The SWISS UNIVERSITIES’ INTERNATIONAL MARKETING group – SUIM
is pleased to invite you to a high-level conference on

Skilled Migration Policy and Higher Education

December 2nd, 2010
at EPFL, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland


The remarkable mobility of bright students and young researchers across the globe, combined with demographic imbalances, is about to set up a “war for skills”, despite the fact that many countries are still lacking migration policies that are coherent with the internationalization of higher education. This conference will present an overview of the situation at the international and national levels and stimulate discussion on key issues that universities and higher education policy makers need to address.

Conference aimed at: researchers and scientists active in the overall theme of skilled migration policy; members of the management/administration of Swiss universities; managers of the Cantonal and Federal administrations; politicians; representatives of SER and CRUS.


The presentations of the speakers are available hereunder as PDF files

The presentations and discussions are equally available as streaming video

Conference contact: smp-he@epfl.ch

Program (also in PDF)

Venue: EPFL, SV Building, room 1717A

13.45 - 14.15	Welcome and Registration
14.15 - 14.30	Introductory notes: Dr Dimitrios Noukakis, International Affairs, EPFL
Session I	Chairwoman: Dr Verity Elston, Deputy Dean, Doctoral School, EPFL
14.30 - 15.10	‘Designer Immigrants’? The Growing Global Demand for International Students as Skilled Migrants (See also relevant articles LH1, LH2 and LH3) Prof. Lesleyanne Hawthorne, University of Melbourne, Australia
15.10 - 15.50	International Student Recruitment in Europe in the Context of Skilled Migration and Global Competition Prof. Hans de Wit, Hogeschool van Amsterdam, The Netherlands
15.50 - 16.10	Coffee Break
Session II	Chairwoman: Ms Antoinette Charon Wauters, Head International Affairs, University of Lausanne
16.10 - 16.50	Graduates in Switzerland: facts and developments Prof. Gianni D'Amato, Director of the Swiss Forum for Migration and Population Studies, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland
16.50 - 17.30	International recruitment of highly skilled workers and scientific diasporas: policy implications for the origin and destination countries (See also presentation Abstract) Ibrahima Amadou Dia, Department of Sociology, University of Geneva, Switzerland
Session III
17.30 - 18.30	Final Debate and Round Table Chaired by  Prof. Jacques Neirynck, Professor Emeritus EPFL, member of the Swiss National Council
18.30 - 19.30	Standing Buffet

The presentations will be given in English - simultaneous interpretation in French available.