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Event Partners:
International Leadership for the Environment
RSE/SCRR Peter Wilson Lecture
In this prestigious lecture, Francesca Osowska sets out some challenges on how nature should be at the heart of decision taking in rural Scotland. Reflecting on Scotland’s internationally important landscapes, wildlife, habitats and associated cultures, Francesca outlines the values of these and their vital underpinning for rural communities, tourism, economic growth and sustainable enterprise.
Scotland is now extremely well placed to play a more prominent role internationally. Building on special initiatives involving young people, gender equality and social inclusion, Francesca calls for a fresh and innovative approach in galvanising our care of nature, and its many, widely-felt benefits.
An invited panel will respond to the lecture, followed by a wide plenary discussion on the issues raised and potential solutions.
Panel Members
Louise Macdonald OBE, Chief Executive, Young Scot
Professor Colin Campbell FRSE, Chief Executive, James Hutton Institute
Mike Robinson HFRCGS, Chief Executive, Royal Scottish Geographical Society
Martin Valenti, Strategic Director, Scottish Land Commission
Chair
Dr Rebekah Widdowfield, Chief Executive, The Royal Society of Edinburgh
Speaker
Francesca Osowska OBE, Chief Executive, Scottish Natural Heritage.
Francesca joined Scottish Natural Heritage as CEO on 1 October 2017. Prior to this, she spent over 20 years working for the civil service, initially as an economist. Francesca moved to Edinburgh in 1997 and has held a range of posts, including: Head of Sport at the Scottish Executive/Government; Principal Private Secretary to the First Minister, Alex Salmond MSP, MP; Director for Culture, External Affairs and Tourism; Director for Housing, Regeneration and the Commonwealth Games; and Director for the Commonwealth Games and Sport.
Francesca was appointed as Director for the Scotland Office in the UK Government in January 2015.
Francesca studied at Cambridge University where she gained an MA in Economics. She also gained an MA in European Economics from the College of Europe in Bruges.