NOVAFRICA Podcast: Toman Barsbai, University of Bristol

In our latest NOVAFRICA Sustainable Development Talks, Professor Toman Barsbai from University of Bristol discusses his research on

“Malengo: Moving to Opportunity Abroad”

Explaining how international educational migration programs impact income and aspirations, the study finds that admission to the Malengo program substantially increases students’ monthly earnings and subjective wellbeing, while a school-based information campaign mainly affects migration intentions and aspirations among secondary school students in Uganda. However, these mechanisms operate through different channels: admission generates large and rapid income gains for students in Germany and also improves wellbeing for their families and peers in Uganda, whereas the information campaign raises aspirations and migration intentions but does not lead to measurable increases in human capital investments. The analysis also highlights different dynamics over time, with income and wellbeing effects emerging quickly after admission, while the campaign’s effects on aspirations tend to fade, although exposed students appear to transition into the labor market earlier. Combining both approaches may help connect high-return migration opportunities with broader dissemination of information and aspiration-building in origin communities.

🔗 Listen to the episode here.