To commemorate the Award Ceremony of the 2026 Geneva Challenge, Ms. Cathy Li from WEF and Mr. Sergei Soares from ILO will deliver keynote addresses exploring how adoption and investment in AI impacts labour markets and occupational structures, and how the related risks and governance are being addressed.
Following the keynote addresses and a brief panel discussion, the five finalist teams will present their projects, and the Jury of the Geneva Challenge will announce the winners of this year’s edition and award the five finalist teams, one per continent, for their innovative and pragmatic solutions.
The Geneva Challenge is an international competition launched by the Geneva Graduate Institute in 2014, thanks to the vision and generosity of Ambassador Jenö Staehelin and the patronage of the late Kofi Annan. This contest brings together graduate students from diverse disciplinary and contextual perspectives to provide innovative and pragmatic solutions to some of the world’s complex challenges.
Programme
Welcome Remarks:
- Marie-Laure Salles, Director, Geneva Graduate Institute
Keynote Speech:
- Cathy Li, Head of the Centre for AI Excellence, World Economic Forum
- Sergei Suarez Dillon Soares, Senior Economist, International Labour Organization
Panel Discussion:
- Martina Viarengo, Professor, Geneva Graduate Institute
- Cathy Li, Head of the Centre for AI Excellence, World Economic Forum
- Sergei Suarez Dillon Soares, Senior Economist, International Labour Organization
Presentation of Geneva Challenge and Awards:
- Michael Møller, Chairman, Diplomacy Forum of the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA)