CIMR debates in Public Policy: Leveraging the Diaspora in Cocreation and Economic Development
When:
—
Venue:
Online
Welcome: Thanos Fragkandreas (Westminster University and CIMR)
Chair: Alex Till (Menta)
Speakers:
- Eugene Nizeyimana (African Business Chamber)
- Semhar Araia (The Diaspora Academy)
- Brett Anitra Gilbert (American University, Washington DC)
- Muthu De Silva (Birkbeck, University of London)
This debate in public policy focuses on the importance of diasporas to economic development both where diasporans live and in countries where they have close connections. Case studies involving the African diasporas from the UK and USA, will provide the opportunity to compare experiences from different diaspora communities.
This conversation between academics and practitioners explores how diasporans contribute to the co-creation of sustainable development goal (SDG) innovations as well as to economic development more broadly. Co-creation involves collaborative problem-solving, where diverse stakeholders jointly design, implement, and refine solutions that address complex societal challenges.
Diasporans play an essential role in this process by bridging local and global perspectives, transferring knowledge, and mobilizing resources within and from their host countries to support innovation in their ancestral home nations. A feature of their unique transnational networks and understanding of cultural contexts positions them as dynamic facilitators who can help shape more inclusive and context-sensitive strategies for achieving SDGs and long-term prosperity.
Welcome:
Thanos Fragkandreas (Westminster University and CIMR)
Chair:
Alex Till (Menta)
Speakers:
Eugene Nizeyimana (African Business Chamber)
Semhar Araia (The Diaspora Academy)
Brett Anitra Gilbert (American University, Washington DC)
Muthu De Silva (Birkbeck, University of London)
Bios:
Alex Till is Chief Executive Director MENTA and Chairman National Enterprise Network. MENTA is a not-for-profit business organisation, empowering small and micro businesses in Suffolk and Norfolk to thrive for more than 40 years Alex’s visionary leadership extends beyond MENTA as he assumes the pivotal role of chair for the National Enterprise Network. Collaborating with both government and industry, he spearheads initiatives that foster the growth and nurturing of enterprises, fortifying their foundations and empowering them to thrive in the ever-evolving business landscape.
Eugene Nizeyimana is the African Business Chamber (AfBC)’s Chief Executive. Eugene is also the Director and CEO of SSCG Consulting and SSCG Technologies. He is an accomplished entrepreneurial engineer, business leader, mentor and international management consultant with +20yrs experience and a track record in delivering multi-channelled capabilities and solutions across a broad range of clients in +15 markets (UK and Africa) and industries ranging from Professional Services, Management Consulting, Oil and Gas (E&P), Technology, Manufacturing and Automotive Sectors. He sits on the boards for Birmingham City Business School (BCBS) and Wolverhampton Business School. Previously, He has served in various capacities and has held a wide range of responsibilities from both the private and public sectors including many International Oil Companies (IOC), Innovate UK, Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), GTC Energy, NHS Institute of Innovation and automotive OEMs such as Jaguar Land Rover, BMW, Caterpillar, Alexander Dennis etc.
Semhar Araia is the CEO of The Diaspora Academy (TDA), a global advisory firm and diaspora leadership institute helping to advance diaspora contributions to development. To date, TDA has trained and advised over 350 diaspora changemakers representing 80 countries, all seeking to make transformational impact around the world. A lawyer and strategist, Ms. Araia has advised the African Union, United Nations, governments, foundations, non-profits and communities worldwide. Previously, Semhar established and led Diaspora Public Policy at Meta (formerly known as Facebook) for the Africa, Middle East and Turkey Public Policy team. She also led UNICEF USA's diaspora partnerships, building philanthropic partnerships with diaspora organizations in the United States. Her earlier roles include serving as a public policy advisor at Oxfam International, a congressional staffer at the US House of Representatives and an Africa program officer at Nelson Mandela’s organization, The Elders. A lawyer by training, Semhar began her career as an attorney for the implementation of the 2000 Eritrea-Ethiopia peace agreement. Semhar has testified as an expert witness to Congress' Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, and the United Nations ECOSOC.
Brett Anitra Gilbert is the inaugural Kogod Regional Innovation Chair and associate professor (with tenure). Her research spans economic geography, internationalization and performance streams of literature. Current projects are focused on examining emerging technology communities in six countries, and understanding emerging "clean energy" technologies, and the factors that allow these technologies to enter the market. Her research is published in the Africa Journal of Management; Foundations & Trends in Entrepreneurship; the Journal of Business Venturing; Journal of International Business Studies; Journal of Management; Research Policy, Small Business Economics Journal, Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, and Strategic Management Journal. She currently serves as an associate editor for the Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, and is on the editorial review board for the Academy of Management Journal; Journal of Business Venturing; and Small Business Economics: An Entrepreneurship Journal. She has also completed terms as both an advisory council member for the Texas Emerging Technology Fund, an executive committee member for the Entrepreneurship Division of the Academy of Management, a consensus committee member for the National Academy of Sciences review of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Small Business Innovation Research and Science and Technology Transfer programs.
Muthu De Silva is a Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Head of Research, Innovation and Knowledge Exchange, at the Faculty of Business and Law, Birkbeck, University of London, UK. Her research contributes to our knowledge on co-creation, defined as how different actors of the ecosystem - such as businesses, universities, society and government - work together to simultaneously generate business, social and environmental value. She has published in world-leading journals such as Research Policy, Journal of Organizational Behaviour, British Journal of Management, Technovation and R&D Management. She has secured major grants from UKRI, ESRC, Innovate UK, Intellectual Property Office, EU and British Academy/Leverhulme, OECD, and British Academy of Management. Her research simultaneously generates theoretically rigorous and practically impactful output. She is a co-investigator of Innovation and Research Caucus, a £7 million investment by the UKRI, ESRC, and Innovate UK to establish a world leading centre of excellence in research and innovation funding.
Contact name: Marion Frenz
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