On 28 January,  IOM Ukraine’s Chief of Mission Manfred Profazi met with the Director of National Lviv Polytechnic University’s International Institute for Education, Culture and Connections with Diaspora, Iryna Kluchkovska. The meeting was also attended by IOM Ukraine’s Labour Migration Project Manager Anastasia Vynnychenko and the Institute’s Lead Researcher, Oksana Pyatkovska.

Mr. Profazi and Ms. Kluchkovska discussed a number of important issues related to international migration and the Ukrainian diaspora, other issues of common interest, and agreed on further cooperation and mutual events.

Iryna Kluchkovska pointed out that Ukrainian labour migrants have started to develop new models of integration in host societies, as such creating new diaspora institutions and influencing host countries’ policies. “Today we face the threat of a new emigration wave – emigration of highly-qualified young professionals,” underscored Ms. Kluchkovska. “Therefore, it is important to make forward-looking steps in the process of developing mechanisms for migration management in Ukraine in order not to lose human capital, but to turn it back to the development of Ukraine.”

Mr. Profazi agreed that the issue of intellectual migration is of great importance with regard to transformation of migration processes not only in Ukraine, but globally, and emphasized that the IOM Mission in Ukraine identified migration and diaspora research as priority areas on its agenda.

Ms. Kluchkovska informed IOM representatives about the Institute’s plans to carry out a survey on migration intentions among students, as well as a conference “Brain Drain – Brain Gain: Global Experience and Ukrainian Realities”. It was also agreed that IOM will hold a presentation of its activities globally and in Ukraine for the staff and students of the National Lviv Polytechnic University.