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LoginJean-Jacques Rousseau
Science and Innovation Advisor to the President of the Republic of Haiti
Jean-Jacques Rousseau is an innovation policy expert and philosopher of science who applies theories of scientific change to issues at the intersection of tech, entrepreneurship and big ideas.
Dr. Rousseau is the inaugural Technical Advisor in Innovation, Science and Competitiveness to the President of the Republic of Haiti. In this role, he led the launch of Alpha Haïti – the country’s first full-feature tech incubator and the largest in the Caribbean. Alpha has a mandate to promote new economy entrepreneurship. Jean-Jacques is also leading the development of a national innovation policy to help guide government investments and integrate digital literacy into the national curriculum.
His broad experience includes senior positions in the private and public sectors. He was an Intern at Canada’s largest artistic talent agency, Economist responsible for infrastructure financing and non-tax revenue policy at the Ontario Ministry of Finance, Community Safety Advisor, Senior Manager responsible for investment attraction and life sciences programs and Director of government affairs at the national pharmaceutical industry association.
Jean-Jacques holds a B.A. in Law and B.A. (High Honours) in Philosophy from Carleton University, MBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University and PhD from the Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology at the University of Toronto. He also completed intensive summer school programs in the philosophy of physics at the University of Geneva and in physics education at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. He was also a Fellow at the Hatchery start-up space at the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering at the University of Toronto.
An active member of the community, Jean-Jacques is interim Chair of the Board at CARE for Internationally Educated Nurses, Member of the Board of Directors of the Groupe Média TFO and Past Chair of the Board at Obsidian Theatre. He also teaches innovation and entrepreneurship at Université Quisqueya in Haiti.
