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"Science has radically changed the conditions of human life on earth. It has expanded our knowledge and our power, but not our capacity to use them with wisdom."
Senator J. William Fulbright, Old Myths and New Realities (1964)
Science & Technology - Implementing the UN Millennium Development Goals
March 1-4, 2007
Fulbright grantees and alumni, international researchers and policymakers, Peace Corps volunteers, and others interested in science and development are invited to the Fulbright Academy's 2007 Research Conference in Panama City, Panama.
This four-day conference will be held in Panama City, Panama on March 1 - 4, 2007 (Thursday-Sunday). The first three days are in cosmopolitan Panama City, which is Central America's only capital city on an ocean. The El Panama Hotel is downtown - near to casinos, shopping and other urban entertainment, and a short ride to the rainforest and natural areas. The Gamboa Rainforest Resort is the location for the closing plenary and lunch. It is an area famous for bird watching and exploring the natural wonders of the tropical rainforest. (Note: March is the dry season - it won't rain much).
Registered participants come from Australia, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Columbia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Germany, Greece, Israel, Jordan, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Singapore, Spain, St. Lucia, United Kingdom, and the United States. About 15-20% of the expected attendees are people who attended our March 2006 conference in Berlin. Click here to read the Berlin evaluations. Click here for the Panama attendee listing
Please register now so that you can share your knowledge and experience with our international audience.
2007 Conference Theme:
The four-day program will explore recent advances science and technology to better serve mankind. This is a multi-disciplinary program, with participants from social, natural and life sciences, engineering, technology, medicine, law and management. Attendees will have many different professional backgrounds - government, industry, academia, and civil society – and will come from two dozen or more countries.
The framework for discussion is United Nations Millennium Development Goals, which cover economic development, environmental sustainability, education and health.
We will explore the work of Fulbright scholars, international researchers and policymakers, Peace Corps volunteers and other science and international development researchers in these four fields, exchanging information on how our work is or can be used toward meeting the MDG goals.
The main themes will also be addressed during the tours and during the poster session, where you can present your research. Focused discussions will occur at workshops and at theme-oriented roundtables, covering topics such as sustainable tourism, engineering/the Panama Canal, forensics/criminology, marine conservation and maternal health. We also will show films and documentaries made by Fulbright scholars. An overview of the program is in the right-hand column of this page.
Praise from participants at our previous conference.
- The connections to other people with strongly positive ...
- The people I met in Berlin have inspired and encouraged me ...
- The Berlin conference helped me by introducing me to a variety of different viewpoints ...
- Outcomes accruing to me from the conference have not been great in number, but have been outstanding in quality.
- The Berlin Conference gave me the chance to reconnect with the scientific community
- The most important aspect was getting to know other researchers ...
- This is one of the conferences that I enjoyed most.
Background on FAST and our Conference:
Organized in 2003, the Fulbright Academy of Science & Technology (FAST) is a membership organization established by alumni of the Fulbright Exchange Program and other individuals interested in science and technology innovation. (Click here for a partial list of members)
The Fulbright Academy is an international organization that to serves alumni, current grantees, and Fulbright hosts – promoting their work and creating opportunities for collaboration. FAST programs are designed for people in the natural and social sciences, engineering, technology, and medicine, and for those whose personal or business interests relate to those fields. FAST organizes events and networking programs where members and supporters can meet and exchange ideas and research results and develop new friendships – in the spirit of the Fulbright Exchange Program.
We are coming to Latin America for our 2007 Conference because there are so many alumni in the region. The State Department says over 36,000 grants were awarded US citizens going to Western Hemisphere countries (excluding Canada) during the time period 1949-2003. In addition, some 26,000 Fulbrighters from the region traveled to the US.
Panels:
The 4-day conference will start on Thursday and run through the weekend. Panels will address the science behind the UN Millennium Development Goals - topics such as ecology, sustainable economic development, education, and medical research. The Academy is still seeking respected, high-level individuals to speak on the panels. If you would like to nominate yourself or another person, please email his/her name and contact information to info@FulbrightAcademy.org.
Poster Session:
The conference will include a poster session. Posters explore topics relating to the UN Millennium Development Goals, and the poster program is open to all - Fulbright alumni, students, researchers at local institutions, etc. Individuals interested in participating in the poster session should send a message to info@FulbrightAcademy.org.
Tours:
The conference includes several optional tours of local facilities. We are especially excited about a special tour of the Panama Canal, which recently announced a $5,000,000,000+ expansion project which will be an engineering feat. The final day of the conference will be held at a rainforest resort, where we can swim, play tennis, go kayaking, and enjoy a cable car ride up to the top of a nearby peak. Participants will have the option of staying at the resort for an additional day. Other optional programs include scuba diving on the Caribbean coast and a tour of modern Panama City and a new city-center resort under development by Donald Trump and others. There may be a participation charge for some of the tours.
Registration & Hotel:
The registration fee is $400 per person or $600 for a couple. A $50 discount is available for members. A $100 discount is available for group registrations - three or more people ($300 each). The $300 discounted fee is also available for employees of our institutional members and for individuals from Latin America and other low and middle income countries ($300 for one, $250 for groups). One day registrations are $85. Registration will include the costs for most meals, tours, and resort fees.
Your registration fee does NOT include the cost of accommodations. You must make your own hotel reservations. The Academy has negotiated a special rate at conference hotel of $85/night, including breakfast for a single or $95/night for a double. Children under 12 are free. More information on registration and making hotel reservations
Financial Aid: As noted above, the Fulbright Academy has registration discounts for attendees from low- and middle-income countries. FAST does not award financial aid for travel or accommodations. Some of the attendees at previous meetings have found sponsors to pay for their registration and/or their travel and accommodation expenses. Sources have included their employer, the local US Embassy, the local Fulbright alumni organization, and national or international businesses.
Cancellation Policies: Those who cancel their conference registration on or before January 24 will be eligible for a full refund. Those who cancel on or before February 9 will be eligible for a refund minus a US$75 administrative fee. No refunds will be issued for cancellations received after that date. All cancellation requests must be submitted in writing to the Fulbright Academy. Please note that the hotels will have their own cancellation policy for your room reservations - contact your hotel for information.
Travel Issues:
Panama City has a major international airport (PTY), with regular flights to Spain and to cities in North & South America and the Caribbean (http://www.tocumenpanama.aero/). Tourist visas for most travelers can be purchased on the day of your trip and are processed at the airport upon arrival. If your trip is only for the conference, it is unlikely that you will need any special vaccines. Detailed information on health issues is available from the US Center for Disease Control (http://www.cdc.gov/travel/camerica.htm).
Exhibitors:
Organizations, corporations and institutions will have an opportunity to set up a display in the exhibit hall. As with the registrations for indivudals, we recognize a variable ability to pay among our member institutions. There is be a discount for exhibitors from low- & middle-income countries.
Documentary DVD:
Each year, the Fulbright Academy makes a short documentary about the conference and the people who attend it. By registering for the conference, you grant to the Fulbright Academy and its licensees, agents, successors and assigns, the right to use your appearance in the documentary, including but not limited to video footage, still photographs, recordings or transcripts of your voice, and your actual name. These usage rights incudes usages worldwide and in all media, now and herafter known, and usage in any manner it deems appropriate, such as in the documentary and in other materials produced in connection with the Fulbright Academy.
Limited Liability:
Your participation in the 2007 Fulbrighter Conference may involve travel from the hotel to off-site locations, and you may be exposed to a variety of hazards and risks, foreseen and unforeseen. By registering for the conference, you agree to waive, discharge claims and release from liability the Fulbright Academy, Inc., its officers, directors, employees, agents and leaders from any and all liability on account of, or in any way resulting from injuries or damages. By registering for the conference, you understand and intend that this assumption of risk and release is binding upon your heirs, executors, administrators and assigns, and includes any minors accompanying you.
Sponsors:
Corporate and institutional sponsors will be underwriting the conference. Sponsors give cash donations or in-kind services. They play a critical role by allowing us to offer reduced-rate registrations and travel assistance to young Fulbrighters and to individuals from developing countries.
Conference Committee:
- Ambassador Frederico Humbert, Ambassador of the Republic of Panama to the United States of America
- Mr. Eric S. Howard, Executive Director, Fulbright Academy of Science & Technology
- Mr. Torsten Kracht, Counsel, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP
- Dr. Carlos Langoni, Rector, Florida State Univeristy - Panama City, Panama Campus
- Mr. Salvador Arsenio Rodriguez Guerini, Rector, Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá, Panama City
- Prof. Dr. Khalid R. Temsamani, National Coordinator Materials Science; Ministère de l’Education Nationale, de l'Enseignement Supérieur, de la Formation des Cadres et de la Recherche Scientifique, Rabat, Morocco
If you would like to be involved in this unique event as a speaker, panel chair, sponsor, or volunteer, please contact Eric Howard ehoward@FulbrightAcademy.org.
2006 Conference in Berlin, Germany:
Our 2006 conference had 140 registered attendees from 24 countries: Australia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iraq, Italy, Korea, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Panama, Palestine/Gaza, Peru, Poland, Romania, Serbia & Montenegro, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and United States.
Registered participants to the 2006 Conference were asked to submit a statement about their Fulbright experience . You can read these statements by clicking here.
2006 Conference Sponsors and Partners:
- Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
- American Association for the Advancement of Science
- Charite Hospital & the Berlin Museum of Medical History
- Cincinnati Museum of Art
- European School of Management & Technology
- Fulbright Alumni, eV. (German Fulbright Alumni Association)
- Fulbright Commission in Germany
- Fulbright Commission in Italy
- Fulbright Commission in Poland
- Fulbright Commission in Sweden
- Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program
- German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
- Moroccan Fulbright Alumni Association
- US Consulate, Jerusalem
- US Embassy, Belgrade
- ZDF.de - Zweite Deutche Fernsehen
- And other individuals and organizations.
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