The Kozmetsky Center seeks to deepen understanding of the complex
challenges of an increasingly integrated world community—

Providing a Forum for Analysis & Dialogue on Critical Global Issues Fostering Educational & Professional Networks Among the St. Edward’s University Community, Austin & the World

Featuring Contributions of Leading Academic Experts & Practitioners

Events, Programs, Conferences

Podcasts, Interviews

Global Student Seminar Series

Recent Visiting Scholars and Experts

Global Conference Sessions

Director's Speaking, Interviews

Publication Briefing Series

Educational and Professional Opportunities, Overseas Study and Internships

Supporting the mission of St. Edwards University in promoting global engagement & understanding, peace & social justice—

SPRING 2023 PREVIEW OF PROGRAMS

The Kozmetsky Center is delighted to launch our new experiential internship program in support of St. Edward’s University 2027 Strategic Plan. The Kozmetsky Center program places SEU students in internships working with leading professionals of our international, national and local speaker’s and community networks. The Kozmetsky Center appreciates the support of Barbora Maronkova, NATO Policy Planning (Brussels), Ben Ramirez, CEO Austin Center for Global Trade, Daniel Zoltani, Director of Global Operations, Whole Planet Foundation, Amos Fox, U.S. Army Future’s Command (Austin) and Kevin Koym, CEO, Tech Ranch Austin for offering to serve as mentors for our first group of SEU student interns during the Spring 2023 semester. SEU students will collaborate directly with mentors on projects and research developing unique and valuable first-hand experience and professional associations to support educational and career development.

On Tuesday February 7, 12:00 noon we will host a session with Yves Dubus, Belgian Trade and Investment Commissioner to discuss Texas-Europe Economic Cooperation: Trade, Investment and Technology. The Belgian Trade Commission provides market intelligence and assessments, as well as assistance for the development of business plans for Belgian companies in the USA. Mr. Dubus has been a Belgian career diplomat since 2008. He was posted in Guangzhou, China, as Trade & Technology Commissioner for five years, before being posted in Houston, Texas. Prior to his public career, he held various positions in the IT sector between 1988 and 2008, first, in the development of new businesses linked to the deregulation of the airlines industry in Europe, and second, in the development of new technologies, and new business models, linked to the development of the Internet. In 2000, he was the General Manager of Travelprice, the first ever online travel agency in Belgium, and later served as VP Professional Services, in Munich, for Siemens Mobile Travel Services. Yves Dubus holds a Master Degree in Political Studies of the University of Cape Town, South Africa. This session will be held in the Mabee Ballroom, A Ragsdale Building on the St. Edward’s University campus. Additional information and recordings on prior and upcoming Kozmetsky Center-World Affairs Council Austin programs can be found here:

https://kozmetskycenter.org/2020-forum-on-global-investment/

The Kozmetsky Center looks forward to continuing our program on Global Investment, Finance, Emerging Markets and Geopolitical Risk in cooperation with the World Affairs Council Austin. The forum fosters a bridge between academic experience and the professional world of global investment, finance and geopolitical risk providing unique insights for SEU students preparing for future careers with the hope of advancing responsible and ethical participation in global business, economic development and policy. On Tuesday February 7, 12:00 noon we will host a session with Yves Dubus, Belgian Trade and Investment Commissioner to discuss Texas-Europe Economic Cooperation: Trade, Investment and Technology. The Belgian Trade Commission provides market intelligence and assessments, as well as assistance for the development of business plans for Belgian companies in the USA. Mr. Dubus has been a Belgian career diplomat since 2008. He was posted in Guangzhou, China, as Trade & Technology Commissioner for five years, before being posted in Houston, Texas. Prior to his public career, he held various positions in the IT sector between 1988 and 2008, first, in the development of new businesses linked to the deregulation of the airlines industry in Europe, and second, in the development of new technologies, and new business models, linked to the development of the Internet. In 2000, he was the General Manager of Travelprice, the first ever online travel agency in Belgium, and later served as VP Professional Services, in Munich, for Siemens Mobile Travel Services. Yves Dubus holds a Master Degree in Political Studies of the University of Cape Town, South Africa. This session will be held in the Mabee Ballroom, A Ragsdale Building on the St. Edward’s University campus. Additional information and recordings on prior and upcoming Kozmetsky Center-World Affairs Council Austin programs can be found here:

https://kozmetskycenter.org/2020-forum-on-global-investment/

On Thursday February 16, 12:00-1:30 PM the Kozmetsky Center continues our program collaboration with the Carter Center in Atlanta hosting featured speaker Dr. Eve Byrd, Director, Mental Health Program, Carter Center on the topic Assessing the Impact of the Covid19 Pandemic on U.S. and Global Mental Health, Lessons Learned and Recommendations for the Future. The Carter Center was established by President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter with the purpose of supporting human rights and the alleviation of human suffering seeking to prevent and resolve conflicts, enhance freedom and democracy and improve health. Dr. Eve Byrd became director of the Carter Center’s Mental Health Program in Atlanta in 2017. Prior to joining The Carter Center, she was a faculty member of the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University and served as executive director of the Fuqua Center for Late-Life Depression, Department of Psychiatry at the Emory School of Medicine. She has held leadership positions both nationally and locally in work aimed at eliminating stigma and improving access to care for people with behavioral health disorders. Eve Byrd earned a doctorate of nursing practice with a concentration in health systems leadership and implementation science from Emory University’s School of Nursing, where she also earned a master of science in nursing with a concentration in psychiatric/mental health nursing. She earned her master of public health in health policy from Emory’s School of Public Health and bachelor's degrees in nursing from Emory and in psychology from Florida State University. Register in advance for the ZOOM Webinar for the session for the St. Edward’s University community with Dr. Eve Byrd at: https://stedwards.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_YiAS_DUqR326gajY-AyzYw

The Kozmetsky Center is delighted to host a session with Dr. Nestor Espinoza, Astronomer of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore Maryland on the topic Our Place in the Universe: New Directions in Exploring and Understanding Exoplanets. The lecture will be hosted in cooperation with Professor Paul Walter, advisor for the Physics Minor, School of Natural Sciences at St. Edward’s University. Nestor Espinoza completed his PhD in Astrophysics at Instituto Astrofisica Pontificia Universidad Catolica in Chile in 2017. He is the recipient of the Gruber Fellowship and Bernulli Fellowship for research in Astrophysics and was selected among 100 emerging leaders in Chile by El Mercurio. His research interests focuses on exoplanets: from detection and characterization to how exoplanets are formed and composition. Dr. Espinoza will offer his perspective concerning the most valuable scientific methods employed to search for conditions that might be suitable for supporting life on other planets. The lecture will be held on Monday March 27, 12:00-2:00 PM in the Carter Auditorium, St. Edward’s University campus.

On Tuesday April 4, the Kozmetsky Center will feature a lecture session with CEO of Sparkcognition, Amir Husain on the Transformational Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Amir Husain is an entrepreneur, inventor, technologist, and author based in Austin. He has been named Austin’s Top Technology Entrepreneur of the Year, listed as an Onalytica Top 100 Artificial Intelligence Influencer, and received the Austin Under 40 Technology and Science Award, among several other accolades recognizing his work in artificial intelligence. Amir serves on the Board of Advisors for The University of Texas at Austin Department of Computer Science and on the NATO Maritime Unmanned Systems Innovation Advisory Board, and is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. In 2013, Amir incorporated SparkCognition, an artificial intelligence company, where he has served as the Founder and CEO since its inception. SparkCognition has received widespread recognition, including being ninth on the Wall Street Journal’s Top Tech Companies to Watch in 2018, listed on the 2017 CNBC Disruptor 50, being named the fastest-growing company in Central Texas by Austin Business Journal in 2017, and ranking on the CB Insights AI 100 list in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. In November 2018, Amir became founding CEO of SkyGrid, a Boeing and SparkCognition joint venture that is building the aerial operating system to power the next century of aviation. In 2020, Amir has been awarded over 30 patents and is the author of the best-selling book “The Sentient Machine: The Coming Age of Artificial Intelligence.” Amir Husain also serves as Editor in Chief at Cognitive Times, an AI thought leadership magazine. This session will be held in cooperation with World Affairs Council Austin on the St. Edward’s University campus in the Jones Global Events Center at 12:00-1:30 PM.

On Wednesday April 19, the Kozmetsky Center will convene a panel session on the Religion-Policy/Security Nexus, a project that has been ongoing since 2016 in partnership with NATO Public Diplomacy, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, Atlantic Council and other domestic and international university partners. The panel will feature academic project participants, SEU faculty and religious clerics discussing research contributions and professional insights published in a series of issues of the journal “Religions” last year and other academic sources. Participating panel speakers include Dr. Elizabeth Prodromou, Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council (Washington DC), Dr. Kelley Colbentz-Bautch, Professor of Religious Studies, St. Edward’s University, Fr./Dr. Lou Brusatti, professor emeritus and former Dean the School of Humanities at St. Edward’s University, Fr./ Dr. John H. Erickson, retired priest of the Orthodox Church of America and former Dean and professor emeritus of St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary and Imam Yahe Pallavacini, President of the Italian COREIS (Islamic Religious Community). The panel discussion will focus on the war in Ukraine and other critical national and global topic areas and will be held in the Carter Auditorium on the St. Edward’s University campus at 12:00-2:00 PM (Central Time/Austin). The session will also be available to our campus, community and international participants and audience via ZOOM Webinar with registration at: https://stedwards.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_aIJn1kU3ROabYsKLv2LdjA

Kozmetsky Center, St. Edward's University

Providing a forum for global dialogue enriching the educational experience & serving as a resource for the academic, policy & private/civic sector communities—

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St. Edward’s University
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Austin, Texas 78704-6489
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Providing a Forum for Analysis & Dialogue on Critical Global Issues Fostering Educational & Professional Networks Among the St. Edward’s University Community, Austin & the World

SPRING 2023 PREVIEW OF PROGRAMS

SPRING 2023 PREVIEW OF PROGRAMS

Kozmetsky Center, St. Edward's University

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