Introduction to special issue on “diaspora direct investment”

In this introduction to the themed issue “Diaspora Direct Investment,” we firstly provide a review of the relevant extant literature followed by a discussion on determinants and policy implications. Next, we summarize the six papers included in this special issue. The topics that are touched upon are remittances, foreign direct investment and ecological footprint, diaspora direct investment, interest rate environments, multinational enterprises and their effects on poverty, and diaspora engagement. As a relatively new topic in international investment, the selected papers provide novel contributions to the broad theme and focus on under-researched areas of international investment determinants. Our review of the literature provides a brief overview of past studies on diaspora investment (including direct investment) and the conclusions derived therefrom. We conclude by suggesting research gaps to be filled by future studies on diaspora direct investment.