The international openness of Italian professional training and development and the circulation of knowledge and talent were the central topics of discussion at this Third Conference on “Italian leaders abroad”.
Three main points were addressed in the working sessions of the Conference:
- Italians abroad: a resource for the country
It was noted that the emigration pattern of Italians in recent years has been increasingly driven by the desire to round off one’s education and training. Once overseas, Italian-born “high-achievers” act as, and must increasingly serve as, a resource for Italy. Indeed, they are both an opinion-shaping and pressure group which in many instances helps mold overseas perceptions of Italy. It was observed that currently, the balance of this relationship is skewed, as the decision to emigrate is often determined by Italy’s prevailing systemic limitations – the very constraints which make it difficult to return to Italy. The participants therefore stressed the crucial need for the creation of conditions conducive to maintaining an ongoing dialogue and effective interaction between Italian emigrants and their country of origin.
- Facilitating brain circulation
This section of the discussions focused on the necessity of establishing a system that ensures the circulation of people and knowledge, capable not only of facilitating the return to Italy of native-born “success stories”, but also of attracting foreign talent to Italy. Efforts towards rewarding merit, streamlining bureaucratic procedures and putting in place appropriate structures were identified as the steps which need to be taken to achieve that end. It was emphasized that this applies not just to private firms but also to institutions and the public administration, which must make recruitment and career advancement procedures more modern, open and competitive.
- Internationalizing human capital
The participants also pinpointed several practical solutions aimed at fostering the international openness of professional training and development in Italy, including: the creation of incentives to encourage study abroad, the establishment of courses taught in English and of academic posts assigned to foreign university professors, and the expansion of internship programs. It was also felt that overseas experience should become a career-enhancing move at all levels, in keeping with the model adopted in numerous private firms, especially multinationals. Finally, it was suggested that Italian universities should fall into line with the practice of setting up international campuses of excellence, both by opening up Italian university campuses abroad and by partnering with foreign universities.
In conclusion, the Conference participants agreed on the usefulness of initiatives like Aspen Institute Italia’s “Italian leaders abroad” group, highlighting the need to strengthen and decide on a future focus for the project which moves it on from analysis and the sharing of experiences to a more hands-on phase. Emphasis was accordingly laid on the importance of taking concrete steps to ensure that the experience and expertise of the community of Italian leaders abroad is turned to best advantage.
To this end, the following two working groups were established within the community in June 2011:
- Group 1 – How to go from brain drain to brain circulation
By examining best practices in this field in Italy and abroad, and evaluating mechanisms that lend support to brain circulation, this group seeks to develop concrete strategies and proposals adapted to Italian conditions.
- Group 2 – Innovation as a key to improving international competitiveness
This group’s aim is to identify processes and measures to promote systematic and multifaceted innovation, fostering coordinated and constructive partnerships between businesses, research institutions and universities. The group’s analytical focus is on innovation clusters, organization and finance.