EDC Experts Present at the 79th United Nations General Assembly

Five EDC experts are sharing their insights with world leaders, colleagues, and public- and private-sector partners at the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Rebecca Lewis, EDC director of the NASA GLOBE Program Implementation Office, moderated the virtual panel “Shaping the Future: The NASA GLOBE Program’s Role in Advancing the UN SDGs Towards 2030 and Beyond,” on September 11 at the UNGA Science Summit. The panel was one of three UNGA Science Summit sessions EDC coordinated as part of our work co-leading the GLOBE Implementation Office.

Dr. Heidi Kar, distinguished scholar: mental health, trauma, and violence initiatives, will represent EDC and the American Psychological Association and share her expertise during a two-day high-level Science Summit side event titled “Neuroscience and Society: A Life Course Approach to Brain Health,” on September 19 and 20.

Melanie Sany, leader of EDC’s Our World, Our Work initiative, will be a featured speaker on the sidelines of UNGA during the high-level dialogue “Education and Development: Positioning Skills Development as a Priority for Africa,” to be held on September 24 at the Permanent Observer Mission of the African Union to the United Nations in New York City.

Dr. Katharine (Kit) Yasin, EDC principal international technical advisor specializing in learning technologies, will serve as an expert during the UNGA-related panel “The Future of AI in Education: Navigating Complexity for Positive Impact,” to be convened on September 24 at Atlassian in New York City. Other panelists will include Dr. Geetha Murali, of Room to Read, and Ayan Kishore, CEO of Benetech.

Colleen Carr, director of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention at EDC, will share her expertise during the September 26 United Nations General Assembly Global Mental Health Storytelling Roundtable in New York City. The roundtable will feature a social impact-focused discussion around entertainment and mental health.

Together, our five experts’ presentations further key aspects of EDC’s strategic vision and goal to advance every person’s journey to learn, work, and be well. Join us on our mission to transform together around the world, and stay tuned for more of our insights from this year’s UN session.