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UNESCO Venice Office

Workshop

Scientific Diaspora and ICT

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Potentials of Information and Communication Technologies

for Utilisation of Human Capital of South Eastern European Scientific Diasporas

Organisers

-  Austrian Science and Research Liaison office (ASO)Ljubljana (& Sofia)

-  Center for eGovernance Development for SEE CeGD, Ljubljana

-  Regional Cooperation Council RCC, Sarajevo

-  UNESCO Venice Office

(in cooperation with Research, Innovation and Business Network (RIBN) for Central and South-Eastern Europe (Boris Cizelj – link to EREF conference and RIBN workshop)(?))

Rationale:

o  Mobility of human resources in science and technology (HRST) – brain drain from SEE countries

o  RCC – OECD competitiveness study -> SEE lacks human capital

o  Potentials and Limitations of Brain gain programmes - Virtual mobility and diaspora knowledge networks a new option?

o  ICT and Web 2.0 offer great opportunities for cross sectoral and international e-collaboration

o  Using Web 2.0 applications in RTD governance as a new way / new culture of participatory and interactive delivery of public services with great efficiency and effectiveness gains

o  Would Web 2.0 communities of practice for RTD governance in SEE make sense?

Aim of the workshop and Who should attend:

The workshop aims at raising awareness among

o  RTD & HE policy makers,

o  development cooperation experts and

o  others dealing with scientific diaspora issues

from SEE region about the great potentials of innovative use of ICT in activities aiming at utilisation of human capital of scientific diaspora for the socio-economic development and for the strengthening of human capacities of scientific landscape of SEE countries.

The focus of the workshop will be more on interaction and joint development of new initiatives rather than on presentation based transfer of knowledge. (presentations are supposed not to last longer than 10 minutes each).

Draft Programme

Welcome/Introduction/policy context/regional cooperation

Hido Biščević/Emira Tufo/M. Dragasevic / RCC
Miroslav Polzer / ASO Ljubljana

Thematic Introduction on brain drain/brain gain, Data for SEEcountries, diaspora networks approach

Diaspora networks as a means of promoting “brain gain” through the use of new Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

William Turner (to be confirmed) / LIMSI-CNRS («Social Informatics in the DKN Project»)
Iulia Nechifor / Example of good practice: UNESCO-Hewlett Packard initiaive

Presentation of brain gain /scientific diaspora programmes

(top-down initiatives of ministries and agencies) (speakers: programme owners and RTD governance stakeholders)

WUS-Austria
Slovenian World Congress
Unity through Knowledge Fund, Croatia
Ad Astra, Romania
Serbian network of knowledge
Bosnian Academy of Sciences and Arts
UNDP Albania

Buttom-up social networks (Web 2.0 focus) of scientists abroad

ASCINA
Croatian scientists abroad

How to link diaspora relevant RTD governance programmes with diaspora networks and individuals through Web 2.0 initiatives (relevant reading: IPTS: Web 2.0 for government: Why and how? http://ftp.jrc.es/EURdoc/JRC45269.pdf )

Blaž Golob
Miroslav Polzer / Centre for eGovernance Development, CeGD Ljubljana
ASO Ljubljana

Practical aspects from the WBC-INCO.net, SEE ERA.net, WINS ICT projects perspective and and EURAXESS mobility information system perspectives (establishing a focal points network, ePractice.eu (“community of practice”) network, etc.)

Elke Dall, Marion Haberfellner / Centre for Social Innovation, Vienna
EURAXESS mobility centers

Capacity Building – Information/Web 2.0 Literacy development in WB country (givernance stakeholders) (ITU centers of excellence programme context)

Despina Anastasiadou / Director, Southeastern Europe Telecommunication & Informatics Research Institute (INA)

Comments/Reflections with regard to potential Funding opportunities

Jean Claude Bolay (to be confirmed) / Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne /
Swiss network of scientific diasporas /
Hedvig Morvai-Horvat (to be confirmed) / Executive Director, The European Fund for the Balkans
UNDP
Michaela Flenner / ADA

Contact for inquiries: ASO Ljubljana, Tel +386-1-5684168, , www.aso.zsi.at

/ This workshop is funded by
Austrian Federal Ministry of Science and Research