Flavia Schlegel took up her duties as Assistant Director-General for the Natural Sciences at UNESCO on 1 October 2014.

She is the holder of a Medical Doctorate and a Master’s Degree in Organizational Development.

Flavia Schlegel joined the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health in September 1997, as Director of the AIDS Section. She then became Director of the Health Policy, Research and Education Division. From 2002 to 2004, Ms Schlegel served for the Swiss State Secretariat for Education and Research as Science Counselor for the United States and Canada with the Embassy of Switzerland in Washington D.C. Ms Schlegel returned in October 2004 to the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health taking up the position of Vice-Director, Head of the Public Health Directorate and Member of the Executive Board until September 2008 when she was appointed Director of Swissnex China and Vice-Consul General based in Shanghai (China).

During her four-year period in Shanghai, Flavia Schlegel was responsible for overseeing the establishment of Swissnex in China; a transdisciplinary institute for Science, Technology, Innovation and Culture.