Diaspora: more than the remittances

It is time we recognise the flow of cash is not only way Pakistanis settled in distant lands can give back to society

Annual remittances by overseas Pakistanis made upwards of $18 billion last year, as per the State Bank of Pakistan. The percentage yearly increase is often in double digits and year-by-year data suggests that remittances continue to pour in, regardless of the political situation in the country. Undoubtedly, these remittances play an important role in contributing to our economy and represent a connection of our diaspora with the nation. But any discussion of diaspora in the development circles, or in conversations on national growth, start and end with remittances and movement of cash. The human experience, the knowledge acquired and the skills learned by working in another culture never enter the equation. It is time to change that.

Over the last quarter century, the number of Pakistani professionals working abroad has increased substantially. Particularly in medicine and in computer and communication sciences, the number of Pakistani men and women working abroad has increased substantially. The increase, though modest by comparison, is also in the number of entrepreneurs and various areas of academia in social sciences, humanities and physical sciences. Yet, at a time when the country needs both the experience of its diaspora and the financial contribution, there is little interest in utilising the former.

Indeed, there are many among the diaspora who engage on a personal level and provide guidance and input to institutions in Pakistan, but not only is that number small, it is also not necessarily a most effective and efficient contribution. The contribution has largely been in big cities and in Punjab and urban Sindh, with other parts of the country benefiting marginally, if at all. It is important here to point out that the experience of the diaspora, who live and work in a different society for a period, is fundamentally different from those who just go abroad to study and then return. One is not better or worse than the other ­— we need the support of both.

Here, I would like to argue that the need and the opportunity is particularly significant in areas of teaching and research. The engagement with scholars in all disciplines (and not just in the sciences as some would like to argue) can be of significant national value to both institutions and policymakers. Some may argue that previous governments and administrations have created programmes to engage the diaspora, and have not fully succeeded. They may point to the efforts of the Higher Education Commission in bringing foreign faculty to Pakistan and provide them with resources to stay in the country for a period, ranging from several weeks to even three years. The outcome of that activity has been largely negative. Indeed, such activities have been used by many to get a free trip to the country or to finance their time with their family, but here again the engagement of the diaspora was at an individual level. It is time to scrap bad practices and call out bad behaviour. What I am proposing is to raise the bar and create an initiative that engages a bigger group, ideally of scholars from multiple countries and disciplines, to provide mentorship, resources and support.

For most gifted scholars and leaders in academia, the most prized possession is often their time, and not necessarily money. Yet, those I have spoken to, in humanities, social, natural and physical sciences, are eager to contribute their time, provided there is a structured initiative that allows them to engage with other scholars and benefit from their insight and expertise. Academia is a contact sport and a mechanism to engage a group of scholars from both Pakistan and multiple nations abroad will create new areas of inquiry and research, where the final outcome may be greater than the sum of its parts.

In the backdrop of conversations and new initiatives by the government on knowledge corridors, we should remember and be proud of the fact that the bonds of love and connectivity, of Pakistan with its native sons and daughters, are strong, regardless of the distance between them. It is time we recognised that the flow of cash is not the only way Pakistanis settled in distant lands can give back to society.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 15^th, 2016.

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