Conference Series 2022: A physicist in the land of diplomats

This plunge into the heart of a new world, with its codes, hierarchies, ambassadors, advisors, attachés, first and second secretaries, led me to deal with a host of subjects for which physics had not prepared me. From the Erika oil spill to the pursuit of the Beavers, from the (provisional) direction of the French Institute of Oriental Archaeology to the organization of a lunch for a dozen French government ministers... With this dive, we'll perhaps better understand the inner workings of the great machine, the "network", the "department", the "agents", the "Fanev", the "TDs", and the subtle hierarchies that make and sometimes unmake careers. Through posts in Germany, Egypt, Brazil, Morocco, it's finally a plunge of the physicist into the land of diplomats, the shock of two different worlds, and the astonishments that result."

Speaker: Dr. Christophe de Beauvais

Christophe de Beauvais began his career as a researcher in solid state physics at the CNRS, before working for our embassies in Germany, Egypt, Brazil and Morocco, where he was in charge of university and scientific cooperation. A former director of external relations at the École Polytechnique, he is currently director of external relations at the Lyon Cancer Research Center (CRCL) and strategic advisor to aivancity, the leading school for artificial intelligence.