Going Beyond Organisational Professionalism. Exploring the Role of Work Settings for Professionals in the Digitalised Era:Session II - Organisation & Professions

High-skilled migration and nationalism seem like an antagonistic pair. Key policies of nationalistic political parties are the demand of closed borders, reduced immigration and to mark immigrants as the others, who are alien to the national body. Nationalism is also often coupled with authoritarian approaches and can be integrated into neoliberal, right-wing or left-nationalist ideology and political practice. However, in a globalized and interwoven economy, which also relies on high-skilled knowledge, it is not always possible or even desirable for nationalistic regimes to fully control or stop high-skilled migration. Brain gain or brain circulation is virtually unimaginable without the migrating agents providing their skills and knowledge. This creates a situation, in which nationalistic regimes or policies have to balance ideological ideas and political promises with economic and social realities. It also confronts the high-skilled migrants with the paradox situation to be wanted and unwanted at the same time. The session wants to explore high-skilled migration in times of rising authoritarianism and nationalism in different regions of the world and what this means to the migrants as well as how high-skilled migrants are constructed and perceived under nationalistic regimes.

This will be a regular session and contributors are invited to present research around the topic high-skilled migration in relation to nationalistic politics, nationalism, belonging and integration, authoritarianism or migration policies. Perspectives on these topics can include but are not limited to high-skilled migrants, policy makers, civil society, businesses and industry and can focus on the micro, meso or macro level.