VITALIE VARZARI, Senior Specialist, ASM

1. THE OVERVIEW OF THE ASM EFFORTS TO MOBILIZE THE SCIENTIFIC DIASPORA OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA:2008 - 2010 VITALIE VARZARI, Senior Specialist, ASM

2. EMIGRATION FROM MOLDOVA Almost 1 million people have left the Republic of Moldova since 1991, according to other sources, about - 800,000; As a result of the increasing outflows, remittances has become one of the most important sources of income for many Moldovan households; Thus, remittances have been one of the main drivers of economic growth since 2002; Most of this migration is temporary, as an IOM survey has shown, with only 14 per cent of the migrants planning to settle abroad permanently;

3. EMIGRATION FROM MOLDOVA Roughly 52 per cent of labour emigrants are engaged in seasonal work; About 44 per cent of the population aged between 18 and 40 years (both skilled and unskilled) have indicated serious plans to emigrate in 2007; On the other hand, an IOM survey has shown, that only 14 per cent of the migrants planning to settle abroad permanently;

4. SCIENTIFIC EMIGRATION FROM MOLDOVA: SOME CAUSES Financial insufficiency; Lack of experience in the management of science, Lack of opportunities for professional recognition, Degradation of research infrastructure; Social and Political instability; Material and moral attractiveness of scientific centers in developed countries.

5. SCIENTIFIC EMIGRATION There are currently no documented official statistics indicating the number and the destination (by the fields or by the countries) of scholar emigrants from Moldovan science; Unofficial sources indicate that preferential countries of destination are Israel, Germany, USA and Russia; The recent case study on several research institutes confirms that the preferential countries of destinations are those mentioned above.

6. SCIENTIFIC EMIGRATION A fact is obvious: the number of scientific researchers, including those with scientific degree in the framework of the Academy of Sciences has diminished since 1990 by 83.4%

7. THE DYNAMICS OF THE SCIENTIFIC POTENTIAL 1990 - 2004

8. BRAIN DRAIN Since the value of national scientific school is renown, the integration through special programs of Moldovan expatriated scientists is taking place in universities and research institutions abroad; taking into account the differences between salaries of Moldova and the West, it is clear that policies to deal with migration and encouraging long term return of migrants are for the moment at least inefficient;

9. BRAIN DRAIN given the fact the economic and social gasp in development between Moldova and EU members states are likely to persist, the migration of scientists is likely to continue; this is why Diaspora option seems to be the one of the solution to stop brain drain, successfully mobilizing the intellectual capacity that the scientific Diaspora owns;

10. From brain drain to brain gain Academy of Sciences of Moldova, has launched in 2008 the initiative called “Developing cooperation within the framework of Scientific Diaspora of the Republic of Moldova”; The central aim is to create a platform for interaction between scientific Diaspora of the Republic of Moldova and scientists from Moldova, by creating at first phase, the Scientific Moldovan Diaspora Network; ASM initiative is expected to achieve the following results: increased cooperation in science and innovation field among scientists from Moldova and their expatriated colleagues who carry out their research abroad;

11. From brain drain to brain gain: OBJECTIVES increasing the quality of expertise process of the research and innovation projects funded on a competitive basis from the state budget; properly informed world public opinion on research conducted by scientists in Moldova; establish lasting contacts between scientists from Moldova and their colleagues outside; increasing the incentives for foreign investors in research and innovation sector in Moldova;

12. From brain drain to brain gain: OBJECTIVES increasing the number of scientists from Moldova which constantly promote the image of national science on the international arena; enhance their role in promoting the image of Moldovan scientists abroad; creating a more favorable stimulus to return the most notorious Moldovan scientists in Moldova; associating researchers abroad as sources of information for the scientific community in the country;

13. From brain drain to brain gain: OBJECTIVES increasing number of academic works published in Moldova and signed out by Moldovan emigrated scientists; increasing the number of publications issued by scientific Diaspora in cooperation with researchers from Moldova; contributing to socio-economic development of Moldova in general; continuing efforts to strengthen the scientific Diaspora of the Republic of Moldova, ASM has started several activities that aim to outline a political, theoretical and practical framework;

14. From brain drain to brain gain: ACTIVITIES 1. "Connecting scientific Diaspora of the Republic of Moldova to the economic and scientific development of the country of origin“ research project carried out in partnership with EPFL; 2.“Supporting the implementation of the migration and development component of the EU-Moldova Mobility Partnership” IOM project, implemented since January 2010, in partnership other national and local authorities. This project supports an ASM pilot initiative, identifying 30 leading Moldovan Diaspora scientists to undertake a temporary assignment in Moldova at a local research/academic institution;

15. From brain drain to brain gain: ACTIVITIES • An IOM consultant for ASM will be appointed that will assist ASM in its work with scientific Diaspora in the frame of the above mention project; • 3. Chisinau Declaration – drafted and signed in Chisinau on January 31, 2010, by acad. Gheorghe Duca - President of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, Prof. Dr. Emil Constantinescu - President of Romanian Academic Science Forum, President of Romania (1996-2000), and Acad. Eugen Doga, composer, people's artist, member of the Academy of Sciences;

16. From brain drain to brain gain: ACTIVITIES The Advice Committee of Scientists and Culture Personalities that were born on the present territory of the Republic of MOLDOVA was established by the three founders; Rising awareness and mobilization of our well-known personalities of culture from scientific Diaspora in order to accelerate the accession of Moldova to the European Union is the main task of the Advice Committee;

17. From brain drain to brain gain: ACTIVITIES 4. Awarding outstanding results in science and innovation achieved by Moldovan expatriated scientists. On December 29, 2009, for the first time at a celebratory meeting of the Supreme Council for Science and Technological Development, Ms. Stella Ghervas originating from Moldova, director of studies at the Institut d ' Avancées Etudes in Paris and the Maison des Sciences de l'Homme in Paris was awarded with ASM Certificate of Merit for her huge efforts in promoting abroad, the national and cultural heritage of our country;

18. From brain drain to brain gain: ACTIVITIES 5. Attracting the Moldovan expatriate scientists on a more permanent basis and their reintegration into the national research system, is an absolute priority for Academy of Science from Moldova; Professor AnatoliiSidorenco, Doctor of physical and mathematical sciences, after 10 years of fruitful scientific activity in Germany, returned to Moldova in 2008 and was elected as Director of the Institute of Electronic Engineering and Nanotechnologies of ASM.; Valery Kavruk, Dr. in history, director of the National Museum of Eastern Carpathians of Saint George (1998-2009), Romania, returned to Moldova at the invitation of ASM and was appointed as Director of the Institute of Cultural Heritage of the ASM;

19. From brain drain to brain gain: conclusions serious international research concerning the involvement mechanisms of scientific Diaspora in development of the country of origin; 30 temporary return grants offered to scientific Diaspora by the International Organization for Migration Mission to Moldova; annual merit diplomas to encourage promoting the scientific heritage of the country abroad; the general context, which is excellent.

20. Further steps co-opt members of the Diaspora in the editorial boards of national scientific journals; co-opt members of the Diaspora in the expertise of national scientific projects; establish a special fund for joint research projects and special grants for temporary return of the scientific Diaspora; co-opt members of the Diaspora as outstanding teachers in universities in Moldova; guarantee stimulating working conditions in the national research system for scientific Diaspora who intend to return;

21. Further steps support communication and collaboration between Moldovan researchers and the expatriates; support research institutions from Moldova in their desire to engage in research projects initiated by the host institutions of expatriate researchers; develop an electronic portal, an electronic database and an online forum for discussion and interaction between scientists and their colleagues that left the country. establish a permanent mechanism of interaction between the scientific Diaspora and their collegues from the home country

22. thank YOU FOR Your Attention!