At the end of February, representatives of institutions, organizations, academia and the diaspora gathered in Tirana to open one of the key questions for the Western Balkans today: how to transform the way we approach migration into a sustainable model of cooperation, exchange and development. The LeadBalkans 2026 conference, held from 25 to 27 February and organized by the Western Balkans Fund, highlighted that the diaspora is not outside the region, but an integral part of it. Instead of a divide between “here” and “there,” discussions revolved around the idea of connection – one that persists despite distance and, in a time of intense mobility, increasingly shapes how communities grow, collaborate and develop.

Exchanges between institutions, academia, business and civil society raised questions already familiar from practice – what works in cooperation with the diaspora, where the obstacles lie and how existing initiatives can be developed further.

At Returning Point, this topic is not new. This was precisely the central idea of the panel From Brain Drain to Knowledge Circulation, which featured the Returning Point’s Program Director, Uroš Živković.

The panel focused on how to move circulation from concept to reality, by developing concrete mechanisms that enable people in the diaspora to engage – whether through return, remote work, mentoring, investment or collaboration with institutions and organizations in the region. Program Manager Bojana Miković led the Dialogue 2.0 workshop with the idea to exchange proposals of formats for cooperation between local societies and the diaspora throughout the region.

It is important to emphasize: circulation does not only mean physical return, but is also happening through joint projects, academic collaborations, knowledge exchange and business connections that transcend borders. It is up to us to recognize these processes, support them and make them more visible and accessible. Discussions at #LeadBalkans showed that cooperation with the diaspora does not happen spontaneously, but requires trust, stable and predictable systems, as well as clear pathways for engagement. At the same time, the existing potential has become evident in people who are willing to contribute, but also in initiatives that can turn that willingness into concrete opportunities.

Source and photo: Returning Point