I would like to be an IEEE Engineering and Diplomacy Fellow in order to understand policy decisions and their impact on innovation better and to help countries be more innovative. The large effect that policy has on innovation is not always obvious. The large effect that innovation has on job creation is obvious.
Let me give an example of something I learned ten years ago that had a profound influence on my thinking. A group of economists, led by Andrei Shleifer and Edward L. Glaeser investigated why Russia had been unable to build on capitalism after the collapse of communism; they concluded that different legal traditions explain why some countries prosper and others do not (“Legal Origins,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2002). Countries with legal systems that emerged from English common-law have independent juries who rely on precedent-setting case law, resulting in greater flexibility (because they do not have to wait for a law to be enacted). Civil-law countries whose legal systems originated in 12th century France, including much of Latin America, have judges who are life-long civil servants, heavier regulation, and less secure property rights. In these civil-law countries, the development of financial markets and support for property rights are weaker. Consequently, investment, innovation and economic growth are inhibited.
As I explored this issue further, I learned that throughout history, as technologies evolve, governments create rules and standards, and with standards, the technology’s growth accelerates. The telegraph system, which England standardized in order to manage and protect its far-flung empire, is a good example of this.
What happens when science and technology move faster than governments? Temporarily, chaos results. Common law adapts to new science and technology faster than civil law. This helps to explain why countries with common-law systems are more successful than countries with civil-law systems.
Not every engineer finds such information as exciting as I do; and I am fascinated by the interactions of such seemingly disparate structures as legal systems, economic systems and drivers of innovation.
Being an IEEE Engineering and Diplomacy Fellow would be a wonderful opportunity to explore the interactions further. I can imagine building on my work in innovation to address issues of reducing the threat of terrorism, possibly by improving the standard of living in developing nations or by using new technologies to provide access to clean water and improved infrastructure. I can envision building on my work in innovation to foster international collaborative research in areas such as property rights, economic prosperity, the impact of innovations such as social media, or oceanography. I can envision leveraging my deep knowledge of innovation, software and networking to participate in reviewing proposals for counterterrorism technologies.
My background includes over 20 years in software and computer networking. My graduate research in parallel and distributed systems prepared me to lead the effort to build Novell’s Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Technology in collaboration with Sun Microsystems. BYTE magazine, describing Novell’s crown jewels, said Novell has “a valuable …asset in the form of TI-RPC (transport independent remote procedure call)” (John Udell, “Novell’s Campaign,” BYTE, February 1995, pp. 42-64).
My experiences at Novell taught me about the relationship between innovation and the growth of an industry. Our work in developing and commercializing computer networking helped to spawn an entire new industry. I continued my work in networking, participating in the IEEE 802.3 standards committee, defining gigabit Ethernet standards, as a member of Compaq’s Network Interface Controller team.
For the last ten years, I have been working in the area of innovation management, helping teams understand how to commercialize innovations, how to grow entrepreneurial ventures, and how to deal with innovations which disrupt their industries. I am passionate about innovation because I have seen how it can lead to growth and prosperity.
If I were to be chosen as an IEEE Engineering and Diplomacy Fellow, I would also use the opportunity to learn how to participate in and contribute to the foreign policy process, and upon completion, teach others about how they can contribute.
I have been teaching and publishing in the area of innovation and prosperity since 2002. I have traveled in the past ten years to China, Singapore, Malaysia, England, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Germany, Brazil, and Australia as an invited speaker, consultant, or conference member. In each country I paid attention to cultural norms and practices that either contribute to or detract from innovation. Prior to travel, I read the literature of one of the country’s most respected authors (in translation) to get a sense of the people, and I attempt to learn enough of the language to be a gracious guest.
I am willing to abide by the terms and conditions indicated in the program policies and procedures.
I have no actual or apparent conflicts of interest.
Leslie's cover letter to the Congressional Fellows program
Leslie's cover letter to the Engineering & Diplomacy Fellows program
Leslie's resume