Two multi-stakeholder knowledge exchange plenary workshops were hosted in May 2026 by the Centre for Migration, Diaspora, Citizenship & Identity (CMDCI) at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) and Maynooth University Social Sciences Institute (MUSSI), bringing together ground-level practitioners such as Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs) and Integration Joint Boards (IJB) in Scotland and Local Authority Integration Teams (LAITs) in Ireland, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), civil servants, academic researchers, and public sector representatives.
The aims of the two events were to better understand how internal and external diasporas are engaged to strengthen community cohesion in both Ireland and Scotland, to facilitate the exchange of best practices across sectors and jurisdictions, as well as to highlight ongoing areas of concern.
The findings of the knowledge exchange events are summarised in two documents, available for download below. The first brief was prepared for non-governmental organisations; local level practitioners, national and local civil servants and public sector workers. The second brief is aimed at policymakers, local authorities and public service leaders.