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Remittances are considered a lifeline of developing countries and are especially vital for migrants and their families. Digital data technology can help alleviate many of the "pain-points" in the remittances industry. For example, it can significantly enhance the convenience, speed, security, and affordability of sending and receiving remittances. This publication discusses the importance of remittances in Asia and the Pacific, the key challenges faced by the industry, and the impacts of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. It also includes country case studies that demonstrate the benefits of digitization and makes recommendations on how the digitization of remittances across the region can be further advanced.

This report analyzes labor migration trends in Asia and puts them in the context of demographic and policy trends. It provides an overview of the population trends in different Asian countries and looks at policy settings in several sending and destination countries of labor migrants. It examines different approaches to effective labor migration management, including the imposition and regulation of fees and costs, and reviews the relevant policies in Asia and the Pacific. The report also looks forward to new approaches, examining the concept of skills mobility partnerships and how existing migration channels in Asia could be innovated using this concept. The chapters reflect the discussions that took place at the "Ninth Roundtable on Labor Migration in Asia: Innovative Approaches for the Effective Management of Labor Migration in Asia," held in Tokyo in February 2019. The event, co-organized by the Asian Development Bank Institute, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the International Labour Organization, brought together regional experts and policy makers. The report provides the most up-to-date comparative statistics on labor migration flows in and from Asia. The introductory chapter reviews the recent regional trends and newly available data on the changes in the stock of Asian migrants, while two statistical annexes offer detailed country fact sheets and coverage of intra-Asia and cross-regional migration flows.

This paper will focus on the xinyimin in Indonesia, an undertaking that forms part of my larger project on Chinese migration in Southeast Asia. There have been copious descriptions of the diverse nature of Chinese migration into the region, but statistics have been less forthcoming both as a result of the sensitive nature of the subject and the uneven data collection of country-level surveys. However, from scattered information that is available, it is still possible for us to gain a rough picture of the xinyimin in Southeast Asia and to understand their activities (see Table 1). To a limited extent, their impact on the local socioeconomic and political scene can also be assessed.

Remittance inflows, in other words, money sent by migrants to their home countries, provide a lifeline for a sizable share of populations in developing countries. Remittances are especially important due to the ability to act as a countercyclical buffer during the periods of crisis, as migrants tend to send more money when the crisis hits their home economy. However, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the subsequent "Great Lockdown" is different, as it stalled economic activity in nearly every country, resulting in drying up of remittance inflows when they were needed the most. The World Bank estimate for the growth of global remittance flows in 2020 is -20%1, while the IMF forecasts a 15% decline in remittance inflows for Georgia2. In the subsequent analysis, the pre-COVID snapshot of remittance inflows in Georgia will be discussed, followed by the developments of remittance inflows during the first half of 2020.

This research paper describes the many ways that individuals and families living in refugee camps in Bangladesh cope with hardship and life in displacement. It presents new information on family separation as an additional source of hardship, but also as a source of support through which remittances sometimes flow, and often as a risky but hopeful investment in a better future for those who manage to reach a third country beyond Myanmar and Bangladesh. The study also looks at economic hardship and the coping strategies of refugee households, presenting new evidence on the cost of living in the camps, income sources and indebtedness, remittances, and the equivocal role of dowry payments. It includes data on the gendered implications of displacement, mobility, and economic hardship. The study addresses important knowledge gaps by emphasizing the vantage point of camp households. It is based on a representative survey of 1,611 camp households and 50 in-depth interviews with camp residents. Respondents were asked to share information about their family members in other countries and the livelihood circumstances they face in the camps. Field research took place from August 2019 to January 2020.

The study investigates the impact of migration and remittances on the financial behaviour of left behind family members in Sri Lanka, using data from the Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2016. The analysis includes propensity score matching estimates and a three stage least squares estimates to examine the impact of having a migrant in the household or receiving remittances on the saving and borrowing behaviour of the left behind family members. A holistic view of the empirical findings of the study show that migration and remittances promote savings in left behind households, and the broader picture of debt repayment, indebtedness and loan income hints that migration and remittances make left behind family less likely to borrow, less likely to be indebted, and the more likely to be repaying debt. Such ongoing debt repayment is more likely to be associated with debt that was taken before migration (either to cover cost of migration or for some other reason unrelated to migration). This empirical evidence on capacity of migration and remittances to improve savings and reduce unproductive borrowing is found on the basis of the status quo in Sri Lanka - where minimal guidance is provided to left behind households on financial management. As such, exposure to appropriate interventions would enhance the capacity of migration and remittances to uplift the financial behaviour and related outcomes for left behind households. Such positive effects would have multiplier effects on all migration and remittances related outcomes at the household level and beyond.

Non-traditional security (NTS) issues continue to threaten the well-being of nations and communities in Asia and around the world. National governments alone cannot solve the multifaceted problems associated with NTS, ranging from climate change and disasters to mass movement of people in search of refuge and safety. Given that traditional multilateralism is in retreat, a more sustainable approach to multilateral cooperation is critically needed, requiring the collaborative participation and engagement of multiple stakeholders from local communities, civil society organisations, the private sector, governments, regional organisations, and other international agencies. The Annual Conference of the Consortium of Non-Traditional Security in Asia (NTS-Asia),1 held in Singapore on 25 and 26 March 2019, examined the relevance of multi-stakeholder collaboration in facilitating efforts to address a number of NTS challenges including, among others, (i) irregular and forced migration; (ii) economic inequality; (iii) environmental degradation; (iv) digital threats; and (v) social friction.

The catalyst for capitalist growth in Vietnam—often dubbed Asia's next Tiger economy1—is frequently ascribed to market reforms starting in 1986 and subsequent foreign investment flows. But diaspora capital sent from abroad has also contributed significantly to Vietnam's economic growth over the last 30 years. Many of Vietnam's so-called "overseas Vietnamese" left as refugees and migrants after the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. International remittances to Vietnam are estimated at around USD 15 billion annually,2 making it one of the top ten destinations in the world for money sent by diaspora populations back to home communities in the Global South. About 7-8 percent of households in Vietnam receive remittances from abroad.3 International remittance flows are higher than overseas development assistance to Vietnam, of which Vietnam is also a top ten recipient. This article examines developments in Vietnam's remittance sector, including how they are being framed and embedded by new monetary policies, technologies, banking and finance trends, and consumer patterns that both enhance and complicate cross-border mobility. The material is drawn in part from my book, Currencies of Imagination: Channeling Money and Chasing Mobility in Vietnam (Cornell University Press 2018).

Are households with returnee migrants more entrepreneurial relative to household with non-migrants? We explore this question using household survey data from 31 districts in Nepal. Overall effect of returnee migrants on household's business ownership/entrepreneurship depends on result of two opposing forces at work: on one hand returnee migrants can bring savings, experience and skills needed to set up business, however there is loss of social capital (personal networks) when they are out of the country. Estimating this causal effect is challenging because self-selection of household into outward migration at initial stage and into return migration at final stage. We address self-selection of initial outward migration using instrumental variable approach and address the self-selection at return stage by exploiting the circumstances forced return migration to Nepal due to expiration of work permit/work contract and health reasons. We examine the impact of having returnee migrants on household owning business (general) and agri-business (farming and live-stock).Our result shows that having a returnee migrant increases the probability of household owning agribusiness by 0.16. On the other hand, having a returnee migrant on household decreases the probability of owning general businesses by 0.24.

Migrant workers make a critical contribution to Myanmar's economic and social development, however, decades of isolation from the international community and gaps in the policy framework governing labour migration have meant that their situation at places of origin is still inadequately understood. To obtain further information about safe migration knowledge, attitudes and practices, the ILO's GMS TRIANGLE project partnered with the Myanmar Development Resource Institute's Centre for Economic and Social Development to conduct a survey of 625 potential migrant workers at three target sites within Myanmar. The pioneering study will be used to shape the design and evaluate the impact of policy measures, capacity building trainings and support services to protect the rights of migrant workers throughout the migration process.

This Policy Insight highlights the SOE 2015 chapter, which focuses on Migrant Labour Reforms and analyzes the issues concerning the Family Background Report (FBR) requirement and provides recommendations for its reform.

Lack of trust predates the outbreak of Covid-19, but it is an essential element for anyone involved in tackling the outbreak as well as strengthening of global governance.

Prior to the war in Ukraine, Russian and Ukrainian interests had already been deadlocked in a heated battle. But this clash wasn't being waged on the streets of Kyiv, it was being fought on K Street in Washington D.C. The combatants donned suits, not camouflage. Their targets weren't hardened military units, they were U.S. policymakers in Congress and the executive branch. Their goal wasn't total victory, it was to win hearts, minds, and, above all, votes for their cause. This was the lobbying battle before the Ukraine war. As I documented in a Quincy Institute brief, this David vs. Goliath style battle between a small, relatively low-funded, but remarkably zealous Ukrainian lobby had largely been thwarted by a multi-million dollar lobbying and PR campaign by Russian interests. But when Russian President Vladimir Putin made the disastrous decision to invade Ukraine two years ago, this Russian influence advantage in D.C. quickly evaporated. Within a week of the war's onset, U.S. sanctions effectively decimated Russia's influence in Washington, forcing a number of top lobbying and public relations firms to sever ties with their Russian clients. Since then the Ukraine lobby has been largely unopposed in its efforts to steer U.S. foreign policies related to the war. The Ukraine lobby has helped pave the way for more than $100 billion in U.S. assistance to Ukraine and meticulously crafted the media narrative to maintain U.S. public support for Ukraine's war effort.The Ukraine Lobby Since the War BeganIn the two years since the war in Ukraine began, 46 different firms or individuals have been registered under FARA to represent Ukrainian interests. This includes lobbying heavyweights like BGR Government Affairs, Hogan Lovells, and Hill & Knowlton, as well as international public relations firms like Qorvis Communications. In total, these firms have received nearly $10.92 million from Ukrainian clients since 2022, according to FARA data compiled by OpenSecrets. Just as in the year before the war — when FARA registrants reported conducting 13,541 political activities on behalf of their Ukrainian clients — the Ukraine lobby has been working feverishly since the war began. A Quincy Institute analysis of FARA records found that, since the war began, Ukrainian interests have reported doing more than 12,000 political activities on behalf of Ukrainian interests, primarily contacting Congress, the executive branch, and media outlets. By far the busiest firm working on behalf of Ukrainian interests has been Yorktown Solutions, which has represented the Federation of Employers of the Oil and Gas Industry of Ukraine, the Civil Movement For a Just Ukraine, and the Primary Trade Union Organization of State Enterprise National Nuclear Energy Generating Company, better known as "Energoatom."For just one of these clients — the Federation of Employers of the Oil and Gas Industry — Yorktown has reported doing 8,296 political activities since the war began. To put that remarkable workload in perspective, it equates to an average of more than 11 emails, phone calls, and meetings completed every day on behalf of just one client. No other foreign client registered under FARA has had more work done on their behalf in the past two years, according to a Quincy Institute analysis of FARA records.Since the war began, Yorktown hasn't hidden the fact that one of the primary objectives behind all this work is to increase U.S. military assistance to Ukraine. "We've gone from energy security to security," Daniel Vajdich, President of Yorktown Solutions, told Politico less than a month after the war began, explaining the firm's shift away from lobbying related to the Nordstream 2 pipeline and towards acquiring U.S. military assistance for Ukraine. Vajdich added that, "It is 24 hours, even when we're sleeping the phone is on, and the phone is going off, and there are phone calls from Kyiv, and there are phone calls from others here in Washington both in and out of government … We speak to the administration. We speak to Capitol Hill. We certainly speak to media as well."In addition to its Ukrainian clients, Yorktown has also been working feverishly for the Centre for a European Future, reporting more than 4,000 political activities on behalf of the Belgium based non-profit whose objectives revolve heavily around Ukraine and include, "rebuilding Ukraine," "joining NATO," and "securing compensation for the war."The Pro-Bono Push for UkraineAt just under $11 million in reported FARA spending by Ukrainian clients since the war began, the Ukraine lobby isn't funded at the level of perennial influence powerhouses in Washington, like Saudi Arabia, whose lobbying and public relations firms have received more than $70 million from the Kingdom since 2022, according to OpenSecrets. But, the actual dollar amount of spending on lobbying, public relations and the other influence efforts done on behalf of Ukrainian interests is deceptive, as many individuals, and even some of the most prominent lobbying firms in D.C., have been working for Ukraine pro-bono. In fact, of the 46 different firms and individuals that have been registered under FARA to represent Ukrainian clients, 29 have done the work for free.Working for Ukraine pro-bono became somewhat trendy in the Washington influence industry shortly after the war began. Many of the firms registered under FARA to represent Ukrainian interests for free, however, appear to have done little work on behalf of Ukrainian interests. Some reported just a handful of contacts with congressional offices on behalf of Ukraine. Another reported a "one day pro bono effort" for a Ukrainian Parliamentary Delegation to the U.S. In one infamous case, a firm registered under FARA claiming to be working pro-bono for the Ukrainian ambassador to the United Nations, only to deregister just days later after the ambassador publicly explained that he was not actually working with the firm. On the other hand, a number of lobbying and PR firms have done a considerable amount of work for Ukrainian interests at no charge to their clients. A Quincy Institute analysis of FARA records found that Plus Communications tops this list with nearly 3,000 political activities reported in its pro-bono work for the Ukrainian PR Army, a non-profit organization that purports to help, "global media tell the accurate story of this war through the perspectives of Ukrainian experts, authorities, and witnesses." Plus Communications' work involved pitching interviews with prominent Ukrainian officials to seemingly every mainstream U.S. media outlet, including Fox News, The Washington Post, and NPR. Another major pro-bono endeavor is being run on behalf of the Ministry of Culture and Informational Policy of Ukraine, specifically in relation to the ministry's "Advantage Ukraine Initiative," which seeks to attract international investment in Ukrainian industries, with the top choice being the defense industry. Several firms are registered under FARA to support this pro-bono initiative, including Hill & Knowlton Strategies, Ogilvy Group, and Group M. The latter has reported nearly 300 emails to major media outlets, most of which were in reference to "ad materials" for Advantage Ukraine. The firm's FARA filings show these ads include slogans like, "Davos is over. The opportunities in Ukraine have just begun," and "Imagine an investment where you get applauded by shareholders AND the public?"Group M's collaborator on the Advantage Ukraine Initiative, Ogilvy Group, is also one of several firms that have been working pro-bono for Ukraine while taking money from firms that are profiting from the Ukraine war. As Eli Clifton and I previously reported for Responsible Statecraft, Hogan Lovells, BGR Government Affairs, Mercury Public Affairs, Navigators Global, and Ogilvy Group have all done pro-bono work for Ukraine interests while also lobbying on behalf of weapons makers that could profit from the war.The Ukraine Lobby TodayWhile the size of the Ukraine lobby has decreased since the early months of the war, 18 firms are still registered under FARA to represent Ukrainian interests. Most of them are still doing the work pro-bono, and many of them remain intent on shaping U.S. foreign policy to Ukraine's favor. More so than at any time since the war began though, they're having to fend off an American public which increasingly believes the U.S. is providing too much aid to Ukraine. How this tension pans out remains to be seen, but there is little doubt that the Ukraine lobby has all the ammunition it needs to continue winning the lobbying battle in Washington.

Maya Ranganath (Associate Director, Global Networks and Inclusion) speaks to Ronald Mulebeke (2019 CEGA Fellow) about his reflections on a return to Berkeley four years after his fellowship. Mulebeke's fellowship was supported by the East Africa Social Science Translation Collaborative (EASST).Ronald Mulebeke outside the CEGA office in Berkeley, CA | Maya RanganathCEGA invests deeply in our fellows each semester, but the relationship doesn't end there. Fellows go on to join the Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa, a network of African scholars seeking to advance impact evaluations of development programs, conduct workshops at their home institutions, and receive funding to pursue the brilliant ideas they develop while at Berkeley. While we reunite yearly at the annual Africa Evidence Summit, staff also keep in touch throughout the year with fellows to follow their professional and personal developments, from new papers to new babies.It's a happy occasion when fellows come back to Berkeley for a visit. Recently, 2019 CEGA Fellow Ronald Mulebeke returned to campus to work with his faculty mentor, CEGA affiliated professor Stefano Bertozzi, on his CEGA-funded study "Implementing Supportive Supervision and Behavior Change Communication at Private Health Facilities in Uganda." I sat down with Ronald to talk about what originally attracted him to the fellowship, what brought him back to Berkeley, and his advice for future fellows.Maya: Ronald, it's great to see you back in Berkeley! It's special when we have a fellow return after a few years. To start from the beginning, can you tell me about what originally brought you to the fellowship, and what your experience was like?Ronald: When I joined the fellowship in 2019, my interest was to improve my skills in impact evaluation and cost-effectiveness analysis. The fellowship was an interesting time of learning. I loved the chance to network with people, organizations, and groups involved in diverse research activities. The seminars were so eye-opening; I came from a health background and quickly realized that impact evaluation concepts applied to many different sectors. I loved the opportunity for interdisciplinary collaboration.It's great to hear that you expanded your thinking during the fellowship. Did your current projects start at that time? Could you tell me a little more about them?My work is about helping private health facilities provide better malaria treatment by improving their ability to "Test, Treat, and Track" malaria (a policy established by the World Health Organization). I submitted a concept note on this for the fellowship application and developed that into a full proposal with my mentors while at Berkeley. In 2020, I received a research grant from CEGA to conduct a feasibility study of our randomization process. We wanted to see if supportive supervision would work effectively in private health facilities owned by different individuals with varying capacities. We also wanted to test the best way to randomize. After the pilot study, we are planning to apply for a second grant. We implemented the project — with some disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic — — but, overall, it has progressed well.So what brings you back to Berkeley now?My current visit is primarily to finalize the initial results of the study and strategize with Stef [Stefano Bertozzi] for the next phase of the project. We needed the time in person to work together. This time around, the focus has been on collaborative work and building a strong research team. I have connected with other faculty members at Berkeley for their expert input on the project's future applications. This visit has been more study-focused and didn't involve coursework.Can you talk about the major changes in your life and career after the fellowship? How did the fellowship impact your work?After the fellowship, I maintained contact with CEGA staff and faculty and continued working with them on my main project. I also collaborated with CEGA researchers on a project to increase mask use in Uganda during the COVID-19 pandemic, and on the new initiative "Impact Evaluation for Evidence in Decision Making (IEED)."IEED is a joint program between CEGA and Makerere University in Uganda to improve capacity for impact evaluation within Makerere and connect with policymakers to start demand-driven studies. I have been able to ingrain impact evaluation in three institutions, working with the Office of the Prime Minister and two other government agencies. Because of the expertise I gained through the fellowship, I was also appointed a board member of the Mildmay Research Center, Uganda.Additionally, I have been involved in mentoring and training activities as a member of the Network of Impact Evaluation Researchers in Africa (NIERA).Did you learn anything specific during the fellowship that you are passing on to junior researchers?The fellowship emphasized the importance of networking, learning from mentors, and working in teams, which I've been able to apply in my career. I learned the importance of networking with policymakers and other stakeholders right from the beginning and involving them in a project's design, implementation, and dissemination stages. I have maintained a good working relationship with my mentor Stef, and I believe learning from experienced researchers and establishing collaborations is crucial for growth. When I work with junior researchers, I really emphasize how important this is.I have also mentored junior researchers and helped one successfully apply to the fellowship: I'm excited that Nneka Osadolor from the University of Benin in Nigeria is a resident fellow this fall.What advice would you give someone just starting their fellowship?I would give four key pieces of advice. First, be clear about your goals. Next, be open to new ideas (and to receiving constructive criticism!). Third, make sure you network proactively: connect with mentors, other fellows, and professionals, seek advice, have conversations, and build meaningful relationships. Last, keep in mind that it's important to balance technical skills and conceptual understanding.Looking ahead, what are your career goals?First and foremost, I aim to complete my PhD in Medical Sciences at the University of Antwerp this year. Beyond that, I'm passionate about doing more implementation science research. I want to delve deeper into how policies can be effectively implemented and scaled up through the application of research. I hope to contribute to discussions and make a meaningful impact in this area.That sounds like an important area of focus. Do you have any specific plans after completing your PhD?It's still a little early to say. I envision pursuing opportunities in academia or research institutions where I can continue my work in implementation research and impact evaluations. Ultimately, I want to contribute to improving the effectiveness of policies and their scalability. I'm grateful that the fellowship gave me a great foundation for this.A fellow returns to CEGA: Reflections, learning, and growth four years later was originally published in CEGA on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Meta-heuristics has a long tradition in computer science. During the past few years, different types of meta-heuristics, specially evolutionary algorithms got noticeable attention in dealing with real-world optimization problems. Recent advances in this field along with rapid development of high processing computers, make it possible to tackle various engineering optimization problems with relative ease, omitting the barrier of unknown global optimal solutions due to the complexity of the problems. Following this rapid advancements, scientific communities shifted their attention towards the development of novel algorithms and techniques to satisfy their need in optimization. Among different research areas, astrodynamics and space engineering witnessed many trends in evolutionary algorithms for various types of problems. By having a look at the amount of publications regarding the development of meta-heuristics in aerospace sciences, it can be seen that a high amount of efforts are dedicated to develop novel stochastic techniques and more specifically, innovative evolutionary algorithms on a variety of subjects. In the past decade, one of the challenging problems in space engineering, which is tackled mainly by novel evolutionary algorithms by the researchers in the aerospace community is spacecraft trajectory optimization. Spacecraft trajectory optimization problem can be simply described as the discovery of a space trajectory for satellites and space vehicles that satisfies some criteria. While a space vehicle travels in space to reach a destination, either around the Earth or any other celestial body, it is crucial to maintain or change its flight path precisely to reach the desired final destination. Such travels between space orbits, called orbital maneuvers, need to be accomplished, while minimizing some objectives such as fuel consumption or the transfer time. In the engineering point of view, spacecraft trajectory optimization can be described as a black-box optimization problem, which can be constrained or unconstrained, depending on the formulation of the problem. In order to clarify the main motivation of the research in this thesis, first, it is necessary to discuss the status of the current trends in the development of evolutionary algorithms and tackling spacecraft trajectory optimization problems. Over the past decade, numerous research are dedicated to these subjects, mainly from two groups of scientific communities. The first group is the space engineering community. Having an overall look into the publications confirms that the focus in the developed methods in this group is mainly regarding the mathematical modeling and numerical approaches in dealing with spacecraft trajectory optimization problems. The majority of the strategies interact with mixed concepts of semi-analytical methods, discretization, interpolation and approximation techniques. When it comes to optimization, usually traditional algorithms are utilized and less attention is paid to the algorithm development. In some cases, researchers tried to tune the algorithms and make them more efficient. However, their efforts are mainly based on try-and-error and repetitions rather than analyzing the landscape of the optimization problem. The second group is the computer science community. Unlike the first group, the majority of the efforts in the research from this group has been dedicated to algorithm development, rather than developing novel techniques and approaches in trajectory optimization such as interpolation and approximation techniques. Research in this group generally ends in very efficient and robust optimization algorithms with high performance. However, they failed to put their algorithms in challenge with complex real-world optimization problems, with novel ideas as their model and approach. Instead, usually the standard optimization benchmark problems are selected to verify the algorithm performance. In particular, when it comes to solve a spacecraft trajectory optimization problem, this group mainly treats the problem as a black-box with not much concentration on the mathematical model or the approximation techniques. Taking into account the two aforementioned research perspectives, it can be seen that there is a missing link between these two schemes in dealing with spacecraft trajectory optimization problems. On one hand, we can see noticeable advances in mathematical models and approximation techniques on this subject, but with no efforts on the optimization algorithms. On the other hand, we have newly developed evolutionary algorithms for black-box optimization problems, which do not take advantage of novel approaches to increase the efficiency of the optimization process. In other words, there seems to be a missing connection between the characteristics of the problem in spacecraft trajectory optimization, which controls the shape of the solution domain, and the algorithm components, which controls the efficiency of the optimization process. This missing connection motivated us in developing efficient meta-heuristics for solving spacecraft trajectory optimization problems. By having the knowledge about the type of space mission, the features of the orbital maneuver, the mathematical modeling of the system dynamics, and the features of the employed approximation techniques, it is possible to adapt the performance of the algorithms. Knowing these features of the spacecraft trajectory optimization problem, the shape of the solution domain can be realized. In other words, it is possible to see how sensitive the problem is relative to each of its feature. This information can be used to develop efficient optimization algorithms with adaptive mechanisms, which take advantage of the features of the problem to conduct the optimization process toward better solutions. Such flexible adaptiveness, makes the algorithm robust to any changes of the space mission features. Therefore, within the perspective of space system design, the developed algorithms will be useful tools for obtaining optimal or near-optimal transfer trajectories within the conceptual and preliminary design of a spacecraft for a space mission. Having this motivation, the main goal in this research was the development of efficient meta-heuristics for spacecraft trajectory optimization. Regarding the type of the problem, we focused on space rendezvous problems, which covers the majority of orbital maneuvers, including long-range and short-range space rendezvous. Also, regarding the meta-heuristics, we concentrated mainly on evolutionary algorithms based on probabilistic modeling and hybridization. Following the research, two algorithms have been developed. First, a hybrid self adaptive evolutionary algorithm has been developed for multi-impulse long-range space rendezvous problems. The algorithm is a hybrid method, combined with auto-tuning techniques and an individual refinement procedure based on probabilistic distribution. Then, for the short-range space rendezvous trajectory optimization problems, an estimation of distribution algorithm with feasibility conserving mechanisms for constrained continuous optimization is developed. The proposed mechanisms implement seeding, learning and mapping methods within the optimization process. They include mixtures of probabilistic models, outlier detection algorithms and some heuristic techniques within the mapping process. Parallel to the development of algorithms, a simulation software is also developed as a complementary application. This tool is designed for visualization of the obtained results from the experiments in this research. It has been used mainly to obtain high-quality illustrations while simulating the trajectory of the spacecraft within the orbital maneuvers. ; La Caixa TIN2016-78365R PID2019-1064536A-I00 Basque Government consolidated groups 2019-2021 IT1244-19