Alexandr Iscenco

About me

I am an environmental researcher, eco-innovator, consultant, trainer, and social entrepreneur with interest and passion in nature conservation and sustainable development.

 

My background is in environmental and natural resource economics , which I studied at the University of Copenhagen. I also specialise in sustainable environmental management, which I studied at the University of California in Berkeley , and in biodiversity conservation learnt during the Klaus Toepfer Fellowship Programme at the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation. Last but not least, I have extensive knowledge and skills in social/environmental entrepreneurship and start-up development accumulated during my start-up-building experience and participation in various hackathons and acceleration programmes, such as the Founder Institute.

 

I currently lead the development of the social entrepreneurial organisation MEGA and its innovative projects related to environmental research, education, and nature conservation, such as The Codru Quest and Forest Ecosystem Services. I also run the pre-acceleration programme for sustainability start-ups, called GreenTech Rangers and co-organise the national part of the global competition on green business ideas ClimateLaunchpad in Moldova. Furthermore, I occasionally serve as independent expert for project evaluation at the European Commission’s Education, Audiovisual and Cultural Executive Agency (EACEA) and as an international trainer for the ValuES project http://www.aboutvalues.net/. Finally, yet importantly, I provide international consultant services for gamification and management of environmental and social projects, and deliver gamified training programmes on topics related to environmental economics, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development as a certified trainer and facilitator.

 

My hobbies include teaching social robotics, hardware programming, and Internet-of-Things via the FACE ROBOTS training and courses, create art works enhanced with electronics under the nickname Shurik the Creator, and write poems and science fiction novels, such as  The Monster: Blade of Darkness.

 

For some of my above-mentioned activities, I have won a number of awards, including the best business consultant award at the Austrian Balkan Case Challenge 2010, the Green Talents 2013 award from Germany, the  Youth 2014 award from Moldova, and the Danubius Young Scientist 2016 award from Austria.

My skills

Technical skills:

• Scientific research and analysis (12 years of skill development experience)
• Project and event management (12 years)
• Organisational development (9 years)
• Strategic planning and implementation (9 years)
• Teaching, training, and facilitation (9 years)
• Social entrepreneurship (7 years)
• Corporate social responsibility (5 years)
• Web design and development (3 years)
• Hardware programming and robotics (3 years)
• Digital prototyping and desktop manufacturing / 3D printing (1 year)

• Creativity and innovation (12 years of skill development experience)
• Problem solving (12 years)
• Teamwork (12 years)
• Team management (10 years)
• Leadership (9 years)
• Public speaking (9 years)
• Intercultural communication and negotiation (7 years)
• Coaching and mentoring (3 years)

Why you should work with me

• The additional values of my training/facilitation/consultancy services, which make those services unique and of high impact, include storytelling, gamification and creative interactivity.

• Storytelling enables me to create an interesting and captivating learning experience and make it look like an adventurous journey. For example, in my courses and consultancy services, I often use the Harvard Case method to allow my learners and clients to explore solutions with me.

• Gamification enhances the above with an additional layer of fun, entertainment, motivation, and emotions of happiness and achievement. This approach includes elements of gamification (quests, levels, onboarding process, challenges, achievement badges, leader boards, etc.) in educational and consultancy experiences.

• Creative interactivity comes from my knowledge and skills in design and engineering. With a touch of artistic design and electronic devices, I can make an installation, project, or event very interactive, attractive, and inclusive for almost everyone.

My work experiences

• December 2019 - present: Founder and strategic coordinator at GreenTech Rangers and national lead at ClimateLaunchpad in Moldova
• November 2013 – present: Co-founder, CEO, and research and development coordinator at Moldovan Environmental Governance Academy (MEGA)
• October 2016 - October 2019: Trainer and facilitator on Integrating Ecosystem Services into Development Planning at Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
• June 2017 - November 2018: Co-founder, COO, and product development coordinator at ENVERACE
• March - June 2018: Independent expert for project evaluation at the EACEA
• March 2015 - December 2016: Co-founder, CTO, and 3D designer and operator at 3D Magic Makers
• August - October 2014: Researcher for a project on collaborative workshops and sustainable development at the Institute for Ecological Economy Research
• December 2013 - December 2014: National vice-president of international projects and events, coordinator of the Smart Business commission at JCI Moldova
• September 2012 - November 2013: Co-founder, chief scientist, and content and research coordinator at Dreamups
• September - October 2012: Researcher for a project on greenhouse gas emissions reduction strategies at the
• November 2011 - September 2013: Researcher and coordinator of the World Waste Status project within the Knowledge Team at the Let’s Do It Foundation
• November 2009 - August 2010: Trainer and facilitator in the national trainers EFORT team at the National Youth Council of Moldova
• June - August 2009: Trainer in the environmental project Learn to Change the Future 2009 at AIESEC in Craiova
• January 2008 - May 2009: National vice-president, trainer, and facilitator at AIESEC in Moldova

November 2006 - July 2010: Researcher in economic integration and transnational corporations at the Institute of Economy, Finance and Statistics

My education & training

• Trainer/Facilitator certificate on Integrating Ecosystem Services into Development Planning and Economic Valuation of Ecosystem Services from the ValuES project
• Certificate in Nature-based Solutions for Smart Cities from the NEXT Summer School at the Belarusian-Russian University
• Certificate in the Precautionary Principle in Sustainability Transitions from Central European University’s CEU Summer University
• Certificate in Biodiversity Conservation from the Klaus Toepfer Fellowship Programme at the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation
• Certificate in Energy, Environment, and Sustainable Development from the University of Oslo’s International Summer School
• Certificate in Sustainable Environmental Management from the Environmental Leadership Program at the University of California in Berkeley
• Master of Science (MSc) in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics, Global Environmental Governance from the University of Copenhagen
• Bachelor (BA) in Economics and International Economic Relations from the International University of Moldova

My references

• I have witnessed first-hand the work ethic, punctuality and integrity with which Alexandr approaches not just research but all the work he does. His work on gamification in sustainability has been innovative and exhibited an impressive breadth of vision, and he has delivered a clear and persuasive plan for its execution

Prof. David Zilberman, Co-Director at Beahrs Environmental Leadership Program

• His passion is nature and environment. I would say he is one the most active young individuals to drive change and positive impact in country he was born in, but also regionally and globally. Alexandr is also a proactive learner – he has a great sense of curiosity and is often a go-to source of information: he knows the answer to any questions, and if not he will search everywhere to find it. As a team player, he is always supportive of well-argued ideas; he enjoys brainstorming sessions as they offer a good opportunity to explore, analyse, debate and compromise.