Recently, the Algerian Government has stepped up initiatives to connect with Algerians living and working abroad, emphasising the vital role of intellectuals, entrepreneurs, scientists, and experts abroad as key contributors to the country’s development strategy.
In a recent article, El Watan praised Viet Nam as a prime example of successfully leveraging its overseas community. With over 5.3 million Vietnamese residing across 130 countries and territories, Viet Nam has transformed the community into a “strategic resource” for science, technology, and innovation.
In 2023, Viet Nam’s Ministry of Science and Technology launched the “Talent Network Viet Nam” programme to link overseas Vietnamese experts with domestic enterprises. This policy includes concrete incentives such as tax breaks, streamlined administrative procedures, and support for reintegration, representing a practical step in attracting global expertise and knowledge transfer for national development, it noted.
El Watan highlighted Viet Nam’s significant transformation over the past 20 years. Modern infrastructure, a young and dynamic workforce, a transparent investment environment, and an open policy orientation have created favourable conditions for overseas Vietnamese returning to make contributions to their home country. This has enabled record foreign investment inflows, particularly in semiconductors and artificial intelligence, with the presence of major corporations such as Samsung, Intel, and Foxconn.
Meeting the growing demand for highly skilled labour, the Vietnamese government continues to focus on its overseas community through conferences, forums, and promotion events held in France, the US, and Australia.
Algerian experts regard Viet Nam’s policies regarding overseas Vietnamese as a balanced combination of strategic vision, practical measures, and an understanding of expatriates’ sentiments. This offers valuable lessons for Algeria in developing policies to encourage its overseas intellectuals to contribute to national development.
With millions of Algerians living abroad, many highly qualified and maintaining close ties with their homeland, Algeria possesses a vast resource. Analysts recommend that the government concentrate on creating a favourable environment for innovation, administrative reform, transparency, and policy stability to harness this potential.
El Watan underscored that Viet Nam has demonstrated that sustainable development is measured not only by GDP growth but also by the ability to attract its diaspora back to contribute to the nation. With appropriate policies, Algeria could similarly transform its overseas community into a major driver of socio-economic progress, it concluded.
