italy there are many diaspora communities of various sizes from all over the world, including Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe and the Middle East and Africa (there are over 20 cultural organizations in Italy dedicated to the Somali diaspora alone). These communities help build bridges between their countries of residence and countries of origin, and benefit the social/cultural and economic fabric of both. Engaging with these communities is an important resource for international communication and cooperation, and The United Nations Declaration for Refugees and Migrants recognizes the contributions that diasporas can make to sustainable development.
It is with this in mind that Luiss has partnered with the diaspora association Le Réseau and media partner Dire to organize a series of webinars aimed at highlighting the important role of diaspora communities, both in Italy and in their countries of origin, and identifying opportunities for collaboration, partnership and possible future projects. At Luiss we are continually expanding our international community of students—having tripled the number of international applications in the past two years.
The webinars will focus on the unique landscape of challenges and opportunities unfolding in the post-pandemic world, and address topical issues like sustainable development, the green economy, digitalization, the longevity economy and global health. We will hear from members of diaspora communities in Italy who hold influential positions in the public and private sectors as well as an array of other experts in Italy and abroad.
The series of five webinars opens on January 26th at 13:00 with a webinar titled Diaspora, Knowledge and Community, dedicated to “engaging the circular migration of students and promoting the dissemination of knowledge and skills in the perspective of economic and social development”. Circular migration refers to a temporary, often short period of migration between home and host area, and can be a valuable resource for skills and knowledge sharing among communities. The webinar series will continue throughout May, with talks on Italian and African geopolitical perspectives (Feb 23rd), Italian and African business perspectives (March 23rd), Innovation, Digitalization and Sustainability for social and ecological transition (April 27th) and Data science to support a changing world (May 25th
The webinars will be conducted in English, French and Italian, and engage students, educators, political and industry leaders. To receive updates and/or participate in the various meetings, please register by sending an email to registration@iabw.eu.
Keynote speakers scheduled for the opening webinar include Paola Severino, Vice President of Luiss University, Emanuela Claudia Del Re, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Giorgio Marrapodi, Director General-Directorate General for Development Cooperation; Leonardo Carmenati, Deputy Technical Director-Italian Agency for Development Cooperation; introductory address by and interventions from Raffaele Marchetti, Deputy Rector for Internationalization Luiss University, Cleophas Adrien Dioma, Coordinator Migration and Development Working Group/CNCS, Jean Leonard Touadi, President of the Center for Relations with Africa of the Italian Geographical Society, Alioune Benga, Director General of IAM University Ouaga Burkina Faso, Marco Francesco Mazzù, Recruiting Leader and Professor of Marketing & Digital Luiss University.