This project investigates factors that shape the governance of international skilled migration. Skilled workers are in high demand, and high-income (developed) countries vie to attract skilled migrants to remain competitive in the global knowledge economy. The competition for talent is likely to increase as populations decline and age, with related skill shortages emerging. In order to attract more skilled workers, corporations and other stakeholders try to influence migration policies at various scales. Traditional governance studies have primarily investigated policymaking processes at the global, supranational, and national scale, paying little attention to stakeholders at the subnational scale. The primary goal of this project is to better understand the governance of international skilled migration at various scales. The project investigates the migration experiences of skilled workers and their families and the socio-spatial strategies of stakeholders to influence skilled migration policies. These findings are placed within the socio-institutional context in which skilled migration takes place. Also, the project integrates literatures on the politics of scale and networks to analyze the governance of international skilled migration. This investigation uses a case study of the information technology (IT) industry in Norway to investigate these issues. Norway shares several concerns with other high-income countries, including low enrollments in engineering and computer science courses, an increased demand for skilled workers, and a shortage of developers and analysts of software and its applications, database professionals, and network professionals. Interviews with stakeholders in international skilled migration examine the ways in which they influence migration policies. In addition, interviews and an online survey investigate the migration experiences of IT specialists and their strategies to navigate institutional barriers.
The research findings will provide insights into the actual practices of scaling, rescaling, and network modes of governance in migration policymaking. The project will make theoretical contributions to geographical understandings of scales and networks, including the possible emergence of new forms of governance. The findings of the project will enhance the understanding of the processes of international skilled migration, particularly the operation of global talent recruitment. Thus, this study will inform policy debates about competitiveness and innovation in the global knowledge economy. Understandings of the migration experiences of skilled workers can also contribute to more effective and efficient skilled migration policies. U.S. graduate and undergraduate students will be trained as part of the study.
