Training & Education
Vocational training, educator development, professional skills, and diaspora knowledge transfer.
Malmö · 2026
Nordic–Syrian
Economic Partnership
Summit 2026
A focused diaspora dialogue on training and education, agriculture and water, and financing diaspora-led activities. Practical experience, priorities from Syria, and six early-stage ideas to discuss together.
Date2 December 2026
LocationMalmö City Hall, Stortorget 2, 211 34 Malmö, Sweden
FormatOne day · 100 participants
01 / Why this Summit
Learn from experience. Listen to priorities from Syria.
The Summit brings diaspora practitioners with experience of working in Syria together with intended beneficiaries, local practitioners, and Syrians in Sweden who have developed six early-stage ideas.
02 / Who we are
An independent platform built to make cooperation workable.
SYNPAC is an independent Swedish nonprofit organisation established in 2025. We connect Syrian needs and capabilities with Nordic institutions, businesses, expertise, and markets.
Syria-Nordic Partnership and Alliance Council (SYNPAC ideell förening)
مجلس الشراكة والتحالف السوري ودول الشمال الأوروبي (سينباك)
03 / Three focused themes
Where diaspora engagement can help.
Training and education, and agriculture and water, frame the sector discussions. Finance runs across both, drawing on experience of funding diaspora-led activities.
Agriculture & Water
Agricultural skills, irrigation, water efficiency, and practical support for producers.
Finance
Experience of financing diaspora-led activities, actual costs, practical barriers, and support needs.
04 / Programme
Experience, local priorities, and practical support.
Two morning panels lead into discussions of three ideas before lunch. An afternoon finance panel precedes the other three ideas, followed by a collective discussion of practical support needs.
Wednesday, 2 December 202608:30–16:30 CET
Malmö City HallStortorget 2, 211 34 Malmö, Sweden
This is an indicative working programme. Malmö City and a summit partner have opening welcome slots; their speakers are to be confirmed. Other contributors will be named as participation is confirmed.
08:30–09:00
01
Arrival and Project Profiles
Coffee, registration, and short profiles of the six early-stage ideas and the questions their initiators want to explore.
Contributors: All participants.
09:00–09:05
02
Opening by SYNPAC
Set out the purpose of the dialogue: share experience of diaspora engagement, hear priorities from Syria, examine six ideas, and identify practical support needs.
Contributors: Kotaiba Aal, Chair, SYNPAC.
09:05–09:10
03
Host Welcome: Malmö City
A welcome to Malmö from the host city.
Contributors: Representative of Malmö City; speaker to be confirmed.
09:10–09:15
04
Welcome from a Summit Partner
A brief welcome and perspective on the value of diaspora engagement.
Contributors: Representative of a summit partner; organisation and speaker to be confirmed.
09:15–10:00
05
Panel 1 — Priorities from Syria: Education, Agriculture and Water
Participants from Syria set out their priorities, local constraints, and questions for diaspora actors. Intended beneficiaries and practitioners can challenge assumptions and explain what useful engagement would look like.
Contributors: Intended beneficiaries and relevant practitioners from Syria; contributors to be confirmed.
10:00–10:45
06
Panel 2 — Diaspora Engagement: Experience, Obstacles and Lessons
Two or three diaspora practitioners share work they have attempted in Syria: what happened, the time and resources involved, obstacles encountered, and support they needed. The discussion includes stalled or unsuccessful efforts and lessons relevant to the six ideas.
Contributors: Diaspora practitioners with direct experience; contributors to be confirmed.
10:45–11:05
07
Coffee and Informal Conversations
Continue the conversations and review the idea profiles.
Contributors: All participants.
11:05–12:05
08
Project Dialogue: Ideas 1–3
Three early-stage ideas developed by Syrians in Sweden. Each receives 5 minutes from the initiator, 5 minutes from an intended beneficiary, and 10 minutes of moderated discussion. Examine the need, assumptions, and support required; an idea may need substantial revision.
Contributors: Idea initiators from Sweden, intended beneficiaries from Syria, and a facilitator.
12:05–12:30
09
Morning Findings: Priorities and Open Questions
Bring together lessons from the panels and feedback on the first three ideas. Identify recurring barriers, questions about financing, and issues that need further investigation.
Contributors: Panel moderators, diaspora practitioners, idea initiators, and participants from Syria.
12:30–13:30
10
Lunch and Informal Project Conversations
Time for idea initiators, participants from Syria, and relevant contributors to speak directly. Conversations can build on interests identified before the Summit.
Contributors: All participants.
13:30–14:20
11
Panel 3 — Financing Diaspora-Led Activities
Share experience of funding initial activities, actual costs and obstacles, and payment, administration, and reporting questions that need qualified input. The moderator will use briefs on all six ideas so the discussion serves both presentation groups.
Contributors: Diaspora actors and relevant finance or development practitioners; contributors to be confirmed.
14:20–15:20
12
Project Dialogue: Ideas 4–6
Three further ideas, with the same 20-minute format: 5 minutes from the initiator, 5 minutes from an intended beneficiary, and 10 minutes of discussion. Apply the day’s lessons and identify what still needs to be understood before any first activity.
Contributors: Idea initiators from Sweden, intended beneficiaries from Syria, and a facilitator.
15:20–15:40
13
Coffee Break
Informal conversations before the collective discussion of support needs.
Contributors: All participants.
15:40–16:10
14
What Would Help Diaspora Actors Engage More Effectively?
A facilitated discussion of the practical support participants need and who could address it. Invited Swedish and Nordic organisations can explain their remit, respond to specific requests, and identify questions they may be able to take forward.
Contributors: Diaspora actors, participants from Syria, and invited institutional or partner representatives; institutional participation to be confirmed.
16:10–16:20
15
Voluntary Next Steps
Record only actions that participants explicitly accept, with named contacts and suitable dates. Revising an idea, gathering more evidence, or deciding not to pursue it can all be useful outcomes.
Contributors: Interested participants, idea initiators, and SYNPAC.
16:20–16:30
16
Closing and Follow-Up
SYNPAC will circulate a summary of lessons, feedback, barriers, support requests, and accepted actions within two weeks. Further meetings will be arranged where they serve agreed actions.
Contributors: SYNPAC.
Optional dinner · 19:00–21:00: An informal, invitation-only dinner, separate from the formal programme. Venue to be confirmed; attendance by RSVP. Calendar links cover the formal programme only.
The six projects are at the idea stage. Participation does not imply funding, institutional endorsement, or a commitment to implement.
05 / Project Dialogue
Six ideas.
Shaped with their intended beneficiaries.
Six early-stage ideas developed by Syrians in Sweden will be discussed with intended beneficiaries visiting from Syria. Participants from Syria will bring their own priorities and questions, helping assess whether the proposed approaches are useful.
Proposed ideaBeneficiary feedbackSupport neededAgreed next step
Each idea receives 20 minutes: 5 minutes from its initiator, 5 minutes from an intended beneficiary, and 10 minutes of moderated discussion. Participants can challenge the approach, identify missing evidence, or recommend rethinking it. There is no scoring, ranking, or expectation of funding.
Enquire about the project dialogue06 / Confirmed partners
The event is organized by SYNPAC in collaboration with Malmö City, and supported by the Swedish Dialogue Institute and the confirmed partners listed here.
