Do immigrant students succeed? Evidence from Italy and France based on PISA 2006

This paper uses data from PISA 2006 on science, mathematics and reading to analyse immigrant school gaps – negative difference between immigrants’ and natives’ scores - and the structural features of educational systems in two adjacent countries, Italy and France, with similar migration inflows and with similar schooling institutions, based on tracking. Our results show that tracking and school specific programs matter; in both countries, the school system upholds a separation between students with different backgrounds and ethnicities. Residential segregation or discrimination seem also to be at work, especially in France. Given the existing school model, a teaching support in mathematics and science in France and in reading in Italy would help immigrant students to converge to natives’ standards.International migration; educational systems; PISA

Do immigrant students succeed? Evidence from Italy and France based on PISA 2006

This paper uses data from PISA 2006 on science, mathematics and reading to analyse immigrant school gaps – negative difference between immigrants’ and natives’ scores - and the structural features of educational systems in two adjacent countries, Italy and France, with similar migration inflows and with similar schooling institutions, based on tracking. Our results show that tracking and school specific programs matter; in both countries, the school system upholds a separation between students with different backgrounds and ethnicities. Residential segregation or discrimination seem also to be at work, especially in France. Given the existing school model, a teaching support in mathematics and science in France and in reading in Italy would help immigrant students to converge to natives’ standardsInternational migration; educational systems; PISA;

Emigrants and immigrants networks in FDI

This article studies the relationship between emigration, immigration and the bilateral foreign direct investments (FDI), inward and outward, between Italy and 51 foreign countries. The results suggest that the networks of Italian emigrants abroad significantly promote both inward and outward bilateral FDI. The overall influence of immigrants is weaker. Their role is positively dependent on distance for FDI inward, only. classification-JEL : F21, F23Foreign direct investments, migrations, transnational networks

The hub continent? Immigrant networks, emigrant diasporas and FDI

This paper studies the effects of immigrant networks on the bilateral FDI of France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, and, for Italy and Spain, also of the emigrant diasporas. It analyses the effects of skilled and unskilled immigrants and of networks linked to developing and developed countries. Results show that the FDIs of the UK, Germany and France are affected by the networks of skilled immigrants, while those of Italy and Spain are prompted only by the emigrant diasporas. Networks linked to OECD and non-OECD countries have similar effectsmigration, networks, skills, diasporas, FDI

The attractiveness of countries for FDI. A fuzzy approach

This paper presents a new method for measuring the attractiveness of countries for FDI. A ranking is built using a fuzzy expert system whereby the function producing the final evaluation is not necessarily linear and the weights of the variables, usually defined numerically, are replaced by linguistic rules. More precisely, weights derive from expert opinions and from econometric tests on the determinants of countries’ FDI. As a second step, the view-point of investors from two different investing economies, the UK and Italy, are taken into account. Country-specific factors, such as the geographic, cultural and institutional distances existing between the investing and the partner economies are included in the analysis. This shows how the base ranking changes with the investor’s perspective.foreign direct investments; fuzzy expert systems; attractiveness

Migrant networks: Empirical Implications for the Italian Bilateral Trade

A significant number of empirical studies, focusing on different countries, have found a positive link between migration and trade. This paper studies the relationship between emigration, immigration and trade using Italian data. The sample regards 51 foreign trading partners and spans from 1990 to 2005. The results suggest that: networks of Italian emigrants in foreign countries boost bilateral trade. The effects of immigrants are weak, on exports, or negative, on imports. Results do not change when the cultural and institutional dissimilarities between countries are considered.International Migration, Italian Bilateral Trade

The Attractiveness of Countries for FDI. A Fuzzy Approach

This paper presents a new method for measuring the attractiveness of countries for FDI. A ranking is built using a fuzzy expert system whereby the function producing the final evaluation is not necessarily linear and the weights of the variables, usually defined numerically, are replaced by linguistic rules. More precisely, weights derive from expert opinions and from econometric tests on the determinants of countries’ FDI. As a second step, the view-point of investors from two different investing economies, the UK and Italy, are taken into account. Country-specific factors, such as the geographic, cultural and institutional distances existing between the investing and the partner economies are included in the analysis. This shows how the base ranking changes with the investor’s perspectiveforeign direct investments; fuzzy expert systems; attractiveness;

The hub continent? Immigrant networks, emigrant diasporas and FDI

This paper studies the effects of immigrant networks on the bilateral FDI of France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, and, for Italy and Spain, also of the emigrant diasporas. It analyses the effects of skilled and unskilled immigrants and of networks linked to developing and developed countries. Results show that the FDIs of the UK, Germany and France are affected by the networks of skilled immigrants, while those of Italy and Spain are prompted only by the emigrant diasporas. Networks linked to OECD and non-OECD countries have similar effectsmigration, networks, skills, diasporas, FDI

Migrant Business Networks and FDI

This paper studies the effects of migration on the bilateral FDI of four European countries, Germany, Italy, France and the U.K. It is based on four distinct datasets with time spans going from 1990 to 2004. It focuses on the impact on FDI of skilled and less-skilled immigrants and on the networks’ ties with the less developed countries. Results are that the effects of skilled immigrants are positive and robust for both inward and outward FDI, and that networks linked to the developing countries mostly have stronger effects on the outward FDI than those related to the developed economies.Migrant Business Networks, Skills, FDI

Italian Diaspora and Foreign Direct Investment: A Cliometric Perspective

Recent economic literature highlights that migrant networks help to overcome the informal barriers that exist in the international markets and boost international investment. Empirical studies on different countries confirm this prediction. This paper estimates (OLS-IV) an econometric model to study the impact of both emigration and immigration on Italy’s bilateral foreign direct investment (FDI). The main result is that only the Italian diaspora has a significant positive effect on Italy’s both inward and outward FDI. A theoretical framework, a profile of the diaspora and of immigration in Italy and some exemplary entrepreneurial histories help to interpret the econometric evidence.International Investments, Migrant Networks, Entrepreneurial Histories