What ’ s Going On ? |
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… in sustainability ? ▶ “ The next wave in sustainability
is biomimicry , an approach
that seeks sustainable
solutions by emulating nature ’ s
time-tested patterns and
strategies . Nature has already
solved many of the problems
we are grappling with : animals ,
plants and microbes are the
consummate engineers . After
billions of years of research
and development , failures are
fossils , and what surrounds
us is the secret to survival .
It ’ s an entirely new realm for
entrepreneurship to create
products , processes and
policies — new ways of living —
that are well adapted to life on
Earth for the long haul .”
Jacques Chirazi , MPIA ’ 05 , is the
Innovation and Commercialization
Manager for The Biomimicry
Institute and Cleantech Manager
for the City of San Diego .
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… with Australia at the United Nations ? ▶ “ Australia is firmly committed
to effective global cooperation
through the United Nations
system . Here in New York ,
we have a dedicated team that
works on a large number of
issues , including peacekeeping ,
climate change , human rights
and the advancement of gender
equality . We work closely with
other Asia-Pacific countries
to advocate on issues of
importance in our own region ,
and are proud to serve as a
member of the Human Rights
Council from 2018 to 2020 .”
Catherine Harris-Konkol , MAS-
IA ’ 11 , is the Defence Operations
Manager at the Permanent
Mission of Australia to the United
Nations , New York .
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… in the Middle East ? ▶ “ My work has given me a
firsthand look at some of the
most important foreign policy
challenges of our time , ranging
from the conflict in Syria to
the global campaign to defeat
ISIS . My team and I determine
how our foreign assistance and
public diplomacy resources can
support policy objectives —
for example , the U . S . government
has assisted in stabilizing
areas in Syria in support of the
military campaign to defeat
ISIS . And our public diplomacy
programs counter extremist
messaging to make it more difficult
to incite attacks or recruit
members . These wide-ranging
efforts help make the world
safer and more secure .”
Chris Backemeyer , MPIA ’ 04 , is
U . S . Deputy Assistant Secretary
for Assistance Coordination and
Press and Public Diplomacy .
Photo : Arihant Daga on Unsplash
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… in emerging markets ? ▶ “ Like the rest of the world ,
emerging markets experience
political and economic ups and
downs . Yet for all the fluctuation
and variety associated with
emerging markets , the value
and use of digital technology
has remained on an upward
trajectory over the past few decades
. From teeming cities like
Bangalore and Nairobi to the
most rural areas of Ethiopia ,
digital technology is changing
the foundational systems on
which all countries operate .
It is creating efficiencies ,
effectiveness and new levels of
expectation for how societies
run themselves . However ,
the magnitude of impact that
digital is having through these
national systemic changes on
the poorest 4 billion around
the world is more than life
changing — it is lifesaving . From
peer-to-peer money transfer
systems to digital health information
systems , the profound
impact of digital information
and communication technology
has been , and will continue
to be , one of most consistent
aspects of what is happening in
emerging markets .”
Brooke Partridge , MPIA ’ 91 , is
Founder and CEO of Vital Wave ,
a strategy consulting firm that
helps technology companies
grow in emerging markets .
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And YOU make 30 : GPS alumni , what ’ s going on with you ? Let us know with an update on your own area of expertise : tritonmag @ ucsd . edu |
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32 TRITON | WINTER 2019 |