First Romanian elected as co-chair of Harvard European Conference

Elif Memet, a young woman from Constanta, southern Romania, has been appointed co-chair of the Harvard European Conference. The 11th annual edition of one of the most prestigious transatlantic dialogue forums in the US will take place between January 31 and February 1.

The event will take place at the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum, a historic venue at Harvard known for hosting emblematic speeches over time, and will bring together over 500 participants, including academics, policymakers, students, and global leaders.

Among this year's notable speakers are global leaders such as Alexander de Croo, Prime Minister of Belgium; Mirjana Spoljaric, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross; Mateusz Morawiecki, former Prime Minister of Poland; Margrethe Vestager, former Vice President of the European Commission; Pierre Wunsch, Governor of the National Bank of Belgium; Benjamin Haddad, Minister for European Affairs of France; and Ylva Johansson, former European Commissioner for Home Affairs. The conference will feature Romania’s Ambassador to the United States, Andrei Muraru.

The organizing team consists of over 40 students from Harvard and MIT, representing more than 25 countries and having professional experience in renowned institutions such as the UN, the European Commission, the European Parliament, the OECD, or governments from countries such as France, Austria, Serbia, and others.

Elif Memet, who has also managed to attract Romanian students to key roles in the organizing team, will deliver the closing speech at the JFK Jr. Forum, marking the conclusion of a conference addressing critical topics such as energy security, collective defense, European democracy, and human rights, strengthening Europe’s role in a constantly changing world.

Memet graduated from Columbia University in New York with a degree in Economics and Mathematics, earning Phi Beta Kappa and Magna cum Laude distinctions. During her studies, she was one of ten Science Research Fellows in her class and collaborated with Nobel laureate Professor Joseph Stiglitz on research regarding economic inequality.

After graduation, Elif Memet worked as an analyst at the investment bank Goldman Sachs and was involved in the spin-off of 3M’s healthcare division. Later, she became a private equity investor at Apollo Global Management, where she was one of the four investors leading the acquisition of Yahoo from Verizon, becoming an observer on Yahoo’s Board of Directors.

Currently, Elif Memet is pursuing a dual master’s degree in Business Administration at Harvard Business School and in Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School, as a David Rubenstein Fellow at the Center for Public Leadership. At Harvard, she researches Romania’s transition to the euro.