Enhancing social impact in business schools: connecting resident and diaspora scholars

Purpose This study aims to investigate how the research expertise from the academic diaspora (READ) programme fosters the social impact of business schools in post-communist contexts by supporting sustainable development goals (SDG) integration, enhancing institutional capacity and strengthening research collaboration between diaspora and resident scholars. Design/methodology/approach A triangulated qualitative research design was used, combining document analysis of 17 READ-funded projects across six Albanian business schools with semi-structured interviews involving six resident fellows. Thematic analysis was used to examine programme-level implementation and individual experiences, allowing for a holistic understanding of social impact mechanisms. Findings The READ programme supports SDG integration by enabling curriculum reform, interdisciplinary research and policy-relevant knowledge production. It contributes significantly to SDG 4 (quality education), SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth) and SDG 17 (partnerships for the goals). The findings reveal that diaspora engagement fosters sustained institutional change through trust-based collaboration, while administrative barriers and funding limitations remain key challenges. Originality/value This study contributes to social impact in business research by demonstrating how diaspora actors can act as institutional intermediaries in fragile academic systems. It offers a scalable model for leveraging diaspora engagement to support higher education reform and SDG implementation in transition and global south economies.