The meeting will open with welcome addresses by Vassya Bankova, chair of RSC, Mario Scalet, Head of Science unit - UNESCO Venice Office, and Berhanu Abegaz, ExecutiveDirector - African Academy of Sciences and vice chair of the Consultative Board - International Basic Sciences Programme (IBSP).
He served as deputy director and then directorof the Officeof Management and Budget under Clinton, and when Clinton left office he became executivevice president of New York University.