About the Special Envoy
The appointment of a Special Envoy aims to strengthen ISC’s vision to advance science as a global public good. By building ISC’s identity and presence at the highest political levels, the Special Envoy will amplify the visibility and voice of the international scientific community within the UN and other global policy fora, such as the G20. One of Dr Schlegel’s key roles will be to build the ISC identity and presence within the UN family, including among Member State delegations.
Some of the Special Envoy’s duties will include:
- Advising the ISC on opportunities for strengthening science-policy interfaces in global policy processes and enhancing the global voice for science within them;
- Identifying opportunities for developing action-based partnerships between specific UN agencies/programmes and the ISC and
- Initiating and developing relationships with potential major funders to create opportunities for a long-term basis for fundraising and support.
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About Dr Schlegel
Dr Flavia Schlegel has had a distinguished international career which includes positions at UNESCO and as a Science Diplomat in Washington DC, USA and Shanghai, China. Before joining the ISC, Dr Schlegel was the Assistant Director General for UNESCO’s Natural Sciences sector. During her tenure, she oversaw UNESCO’s response to multilateral development agendas such as the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement, the Sendai Framework on disaster risk reduction and the Samoa Pathway. Prior to her time at UNESCO, Dr Schlegel established Swissnex China – the Swiss house for science, technology, innovation, and culture in Shanghai – a trans-disciplinary institution supported by public and private funding. Dr Schlegel holds a Medical Doctorate and a Master’s Degree in Organizational Development.
The Swiss Academy of Sciences (SCNAT) kindly supports the mission of the Special Envoy by providing office space in Berne, Switzerland.