ODESSA PRIMUS
Executive Director
Odessa is the Executive Director of the Global Arena Research Institute, as well as the Coordinator of its flagship annual event the Next 100 Symposium and global youth programme ReDefine Next 100. She is also the main host of GARI's podcast Last Week on Earth with the Global Arena Research Institute.
She is the holder of numerous awards and distinctions as a young leader: Young Leader for Europe at the European Commission’s European Development Days 2017, European Forum Alpbach - as an Erste Foundation & National Endowment for Democracy fellow; Advisor on the UNSC Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace & Security at the European Regional Consultation in Brussels, a One Young World scholarship holder, among others.
Odessa frequented EU institutions in Brussels as an expert on migration and new media.
Until January 2017, she worked as a humanitarian worker on initiatives in response to the 2015/16 refugee and migration situation in Europe, namely Greece, and in Lebanon. Odessa was on Lesvos island in Greece at the height of 2015 with boats coming from Turkey and very little coordination, resources and information. After the situation was more under control, Odessa moved to Lebanon, namely the Bequaa Valley, where she helped reinstate Salam LADC, which is now one of the main humanitarian aid organisations in Lebanon, bringing in volunteers and funds from all over the world. Odessa wrote an extensive paper on the EU's handling of the migration crisis and subsequently advised EU institutions in Brussels on relocation, asylum-seeking, integration in society and media perspectives on migration in Europe.
In 2017 Odessa founded Go Think Initiative, a think tank that focused on the development of media and its impact on politics and society, analysing trends in communication technology and trends, analysing the media environment of Central Europe, namely the Visegrad countries.
Odessa graduated with a degree in Global Politics and International Relations from Birkbeck College, University of London. She holds positions on multiple boards including the Czech & Slovak Club Alpbach, which she co-founded. Odessa was the Curator of the Global Shapers Prague Hub, an initiative of the World Economic Forum in 2019/20 and a One Young World Ambassador.
To get in touch with Odessa about speaking opportunities and other invitations please email odessa@globari.org.
last week on earth with gari
Odessa is the main host of the podcast Last Week on Earth with Global Arena Research Insitute. For any inquiries about the podcast, such as inviting hosts Odessa Primus or Michal Koran as a guest on another podcast, or arranging a collaboration or partnership on GARI's podcast, please email odessa@globari.org.
Speaker at Neoway
Odessa was a speaker at February's Wisdom Accelerator for Youth NeoWay started in Davos. Odessa spoke on Big Data & AI.
Minute 2:42:25
ACP young professionals network
Interview by capacity4dev and ACP Young Professionals Network at the 2017 European Development Days.
One young world leader
Odessa was a One Young World Scholarship holder in 2018 attending the summit in The Hague.
2017 european development days
Odessa interviewing Gervais Appave, Special Adviser to the Director-General of the International Organisation on Migration (IOM) and Cecile Riallant, Head of UN Joint Migration and Development Initiative at the 2017 European Development Days.
Go Think initiative
Go Think Initiative was a think tank founded by Odessa in 2017 with its main project being V4 Think Media.
Volunteer/refugee crisis
Additionally Odessa Volunteered in Greece and Lebanon from 2015 to 2017 and raised funds to support refugees.
10 to go by patrick van der smagt
Odessa joined the accelerator 10toGo by GARI's International Advisory Board Member Patrick van der Smagt, Director of AI for Volkswagen Group, in collaboration with Microsoft. Odessa, on behalf of the Global Arena Research Institute as an SDG expert providing data and machine learning-led analysis.
Young leader for europe
Odessa was the Young Leader for Europe in the 2017 European Development Days speaking on Migration.
European Hero
Odessa was a featured European Hero in 2018. To learn more about her insights and experience check out her interview.