Emerging Researcher grantee 2009

A University of Auckland PhD student of development studies is the latest recipient of the Asia:NZ Emerging Researcher grant.

The grant contributes $6,000 towards a research project which will explore a diverse range of areas related to Asia:NZ’s work.  Preference is given to new academics researching fresh and contemporary subject matter.

Ms Sheila Siar’s project will examine the patterns of knowledge exchanges between highly skilled Filipino migrants in New Zealand, Australia and the Philippines, and how these exchanges help migrants feel connected with and committed to the development of their home country.   

“My primary goal in this project is to determine the viability of knowledge exchange as a strategy for capitalising on the significant skills of the Filipino diaspora and for facilitating their participation in the development of their home country.”

The grant will enable Ms Siar to commit herself full time to the project through the provision of a research stipend which will cover fieldwork-related costs in New Zealand and the Philippines.
“I chose this research topic in response to the development issue of the apparent loss of knowledge and skills experienced by many countries, particularly developing nations, from the increasing mobility and migration of highly skilled people. I come from the Philippines where this phenomenon is happening increasingly and this has stimulated me to embark on this project,” Sheila says. 

She explains that there is, however, growing evidence from the works of Jean-Baptiste Meyer and Anna Lee Saxenian that this outflow of skills and knowledge may not necessarily mean a loss for home countries. Such shortage may be corrected through the exchange or circulation of knowledge between migrants and their home country.  This is evident, for example, in the experience of countries such as India and China.

Studies of diaspora have also further emphasised the ways in which migrants can remain not only connected but also deeply committed to their country of birth. “We have seen that no matter how settled they are overseas, they are still concerned about affairs in their home country.” 

The research is expected to shed light on the knowledge assets being exchanged between New Zealand, Australia and the Philippines through the Filipino diaspora. “The range of knowledge assets that can be exchanged or circulated is extensive—encompassing policy advice, marketing knowledge, access to business contacts, business opportunities and lecturing at universities, to name a few.”

As an in-depth study of the role of diasporas in the development of home countries through knowledge exchange, the relevance of this study spans locations.  

The project will consist of historical and archival research as well as field work, including  interviews with highly skilled Filipino migrants and Filipino associations in New Zealand and Australia.  The specific study areas are Auckland and Wellington in New Zealand, and Sydney and Melbourne in Australia.

New Zealand and Australia are among the few countries in the world that positively select highly skilled migrants. “They are also among the most common destinations of highly skilled migrants from the Philippines, which could mean the Philippines may be losing a significant number of its highly skilled people to these countries.”

Sheila adds that the study of knowledge exchange is also an area covered by less research t others that look at remittances and the phenomenon of diaspora philanthropy.

“Conducting the research in two countries will also allow me to compare the level of diasporic engagement in these countries.  New Zealand and Australia have similar immigration policies but they are different in terms of the size of their diasporic community and the extent of economic opportunities, ” Sheila notes.

Part of the research will also be conducted in the Philippines to fully investigate the effects of such knowledge exchanges on the collaborators in particular and on the home country in general.

Explaining in brief the relevance of promoting knowledge exchange, she notes that it benefits New Zealand as well as the other countries involved. 

“When migrants in the host country and their collaborators in the home country exchange knowledge and skills, both gain in the process.  Home countries are able to tap into the resources of host countries through their migrants.  Similarly, host countries are able to tap into the resources of their migrants’ home countries whenever knowledge and skills are being exchanged.”