Date & Time: September, 5:30PM

Location: Exchange Pavilion, Plaza de Panama, Balboa Park

Join the San Diego Diplomacy Council and the World Design Capital  2024 at “Designing our Region’s Global Identity through our Youth Workforce” on September 12, 2024 at 5:30 pm. We encourage you to arrive at 5:00pm, ready for a 5:30pm start.

In partnership with the University of San Diego’s Master of Arts in International Relations, the SDSU Wendy Gillespie Center for Advancing Global Business, the UCSD School of Global Policy and Strategy, CETYS University, and other partners, this event will take place at the Exchange Pavilion, a temporary venue at Balboa Park’s Plaza de Panama that symbolizes the essence of our interconnected cross-border region as part of this year’s San Diego Tijuana designation as World Design Capital.

“Designing our region’s global identity through our Youth Workforce” will include a discussion panel with international affairs experts, followed by an informal networking session with our region’s international schools, organizations, and stakeholders with the aim to foster conversations about our global identity and the development of our international affairs young workforce.

Our panel of experts will discuss topics such as capturing and leveraging our international affairs workforce to increase our global presence and shaping our region as a model for subnational and citizen diplomacy.

Following the panel discussion, you are invited to join us for a no-host happy hour at Panama 66.

Speakers

Our panel discussion will be moderated by Rafael Fernández de Castro and will include:

Mark J. Ballam

Managing Director, Wendy Gillespie Center for Advancing Global Business

Mark J. Ballam serves as managing director for San Diego State University’s Wendy Gillespie Center for Advancing Global Business. He is responsible for the overall strategy and implementation of the program including budget, resources, advocacy, and communications. He also manages a $1.3 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education, awarded to SDSU in October 2022 This program helped launch the undergraduate International Business degree program at SDSU, which is ranked #6 nationally in public universities.

Laura Calderon

Executive Director, Justice in Mexico

Laura Calderón is the Executive Director for Justice in Mexico, a research initiative based at the University of San Diego that improves citizen security, strengthens the rule of law, and protects human rights in Mexico. In her role, she supervises the different program’s initiatives and is responsible for the organization’s data collection and analysis efforts.

Ben Moore

Foreign Affairs Advisor, U.S. Department of State

Ben Moore is a Reta Jo Lewis Local Diplomat detailed to the Mayor of San Diego’s office to support the city’s international engagement priorities. Prior to this, Ben served as Division Chief in NEA’s Office of Assistance Coordination where he aligned U.S. foreign assistance with policy objectives. Ben also served as the Political Unit Chief in the Office of Israel and Palestinian Affairs where he supported the Syrian opposition from roles in Turkey, Jordan and Washington, DC.

Flavio Olivieri

Cross-Border Economic Development Expert

Flavio Olivieri has over thirty-three years of experience in Economic Development strategy and investment attraction programs, specializing in the US-Mexico border region – With extensive work focused on Manufacturing, Information Technology, Energy Infrastructure, Health Tourism and Senior Care Services, Urban Planning and Entrepreneurial/Innovation Ecosystems. He is a full-time professor at CETYS University in Tijuana, School of Business and Management. He also serves as the Director for the Center for Competitiveness and Entrepreneurship of CETYS University system.