Emily ter Steeg works for the International Centre for Future Generations as an Academic and Science Liaison. Meanwhile, she is also doing her PhD in Development Economics at Wageningen University.
ICFG is a think tank focused on existential risks within three focus areas: AI, biosecurity and geoengineering. It aims to realise policy change at the EU level combining a bottom-up approach to build successful social movements, with a top-down approach to strengthen the science-policy interface. At ICFG, Emily is responsible for activities related to the science-policy interface and partnerships with academic stakeholders.
At Wageningen University, Emily is doing her PhD in Development Economics. She focuses on the business models of Dutch vegetable seeds in low-tech markets in Sub-Saharan Africa and their impact on smallholder livelihoods and nutrition security. Her first scientific publication on the decision-making processes shaping commercial hybrid plant breeding programs was published in Nature Plants.
An internship at the World Food Programme in Tajikistan made Emily decide to pursue a career contributing to global food security. After graduating, she lived in Rwanda for three years, where she worked for a hybrid potato breeding company and the Netherlands Embassy. Her work focused on technology adoption amongst smallholder potato farmers in East Africa inspired her to go back to university.
The decision to join ICFG was slightly unexpected. While the PhD requires her to zoom in on a particular topic, the job at ICFG requires her to zoom out, focusing on other incredibly urgent and complex issues. She is happy to put her academic skill and mindset to use, in order to contribute to the design and realisation of ICFG’s strategy.
Her previous education includes two Master’s degrees from the London School of Economics (International Political Economy) and Science Po, Paris (International Security), completing the two-year dual degree programme in International Affairs. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts from University College Utrecht, with a major in Law.