Open Forum

In 2024, the Open Forum will be hosted at the local Swiss Alpine School in the heart of Davos. We welcome government officials, artists, civil society leaders, innovative entrepreneurs and CEOs of multinational companies: All have a story or point of view to share.

In the spirit of Davos, the Open Forum aims to stimulate dialogue among thought leaders on issues ranging from current political structures and geopolitical concerns to environmental problems, leadership challenges and the role of the arts in society.

Indeed, the World Economic Forum seizes the timely opportunity of its Annual Meeting in Davos to offer a platform for debate and interaction on controversial issues between the public and scholars, business leaders and policy-makers around improving the state of the world.

The overarching theme of the Open Forum Davos 2024, which takes place 15-19 January, is: "From Lab to Life: Science in Action". For those of you who cannot join the Open Forum personally in Davos, we hope you will follow the debates on the web via our livestream and look forward to welcoming you soon.

Liberating Science

Monday, 15 January 2024, 18.30 - 19.30

A philosophy of openness has the potential to accelerate breakthroughs in research and technology while directly confronting questions around trustworthiness and bias in science. What can the global scientific community do to promote new forms of collaboration and reproducibility in science to fast-track progress?

Take a Deep Breath with Technology

Tuesday, 16 January 2024, 09.30 - 10.30

99% of the world’s population breathes air that is harmful to their health. With proven links between the climate emergency and air pollution, collective action across industries is needed to address innovative solutions for both crises. What innovative new solutions can be used to accelerate climate action, improve air quality and health amongst citizens?

Medicine and Women

Tuesday, 16 January 2024, 12.30 - 13.30

From research projects to clinical trials conducted exclusively with men, medical science is only just beginning to explore the importance of a combination of factors from gender to social behaviours and psychological or biological differences in health and medicine. Where is the future of gender research headed and what are the most promising applications across research, prevention, and care?

R&D Disrupted

Tuesday, 16 January 2024, 18.30 - 19.30

Disruptive and innovative technologies like AI, open science and synthetic biology are reshaping the research and development (R&D) field. As practices continue to evolve, what risks and possibilities lie ahead for R&D?

Turning Back the Clock: the Science of Ageing

Wednesday, 17 January 2024, 09.30 - 10.30

Join this session to discover the latest breakthroughs in disease prevention and the science of reversing aging. How can science help us achieve a future where we can live longer, healthier, and disease-free?

From Rainforests to Reefs: Sustaining Life on Earth

Wednesday, 17 January 2024, 12.30 - 13.30

According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Risk Report, biodiversity is more at risk now than at any other point in human history. Yet $44 trillion of economic value generation – over half the world’s total GDP – is moderately or highly dependent on nature. How can collaboration between science, business and policy sectors safeguard life and livelihoods on our planet?

A Primer on AI

Wednesday, 17 January 2024, 18.30 - 19.30

The rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) has raised critical questions about the risks and opportunities the technology brings to our daily lives. Given that AI has an impact on our societies and industries, what solutions, dialogue, and education are needed to ensure AI benefits society, upholds ethical standards, and becomes inclusive to all users?

Cracking the Code: Navigating Cybersecurity

Thursday, 18 January 2023, 09.30 - 10.30

According to the World Economic Forum's 2023 Global Cybersecurity Outlook, 43% of organizational leaders think it is likely that in the next two years, a cyberattack will materially affect their organization. How can we foster innovation and cooperation to ensure preparedness against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats caused by extensive collaboration among cybercriminal networks and their adoption of emerging technologies?

On Thin Ice: the Consequences of Climate Breakdown

Thursday, 18 January 2024, 12.30 - 13.30

In June 2023, scientists announced that the first major component of the Earth's system had been irreversibly breached: Arctic summer sea ice. Consequences include accelerated global warming and extreme weather across the northern hemisphere amplifying global risks affecting lives and livelihoods. What actions are needed to appropriately respond to the increasing climate volatility unlocked at the poles?

Resilience in Motion

Thursday, 18 January 2024, 18.30 - 19.30

Special guest. The content of this session will be announced at a later date.