Category Archives for "Organizers"

Flavia Destro

Senior Secretary
WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute

Flavia Destro is the Senior Secretary at the WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute where she supports with the administrative services to the Director, the Head of Research and Research Officers.

Flavia holds a BA. In Social Communications from FAAP – Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado, in Brazil where she has studied a range of interdisciplinary subjects including linguistics, visual communication, history of art and more. Flavia moved to Sweden via Ireland, where she spent fifteen happy years. She joined WMU in 2019 as Assistant to the Vice-President (Academic Affairs) and worked as project coordinator in a number of high profile projects in partnership with the European Maritime Safety Agency.

This year, Flavia joined the WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute bringing several years of work experience in multi-national companies as well as higher education institutions in Sweden and abroad.

Maia Brindley Nilsson

Communications and Conference Officer
World Maritime University (WMU)

Maia joined WMU in May of 2012 as the Communications Officer. Her background includes education in architecture, historic preservation, and interior design combined with several years of work experience in design offices and higher education.

As a designer, Maia worked at the renowned preservation firm of Ann Beha Architects in Boston. Her project involvement mainly included design and production for civic and university clients. Prior to joining WMU she was the Head of Continuing Education at the Boston Architectural College where her role included marketing, management, curriculum development, faculty hiring and oversight, student advising, teaching, and oversight of the departmental budget.

At WMU, Maia is responsible for multimedia efforts to publicize priority issues and major events for the University via the press, website, social media, publications and film. She also leads the planning and organization of international conferences and high-level events for the University.

Flora Lim

Secretary
WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute

Ms. Flora Lim joined the WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute in May 2021 as a Secretary. Her primary responsibilities include providing secretarial support to the Director and the Head of Research and handling administrative and procurement duties for multiple PhD programmes and research projects for the Institute. Flora holds a MSc. in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science at Lund University (LUMES) in Sweden. The programme places a strong emphasis on an interdisciplinary approach to sustainability issues of which Flora develops a keen passion towards urban sustainability and community engagement.

Dorothee Seybold

Carlo-Schmid-Program Fellow
WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute

Dorothee Seybold completed her Master’s degree in Development Economics with a specialization in quantitative methods and environmental economics. At WMU, she will primarily work on the Closing the Circle project, which explores challenges and potential solutions to marine debris, sargassum, and marine spatial planning in the Eastern Caribbean, as well as assist with project engagement and implementation.

Prior to joining WMU, Dorothee Seybold worked as a student assistant at various German research institutes, including GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research in Kiel, and as an intern abroad in the field of international cooperation on climate change adaptation.

Mercedes Troisi Allende

Project and Operations Support Fellow
WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute

Mercedes Troisi Allende is Project and Operations Support Fellow at the WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute. She provides operational, financial and administrative support to the Institute’s programmes and to its events, trainings and capacity building activities under the WMU Ocean Research Agenda. Prior to joining WMU in April 2021, Mercedes worked in the private Finance and Consulting sector, where she worked as a Client Financial Management Analyst and a Business Intelligence Analyst. She holds a degree in Economics from the University of Buenos Aires (Magna Cum Laude) and a MSc in International Relations from the University of Glasgow (with Merit).

Linda Del Savio

Project and Research Support Fellow

Linda Del Savio is Project and Research Support Fellow at the WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute. She provides project, research and administrative support to the Institute’s programmes and to its events, training and capacity building activities under the WMU Ocean Research Agenda. Prior to joining WMU in her current position, she was Carlo Schmid Fellow to the Closing the Circle Programme, which focuses on exploring challenges and advancing potential solutions to marine debris, Sargassum and marine spatial planning (MSP) in the Eastern Caribbean. She holds a degree in Political Science from the University of Bonn and a MA in International Politics and International Law from the University of Kiel.

Elnaz Barjandi

Master of Ceremony, Project Engagement and Implementation officer, WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute, WMU

Elnaz Barjandi is Project Engagement and Implementation Officer at the WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute. She supports the Institute’s operational delivery and implementation of research programmes/projects as per the WMU Ocean Research Agenda. Elnaz coordinates the Institute’s outreach, conferences and events, and respective donor reporting. Prior to joining WMU, Elnaz worked at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Denmark, as Operational, Administrative & Finance support at the Office of Information Technology and Management (OIMT). She supported the general operations, and coordinated the ICT and Green Energy service delivery to UNDP Country offices world wide. Elnaz has a BSc. and MSc. in International Business and Politics from Copenhagen Business School (CBS), and attained knowledge in economics, international development as well as operations and management in organisations, leading people and processes with focus on sustainability. She is an alumni of the Rhodes Academy of Ocean Law and Policy 2019, as well as recipient of H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf’s Foundation’s Value-based Leadership Diploma 2014 and Fulbright’s European Student Leaders Scholarship 2008. Elnaz academic and professional experiences have heightened her knowledge for sustainable development, international diplomacy and strategy, ocean governance, as well as capacity building, organisation and leadership for human empowerment and equality.