Secretary Blinken Delivers Remarks to Celebrate 50th Anniversary of AAAS – United States Department of State

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will deliver remarks to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Fellowships Program and the achievements of scientists and engineers across all Department Fellowship programs at 2:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday, August 10, 2023, at the Department of State. The Secretary, along with Acting Science and Technology Adviser Dr. Allison Schwier, will be joined by AAAS CEO Dr. Sudip Parikh and representatives from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine; the American Institute of Physics; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Since 1980, over 900 scientists and engineers across five science, technology, and innovation fellowship programs have served at the Department. These fellows provide offices a consistent stream of high-quality expertise to inform the Department’s foreign policy, diplomacy, and national security. Fellows work across the Department and serve in a variety of roles ranging from dedicated scientific advisers to portfolio managers and country desk officers. They provide the Department specialized knowledge on key related topics and connect the Department with their expert network of scientific contacts. These fellows are critical for providing an accurate and timely understanding of scientific issues so the Department can establish sound, evidence-based foreign policy.

Secretary Blinken’s remarks will be open press and streamed live on the Department homepage and YouTube channel .

Pre-set time for video cameras from the 23rd Street entrance is 1:20 p.m. Final access time for writers and stills from the 23rd Street entrance is 1:45 p.m.

Media representatives may attend this event upon presentation of one of the following: (1) A U.S. Government-issued identification card (Department of State, White House, Congress, Department of Defense or Foreign Press Center), (2) a media-issued photo identification card, or (3) a letter from their employer on letterhead verifying their employment as a journalist, accompanied by an official photo identification card (driver’s license, passport).

For press inquiries, please contact: NicholsKA@state.gov.

For more information about the Department’s Fellowship Programs, please visit: 

To stay updated on Science and Technology fellowships, follow the Office of the Science and Technology Adviser to the Secretary of State on Twitter: @STASatState.