Migration and development. The role of distance education

Diaspora communities help to 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 diasporas can also play a crucial role in supporting sustainable development.  In recent years, the process of globalization has accelerated rates of international mobility and increased reliance on transnational networks for commerce, social interaction, and the transfer of knowledge. These changes impact diaspora communities in the way they work and learn, and how they interact with their home and host societies.  While diasporas have always maintained links with their homeland—through a shared memory and cultural identity, correspondence with friends and family members and economic remittances—diaspora groups today are able to maintain the link on the internet via social networking sites and other ICTs. Digital diaspora networks, diasporas organized on the internet, have the potential to connect those with a shared identity of origin in wider and wider circles of interaction. Beyond the link between home and host societies, digital diasporas are linked horizontally—a community of Somali origin in Italy can link up with a similar community in Canada. The expansion of the scope and reach of diaspora communities in digital diaspora networks could offer the potential to deepen the relevance, representativeness and responsiveness of diaspora communities in meeting development needs, mainly by facilitating knowledge sharing and technology transfer between the global network of diaspora groups and their shared homeland. The focus of our upcoming Diaspora Series Webinar “Migration and development. The role of distance education” will be the role of online and distance learning in the era of globalization and the “digitalization” of the diaspora community. How do schools, especially institutions of higher education support diaspora communities, and how can we best utilize remote education as a tool fostering positive social change by facilitating knowledge sharing and tech transfer in expanded diaspora networks. Join us online Tuesday March 1st at 4pm to take part in the discussion. Please register by following this link.