Michael Devlin

Based in Brussels, Belgium

Michael is a science and policy communication professional. For the past 15 years, he has led and managed teams for international research centers and consortia in the areas of agriculture, health research systems, forestry, environmental management and rural development.

His assignments have taken him and his family from their home in Brussels, to live in Sri Lanka, Geneva, Syria, Jordan and China – a rich cultural experience.

Today, he is a co-founder of Sci4D – The Science for Development Platform, a new service that makes public research and program results more accessible to decision makers and investors, and offers synthesis and capacity building services. This ambitious initiative aims to make all ‘public goods’ research available in a standard format – to open this hidden knowledge to the world.

In his career Michael has been a self-employed communications consultant and writer; and served as senior manager of the International Water Management Institute; ICARDA dry areas agricultural research center; Council on Health Research for Development; International Network for Bamboo and Rattan. He has led communication and knowledge sharing strategies for policy programs in the Middle-East-Mediterranean region, Central Asia, Iraq and East Africa. As part of these efforts he delivered courses on science communication to some 300 research managers in developing countries and Europe.

An important (and fascinating) aspect of this work has been the mentoring and building the capacity of many young professionals and multicultural teams.

Michael has a degree in Journalism and French Literature from Butler University in the US.

In his spare time, Michael is an avid musician. Projects include composing, recording, performing, and he looks for opportunities to meet and play with people on his travels. A recent activity was the train journey from China to the Baltic – across Mongolia, and Siberia, soon to be published as a long-form web publication and short film. He spends his free time doing exploratory travel, and enjoying nature in the forests of northern Poland. Next project? Local travel: Geneva-Moldova-Ukraine-Baltic. Objective: Let’s see who we will meet.