Scientific diasporas in global biodiversity governance: brain circulation, linkage, and knowledge brokerage in...

The increasing reliance on international scientific collaboration to address biodiversity loss has brought renewed attention to the role of scientific diasporas in global environmental governance. Yet, empirical evidence on how diaspora-mediated practices operate in biodiversity-rich contexts remains limited. This study examines the role of the Colombian scientific diaspora in biodiversity governance by linking empirical patterns to the concepts of brain circulation, brain linkage, and knowledge brokerage. It adopts an exploratory mixed-methods approach that integrates survey (n = 62) and qualitative data generated in the context of COP16. The analysis maps diaspora engagement across multiple dimensions, including where collaboration occurs, through which institutional actors it is mediated, how it is enacted, and under what conditions it unfolds. Findings show that diaspora scientists contribute across all 23 targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, with a strong concentration in capacity building, technology transfer, and international collaboration. Engagement is geographically concentrated in major research hubs but extends to peripheral regions, suggesting a pattern of both concentration and reach. Institutionally, collaborations are primarily mediated through higher education institutions and civil society organizations, with limited direct interaction with national government actors. Building on these findings, the study develops an exploratory typology of diaspora collaboration mechanisms, including academic collaboration, capacity building and technology transfer, co-production with society, material exchange, policy advice, and non-institutional collaboration, offering a structured framework for future studies of diaspora engagement in biodiversity governance.