Nadiya Deferne - Class of 2015
After graduating from Haut-Lac in 2015, Nadiya completed her BSc in International Relations at the London School of Economics. She then headed to Brussels for an internship at the Mission of Switzerland to NATO, where she supported the political section.
She then moved to Geneva to join Santen, a pharmaceutical company specialising in eye health. She began by leading public affairs for the cell and gene therapy business, advocating for policy change to ensure that innovative treatments reach patients with genetic eye diseases. After two years, she transitioned into the EMEA organisation and built the public affairs function from scratch, working to elevate eye health as a priority on policy agendas across the region.
Alongside her work at Santen, Nadiya completed a part-time Master's in Social Innovation at Judge Business School, University of Cambridge. She has since developed a strong interest in AI governance and tech policy, regularly experimenting with AI tools and spending a few hours a week evaluating AI models. She looks forward to continuing to work at the intersection of public policy, innovation and emerging technology.
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Nadiya looks back on her time at Haut-Lac with fondness and gratitude for the lifelong friendships and the curiosity it instilled in her. Growing up in a genuinely multicultural environment gave her a foundation she draws on every day, navigating the complexities of working across cultures.
She's grateful for the flexibility to work remotely at times, which means she can keep doing what she has always loved: travelling and experiencing different parts of the world.
Haut-Lac Alumni Magazine
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