ARUBA – On 14 April 2026, representatives of educational and knowledge institutions from the Caribbean and European parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands signed the Kingdom-wide knowledge agenda (Koninkrijksbrede Kennisagenda). This took place during the three-day work conference ‘Stop braindrain, start braingain!’, held from 13 to 15 April 2026 in Aruba, with delegations from Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten, and the Netherlands.
During a knowledge mission in 2024 in the Caribbean region, the need for more intensive collaboration between educational and knowledge institutions in the Caribbean and European parts of the Kingdom was signalled. The strenghtened collaboration was then formalised in the Letter of Intent (LoI). Since then, the first initiatives have been launched and the collaboration is visibly taking shape.
The recently signed Kingdom-wide knowledge agenda marks a new phase in the development towards structural collaboration within the Kingdom and signals a continuation of the Letter of Intent signed in 2024. By signing, representatives of the various educational institutions on various levels within the Kingdom express their commitment to jointly continue building a shared work agenda. Central to this are strengthening student success of Caribbean students and improving the alignment between education and the labour market on the islands.
Stop braindrain, start braingain!
Representatives from government, education, and the labour market share one common ambition: to develop, retain, and attract talent within the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom. Minister Gerlien Croes and Minister Geoffrey Wever delivered inspiring messages emphasising the importance of this theme and the ‘stop braindrain, start braingain’ work conference. The conference was organised by the Ministries of Education of Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and the Netherlands, in collaboration with the Strategic Education Alliance (SEA), the Tijdelijke Werkorganisatie (TWO), and the Platform Education & Labour Aruba (PEL).
Inspired by the report ‘Braingain: an integrated approach’ by the Advisory Committee of the Strategic Education Alliance (SEA), the participants from all sectors worked on concrete steps towards 2030. The focus was on developing measures to counter brain drain, strengthening local education, promote mobility and collaboration, and improve alignment between education and the labour market. These were translated into a joint, a plan of action with clear priorities, responsibilities, and next steps.
