"Spain's Brain Drain" - 2016 Harvard Spain Conference

Date: 

Saturday, April 23, 2016 (All day)

Location: 

Piper Auditorium | Harvard Graduate School of Design | 48 Quincy Street | Gund Hall | Cambridge, MA

During the last decade, emigration in Spain has increased very significantly. The moment of emancipation of the best-prepared generation in the country’s history has sadly coincided with a deep economic crisis. This coincidence has forced many well educated young people to seek new opportunities out of the country.

The persistence of the crisis explains that many of those who left the country with a transitory experience in mind have actually extended their stay abroad for an indefinite period of time. Some studies are already discussing the so-called network effect, which refers to complex support alliances within expats communities that could be already playing an important role in the originally unplanned extension of their residence abroad. The potentially permanent settlement of this talent out of the country can be detrimental for the Spanish economy and society, because of the loss of intellectual capital it entails.

The student association Harvard Spain, which gathers all Spanish students currently at Harvard University, organizes its 2016 Conference under the title Spain’s Brain Drain, with the aim to carefully examine this phenomenon, to analyze causes and effects, and to reflect on proposals and actions that might enhance the positive influence of emigrated talent in present and future living conditions within Spain.

9:30 Welcome remarks by:
Julio Núñez Montesinos, Cónsul  General de España en Boston.

9.45 Introduction:
Harvard Spain Student Association

10.00 Analysis and Future Expectations
Interview and colloquium with Joaquín Almunia, former Vicepresident and Comissioner for Compition in the European Union.

11:00 Panel 1: Where is the spanish talent?
Diego Comin, Professor, Dartmouth College’s Economics Department
Nilo García, CEO, Reticare
Fernando Fernández-Monge, co-founder, Spanish Global Professionals Network
Alberto López San Miguel, Director, Fulbright Spain
Moderator
Harvard Spain

12:30 Keynote
Juan Pablo Riesgo Figuerola-Ferretti, State Secretary for Employment, Ministry of Employment and Social Security of Spain

13:30 Lunch Box Break

14:30 Panel 2: Brain drain vs brain circulation
Manuel Hurtado, CEO, Global Technology Knowledge Corporation
Manuel Muñiz, Director, Program on Transatlantic Relations, Weatherhead Center for International affairs, Harvard University
Teresa Nieves-Chinchilla, President, Spanish Scientists in the USA (ECUSA)
Juan Pérez-Mercader, Professor, Harvard Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
Moderador
Harvard Spain

16:00 Final Remarks
José Manuel Martínez Sierra, Director, Real Colegio Complutense at Harvard

16:30 Cocktail

If you are planning on attending, please RSVP

If you need directions, please see the this MAP