A Global Innovation Hub: Science, Tech and Diplomacy in Boston

*** The event is currently sold out; members of the Boston Consular Corps and the Science & Technology Diplomatic Circle who are interested in participating should reach out to francesco [at] swissnexboston.org to be added to the guest list. ***

Presented by DiploFoundation, AAAS and swissnex Boston.

Crucial global topics are becoming increasingly dependent on the world’s rapidly changing scientific knowledge and technological capabilities: from global health to digital society, sustainability to development, and beyond. To tackle this growing complexity, countries increasingly seek to engage with international science and technology hubs like Boston, so as to accelerate their ability to innovate and spark collaborative efforts with other nations.

Join us at swissnex Boston for an exclusive insight into how countries can activate their presence in Boston’s unique ecosystem to harness the benefits of this cradle of research and innovation and its bustling startup scene.

The event will feature the launch of a report on how diplomatic representations use their science and technology arms to conduct activities in the Boston ecosystem. The report was written by the DiploFoundation and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), with the objective of surveying the existing science and technology diplomatic scene in Boston, assessing its current modes of interaction, as well as being an inspiration for other countries to become active in this field.

Agenda

6:00 pm Doors open

6:30 pm Welcome remarks

6:40 pm Report launch

7:00 pm Panel discussion and Q&A

7:45 pm Networking reception

Speakers

Maxime Van Cauter

Scientific Liaison Officer, Wallonia-Brussels International

Maxime graduated from Université Libre de Bruxelles from which he holds a Master Degree in Political Science with a major in International Relations & Global Security. Maxime has a 3-year-experience with the European Society of Anaesthesiology (ESA) where he was in charge of the advancement and territorial expansion of the ESA Education Division as well as the overall coordination of the Hospital Visiting and Training Accreditation Program (HVTAP). Maxime serves as Scientific Liaison Officer for Wallonia-Brussels International since 2014.

William Colglazier
Editor-in-Chief of Science & Diplomacy and Senior Scholar in the Center for Science Diplomacy, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Dr. E. William Colglazier is Editor-in-Chief of Science & Diplomacy and Senior Scholar in the Center for Science Diplomacy at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He works there to advance knowledge and practice on science policy and science diplomacy and to support international collaboration and cooperation in science and technology. He served as the fourth Science and Technology Adviser to the Secretary of State from 2011 to 2014 to provide scientific and technical expertise and advice in support of the development and implementation of U.S. foreign policy. From 1994 to 2011, he was Executive Officer of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and the National Research Council (NRC) where he helped to oversee the studies that provide independent, objective scientific advice on domestic and international public policy issues.

Molly B. A. Douglas

Senior Advisor for Science, Technology, and Innovation, Holland Innovation Network, Consulate of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Molly Douglas is Senior Advisor for Innovation, Technology, and Science with the Holland Innovation Network in Boston, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs’ international arm. Before joining the HIN, Molly was at The Fletcher School at Tufts University, where she most recently managed the Executive Education portfolio. Prior to ExEd, Molly worked on the design and launch of The Fletcher School's Science Diplomacy Center (SDC) and served as its Assistant Director. While with the SDC, Molly worked on science, technology, and innovation in international relations, sustainable economic development, and the Arctic. Molly also completed graduate studies at Fletcher, where she focused on the intersection of global business innovation with environment and resource policy and market approaches to development. Prior to graduate school, Molly worked in international development in DC and overseas, including service as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Balkans. She’s also variously worked on global health, education, and migration and spent time on Capitol Hill and in the UN ecosystem in Geneva. Molly completed undergraduate studies at the Walsh School at Georgetown University. Outside of the HIN, Molly is consulting on a social enterprise startup and on science diplomacy training, strategic communication, and ecosystem building.

Graciela Gómez-García

Acting Consul General, Consulate General of Mexico in Boston

Minister Gómez-García is a career diplomat with 27 years of experience in the Mexican Foreign Service. She served as Deputy Consul General of Mexico in Boston since 2013, and as of December 2018 she is Acting Consul General. Her professional portfolio encompasses various positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Mexico City as well as diplomatic postings in the United Kingdom and in Switzerland. She holds an MBA in International Relations from El Colegio de Mexico, a Masters in Diplomatic Studies from the Diplomatic School of Madrid, an MPhil in European Studies from the University of Cambridge and a specialized Diploma in Intelligence and National Security. In 2008 she was awarded a scholarship from the Mexican Foreign Service Association for the Global Master of Arts Program at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

Patricia Gruver

Research & Innovation Attaché, Québec Government Office in Boston

Patricia Gruver is the Research & Innovation Attaché at the Québec Government Office in Boston, where she facilitates research and technology partnerships between Québec and the United States. She also serves as the co-chair of the Science & Technology Diplomatic Circle in Boston, an organization of 67 countries with international offices in the Boston region. Patricia received a Bachelors in Biology from Ursinus College in Pennsylvania and a Masters in Public Health from the University of Sydney in Australia. She has worked for the University of New South Wales and Harvard University on international cancer research projects. Before working for Québec, she worked for the UK Science & Innovation Network for three years where she led the oceans and communications effort for the entire US team. In this role, she represented the UK at the first UN Oceans Conference in 2017 and received an award for her communications work. This past June, Patricia was a member of the 2018 cohort for the AAAS Science Diplomacy and Leadership Workshop in DC.

Tereza Horejsova

Project Development Director, DiploFoundation and Executive Director, Diplo US

Originally from the Czech Republic, Dr. Tereza Horejsova is currently based in Washington DC. Joining Diplo in 2012, Tereza has had an international career in academia and the non-governmental sector in the Czech Republic, the United Arab Emirates, and Switzerland. During her stay in Geneva (2012‒2016), she coordinated the activities of the Geneva Internet Platform. She holds an MA in International Area Studies and a PhD in European Studies, both from the Charles University in Prague. Tereza is responsible for developing project ideas and making them happen. She leads Diplo's activities and outreach in the United States.

Pavlina Ittelson

Project Officer, Diplo US

Pavlina Ittelson joined Diplo in 2017 and currently serves as a Program Officer at Diplo US. She also monitors the topics of jurisdiction and alternative dispute resolution for the GIP Digital Watch Observatory. Prior to joining Diplo, Pavlina was a legal project manager in the fields of international business, science, and technology. She previously worked as an Attorney in Slovakia and the Czech Republic specialising in international business transactions. Pavlina received her degree in Law from Comenius University, Bratislava, and her LL.M. in International Business Law from Central European University, Budapest. A native of Slovakia, Pavlina now resides in the Washington, DC area.

Jean-Christophe Mauduit

Visiting Scholar, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Jean-Christophe Mauduit is a Visiting Scholar at the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington, D.C. where his research focuses on science diplomacy issues. He was most recently Associate Director at the Science Diplomacy Center at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (Tufts University, Boston). Initially earning a Ph.D. in Astrophysics (2007, Paris Observatory), he then worked for the French CNRS and for the California Institute of Technology on ESA and NASA satellite missions. His career later took him to South Africa where he was Project Officer for the International Astronomical Union, overseeing 40 projects in 30 countries. He recently obtained an MA in Law and Diplomacy (Fletcher School, 2017) and volunteers as Director for International Engagement for the Journal of Science Policy and Governance.

Christian Simm

CEO swissnex Boston

Christian is the CEO of swissnex Boston where he leads a team of innovators in connecting Switzerland to major technology and research hubs across the east coast of North America. Previously, he was the CEO and Founder of swissnex San Francisco. A recovering physicist and self-described complexity manager, he scouts the future for the next disruptive technologies and innovation.