CRRC-Armenia and ARISC invite to a public presentation

to be delivered by Aleksandr V. Gevorkyan, Ph.D., St. John’s University

National diasporas have long since been argued as potential “first-movers” in their home countries’ economic development. This presentation will cover some preliminary results from the Armenian Diaspora Survey, which ran between December 2015 and April 2018. The intention is to attempt to explore a range of diverse modalities of diaspora-home model engagement in post-socialist Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union, with Armenia as a specific example. Much of anonymous responses on the willingness to engage with historical homeland stand in contrast to popular opinion polls or hypothetical conclusions by extrapolation. Initial evidence suggests a range of non-monetary opportunities, e.g. volunteering, teaching, knowledge-sharing, art projects, etc.

Specific survey questions ask about respondents’ birthplace and current residence, years of residence, etc. That helps determine the diasporan-age, which appears to be one of the critical explanatory factors in the model. That then further informs the earlier distinction between the “old” and the “new” diaspora. Such distinctions appear to be relevant in evaluating the effectiveness of various engagement models. The lessons from the survey, while specific to Armenia, are relevant for other small transition economies.

There will be a question and answer session after the presentation.

TARGET GROUP

The presentation is addressed to faculty members, students, junior researchers and professionals working in the field of migration and diaspora studies. The event is open to the general public.

PRESENTER’S SHORT BIO

Aleksandr V. Gevorkyan, Ph.D. is Assistant Professor of Economics at the Department of Economics and Finance of the Tobin College of Business at St. John’s University in New York. He is a Senior Research Fellow at the Vincentian Center for Church and Society, a Research Fellow at the Center for Global Business Stewardship, and a Board Member at the Armenian Economic Association. Dr. Gevorkyan also serves as Economics Subject Matter Expert for the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See To the United Nations. His research focuses on open economy macroeconomics, development, international financial economics, and post-socialist transition economies. Dr. Gevorkyan is the author of Transition Economies: Transformation, Development, and Society in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union (Routledge, 2018); and co-editor (with Otaviano Canuto) of Financial Deepening and Post-Crisis Development in Emerging Markets (Palgrave, 2016).

PARTICIPATION

To attend please register by sending an email at [email protected] until June 18, 23:59.

Refreshments will be served.

For more on the American Research Institute of the South Caucasus (ARISC) programming, visit www.arisc.org