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Dear colleagues, I’m trying to put together a special issue on diaspora and economic development. Attached is the current Call for Papers (also available online<https://www.researchgate.net/publication/376807999_Call_for_Papers_for_a_Special_Issue_Diaspora_and_economic_development_in_the_post-socialist_Eurasia>). The target journal is Eurasian Geography and Economics<https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/rege20>. Proposal submission deadline is March 31, 2024. The CFP focuses specifically on the contributions working within the geographic space of the post-socialist Eurasia (Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union<https://goo.gl/HGy6pt>). Individually authored or co-authored papers are more than welcome. Attention to the complex and multilayered [economic] history of the Eurasian region is much appreciated. Articles structured in the economic development context are preferred but multi-disciplinary approaches are welcome as well. The journal also asks for connecting with the broad literature on geography. In case the topic may not be in your current research pipeline, I’d be thankful if you could help circulating the CfP by forwarding this invitation to colleagues who may be interested in contributing. Submission does not guarantee acceptance and all proposals will be going through editorial and peer-reviews. The journal will then have the final say on everything, but we should try. Please feel free to reach out with any questions. Thanks in advance for your attention to this. For more details, please CONTACT DIRECTLY the SI Editor: Aleksandr V. Gevorkyan, Ph.D. Henry George Chair in Economics Associate Professor The Peter J. Tobin College of Business, St. John's University More details: Diaspora and economic development in the post-socialist Eurasia Call for papers for a special issue Editor Aleksandr V. Gevorkyan, Ph.D. [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> Proposal submission deadline: March 31, 2024 Target journal: Eurasian Geography and Economics The history of human migrations across Eurasia stretches back into the millennia. Since the 1990s political and economic transformations in the post-socialist Central and Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union (CEE/FSU), those movements have acquired new forms and meaning. One specific feature of those forced and voluntary migration waves has been the rise of the new and, in some cases, strengthening of the existing diaspora networks in the post-socialist region and across the world. The complexity of the connections between an ethnic or cultural diaspora and its perceived ancestral lands makes a fascinating study in sociology and history. But recently, much of the more applied policy-making focus has been on exploring the possibilities for a more fruitful engagement of these expatriate groups in economic development. The process has involved individual researchers, governments, and, most notably, practically all multilateral development organizations. In this latest addition to the economic development topics, the CEE/FSU region follows on tracks of similar initiatives across advanced and developing nations globally. In fact, over the past couple of decades, if not earlier, the concept of diaspora has crossed over from its calm habitat of the humanities into more tumultuous fields of international business and economics (Gevorkyan, 2022a; Panibratov and Rysakova, 2021). No longer defined by the three classical diasporic communities—the Jewish, Greek, and Armenian (Brubaker, 2005)—under forces of globalization, the diaspora studies have been upending scholarly endeavors as well as established public policy in advanced and developing nations. Yet, despite the latest rise in supply of some intellectually brave case-studies-informed policy proposals, the discourse on diaspora seems to be unable to generate universal engagement models for broader sustainable socioeconomic development. The latter is an urgent priority for the small developing economies—the ancestral nations to a variety of ethnic, religious, cultural, and other diasporas. Importantly, the traffic of ideas and capital goes in both directions: diaspora-to-homeland and homeland-todiaspora. And all of this has become especially urgent across the post-socialist Eurasian region. Given the above, this special issue aims to accomplish two specific goals. First, this initiative bridges the current diaspora-policy discourse with the wealth of existing research rooted in studies of historic identities, global networks, transnational formations, conceptualizations of homeland, host countries, and global human migration. Second, this special issue attempts to leverage that 2 rich research legacy for advancing an informed analysis (empirical or conceptual) on a range of engagement modalities between a diaspora and country’s socio-economic development. The special issue seeks to attract original contributions that through recognition of the multifaceted nuances associated with diaspora would deepen contemporary understanding of the concept in scholarly and applied contexts. Three foundational points are relevant to this analysis. First, in conceptual terms attention should be drawn to the history of the human migration as the key factor in a diaspora formation. Importantly, while migration necessarily leads to a diaspora, not all migration, especially recent, constitutes a diaspora. Multilayering transnational identities, across expatriate communities, results in diverging predispositions to engage at individual or group levels. This nuance is little researched in the recent applied literature but is well-covered in a variety of historical and sociological studies of diaspora (e.g., Tölölyan, 1996). Second, recent attempts to standardize individual case studies as best practice examples, omitting the complexity of the local historical, cultural, and geopolitical determinants, run into a brick-wall of policy ineffectiveness and macroeconomic underdevelopment. Related to this are the questions of migration flows, monetary transfers (remittances), knowledge and soft-skills transfers from the country’s diaspora to the local entrepreneurs, cultural and educational engagements, search for innovative financial solutions funding development. That leads to the third foundational point, which deals with the ancestral (home) country’s engagement with its diaspora. However, not always an active diaspora may relate to (or even have) its ancestral country on today’s world map. Moreover, even with diaspora’s inclination to engage, the existing home country’s attitudes towards its compatriots abroad may not be conducive to mutual rapprochement. In the end, the diaspora-for-development link becomes not so obvious in smaller and lower income economies. Simply “having” or, discovering (Kunz, 2012), a diaspora is not a sufficient condition for sustainable and all-inclusive economic development. A more nuanced approach is needed. Overall, in terms of broad theoretical framework, motivating this special ssue, the authors are invited to consider the trinity of identity (diaspora definition), trust (within and across the diaspora group, and engagement infrastructure (the ancestral homeland’s proactive and transparent connection with its diaspora) categories (Gevorkyan, 2022b). Finally, while discussions involving examples of advanced economies are relevant, this special issue strongly encourages papers with focus on small developing countries’ realities, especially in the context of new global economy pressures, relevant to the post-socialist CEE/FSU group of countries. The target journal for this special issue is the journal of Eurasian Geography and Economics. Hence, the geographical focus on Eurasia (though other geographical areas could be included if they are explicitly brought into comparative focus with Eurasia, or the links made obvious), and engagement with appropriate geographical literature and theory is expected. There is no guaranteed acceptance and all submissions will undergo a blind peer-review as per the journal’s guidelines. Authors may be asked to serve as reviewers on other papers in this special 3 issue. In addition, submitting authors agree to actively participate in possible future conferences / workshops organization and presentations as part of the special issue publication. Please submit all proposals to [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> Submissions should include either a complete paper OR an extended abstract (around 500 words) detailing the research topic and (expected) results; paper title; keywords; and authors’ affiliation and contact information. Submission does not guarantee acceptance and will undergo peer-review. The deadline for the initial submission is December 31, 2023. About the editor: Aleksandr V. Gevorkyan, Ph.D. is Henry George Chair in Economics and Associate Professor of Economics at the Department of Economics and Finance of St. John’s University’s Peter J. Tobin College of Business. Dr. Gevorkyan is the author of Transition Economies: Transformation, Development, and Society in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union (Routledge, 2018). Full bio http://agevorkyan.com/ Publications on diaspora http://agevorkyan.com/diaspora/ References Brubaker, R. 2005. The ‘diaspora’ diaspora. Ethnic and Racial Studies, Vol. 28(1): 1-19. Gevorkyan, A.V. 2022a. Diaspora and Economic Development: A Systemic View. The European Journal of Development Research, Vol. 34: 1522–1541. https://rdcu.be/cn1AV Gevorkyan, A. V. 2022b. Diaspora networks? In Sven Horak (ed) Informal Networks in International Business. Bingley: Emerald Publishing Limited, pp. 55-73. Kunz, R. 2012. The Discovery of the Diaspora, International Political Sociology, 6(1): 103–107. Panibratov, A., & Rysakova, L. 2021. The diaspora phenomenon: Scholarly assessment and implications for countries and firms. Journal of Global Mobility, Vol. 9(1): 107–144. Tölölyan, K. 1996. Rethinking Diaspora(s): Stateless Power in the Transnational Moment. Diaspora: A Journal of Transnational Studies, Vol. 5 (1): 3-36. ____ AIB-L is brought to you by the Academy of International Business. 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