Programme

AI and Human Rights: Risks and Promises, 16:30 - 17:45

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the human rights landscape -  from automated decision-making to predictive analytics and risk mapping. While AI might offer promising solutions for advancing rights protection, it also presents profound risks: automated warfare, algorithmic discrimination, surveillance risks, misuse by states and non-state actors and accountability gaps.

 This panel brings together practitioners and researchers from the fields of AI ethics, international human rights law, conflict and war studies as well as digital innovation to dissect the duality of AI’s role in this space. It will explore how AI is being used by human rights institutions to enhance the efficiency, scope, and impact of monitoring and implementation frameworks - and how academic research contributes by critically reflecting on these developments and interrogating their broader implications. The panel will also examine how AI can entrench structural discrimination, amplify asymmetries of power, or be used for mass-surveillance and the automation of warfare. 

 Key questions include: 

• In what ways is AI already being used to promote or undermine human rights?
• How can systemic risks in AI-driven solutions, such as surveillance, bias and opacity, be identified and addressed?
• Where are the ethical boundaries of AI deployment in rights-sensitive and high-risk contexts?
• How can we ensure inclusive, accountable, and transparent governance of AI systems in global human rights work, including where such systems intersect with security and conflict-related domains?
• How can interdisciplinary collaboration - especially between human rights practitioners, experts in conflict studies and AI researchers - be fostered and sustained?
  

Chairs: Dr. Myriam Dunn Cavelty (ETH) & Felix Kirchmeier & Dr. Domenico Zipoli (Geneva Human Rights Platform) 

Panelists:  

• Prof. Jessica Dorsey (Utrecht University School of Law)
• Dr. Isabel Ebert (UN Human Rights Office)
• Salva Lacruz (Huridocs)
• Dr. Kebene Wodajo (ETH)

Humanitarian Action in the 21st Century: Technological Opportunities and Challenges

Gilles Carbonnier, Vice-President of the International Committee of the Red Cross

This keynote explores how technological developments are affecting humanitarian action in the 21st century. Drawing on the experience of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and its Engineering for Humanitarian Action Partnership with ETH Zurich and EPLF,  it examines both the opportunities digital tools offer - such as more efficient relief and logistics, better access to information on and for affected populations, stronger cybersecurity - and the significant risks and challenges they pose. These include concerns around new means and methods of warfare such as autonomous weapon systems, AI use in the military domain, vulnerability to cyberattacks and other disruptions affecting people in armed conflicts. The keynote offers a critical reflection on the enduring relevance of international humanitarian law (IHL) and principles in an increasingly digital world and highlights what academia, governments, NGOs and private sector partners can do to support humanitarian action and respect for IHL.  

Engineering for Global Impact, 09:20 - 10:35

This session explores how academic institutions can serve as catalysts for transformative global change at the intersection of science, engineering, and society. Key questions include:

• What role can universities play in driving innovation for global sustainable and equitable development? With foreign aid declining and geopolitical tensions rising, what new responsibilities might universities need to take on in global development and humanitarian efforts?
• What examples exist of university-led technologies or initiatives that have directly improved lives, especially in low-income settings? Or do we just need to wait for a trickle-down effect of scientific innovations to be adapted for the needs of vulnerable populations?
• Do we need dedicated global engineering centers at universities, and where should these be located?

Chair: Dr. Adina Rom (ETH)

Panelists:

• Prof. Nathan Amanquah (Ashesi University)
• Prof. Amy Pickering (UC Berkeley)
• Dr. Klaus Schönenberger (EPFL)
• Prof. Amos Winter (MIT)

Science for Low-Cost & Sustainable Housing in Growing Cities, 11:00 - 12:15

Rapid urbanization brings pressing demands for affordable, resilient, and sustainable housing. While universities, NGOs or private sector generate promising innovations, their implementation into large-scale practice faces major challenges. This session brings together material scientists, architects, and engineers to discuss pathways for bridging the gap between research and practice. With a focus on slum upgrading, post-disaster reconstruction and the building materials industry. The session will explore how scientific advances can contribute to scalable, inclusive, and context-sensitive housing solutions in rapidly growing cities, addressing following questions:

• How can solutions adapt to the high variability of local raw materials?
• How can construction methods remain replicable while being sensitive to diverse local contexts?
• How can we scale up materials, buildings or neighborhoods designs - without losing social, cultural, and environmental relevance, while being economically viable and able to match growing demand.
• Between low tech and high tech, what is the right tech for materials and buildings?
  

Chair: Prof. Guillaume Habert (ETH)

Panelists: 

• Dr.-Ing. Zegeye Cherenet Mamo (Addis Ababa University/KIT)
• Dr. Mareike Thiedeitz (ETH)
• Prof. Romildo Toledo Filho (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro)
• Daniel Wyss (Skat consulting)

Past and Future Innovations in Health Technologies, 13:30 - 14:45

As innovation in health accelerates in areas like AI-driven diagnostics and portable medical devices, how can these tools be developed and deployed to equitably improve access to health globally, particularly in low-resource settings? Key questions include:

• What future innovations in health technologies are most likely to close critical gaps in healthcare access and quality in low- and middle-income countries?
• What role could recent advancements in new technological platforms (for example AI) play?
• What are the risks of techno-solutionism in global health, and how can we ensure technologies are aligned with real-world needs and health systems?
• What models of collaboration between universities, governments, industry, and health workers are needed to accelerate targeted innovation and scale?
• What can other disciplines learn from public health when it comes to interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research? What are the challenges moving from technological innovation to affordable care at scale? 

Chair: Prof. Bradley Nelson (ETH)

Panelists:

• Dr. Jochen Ehmer (SolidarMed)
• Prof. Mary-Anne Hartley (Harvard/EPFL)
• Dr. Solomzi Makohliso (EPFL)
• Prof. Elizabeth Tilley (ETH) 

Description will follow.

Inclusive Adaptation to Climate Change, 16:00-17:15

As climate change impacts intensify, the need for effective and inclusive adaptation becomes ever more urgent. This session explores the dynamic interplay between locally grounded adaptation responses and global approaches, asking how we can craft adaptation strategies that are context-specific, scalable and inclusive. Key questions include:

• What are promising examples of inclusive adaptation — what makes them effective, and can they be scaled?
• How do we balance context-specific solutions and the need for scalable approaches, global coordination, and shared research?
• What contributions can global or regional research make to inclusive and locally grounded adaptation?
• What is needed to ensure that the poorest and most marginalized populations are not left behind?
• How can practitioners and researchers work together more effectively to bridge gaps between science, policy, and implementation?

Chair: Jasmine Neve (ETH)

Panelists:

• Dr. Marina Adrijevic (International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis)
• Rupa Mukerji (Skat Consulting)
• Dr. Olasunkanmi Habeeb Okunola (United Nations University)
• Isabelle Sun (elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization)

Description will follow.

Prof. Rachel Glennerster, President of the Center for Global Development

Innovation is the main driver of long-term growth and development. It has also allowed substantial improvements in human welfare at a given level of income: life expectancy for low-income countries is much higher now than it was when advanced economies were at similar levels of income. A major reason is the invention and dissemination of simple health technologies like vaccines. But as a world we underinvest in innovation,  particularly innovations that benefit low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) or address global public goods like climate change or anti-microbial resistance. In this talk I will discuss using innovative financing techniques such as Advance Market Commitments to stimulate private sector innovation to fill critical needs for new technologies for development. I will end by discussing innovations needed in how we do aid. 

Rethinking Food Systems for Global Food Security, 09:00 - 10:15

As global food systems face increasing pressure - from climate change, environmental degradation, population growth, supply chain disruptions, and unequal access to resources - there is an urgent need to address systemic weaknesses and reimagine pathways toward more sustainable and equitable agricultural practices. Key questions include:

• What are key barriers to achieving sustainable agriculture and food security that need immediate attention?
• How should regions balance the cultivation of export-oriented cash crops and subsistence food crops? What insights can we draw from the food self-sufficiency debate?
• What could be transformative solutions or leverage points that would significantly advance food security?

Chair: Prof. Eva-Marie Meemken (ETH)

Panelists:

• Dr. Eveline Sawadago/Compaoré (Institute for Environmental and Agricultural Research, INERA)
• Dr. Marc Müller (Eawag)
• Dr. Marina Nehrey (FiBL)
• Dr. Christian Robin (Swiss Platform for Sustainable Cocoa)

From Technological Pilot to Societal Scale , 10:45 - 12:00

This session examines the journey from innovation to widespread impact, exploring what it takes to scale research-based solutions in complex global development contexts. Key questions include:

• What are real-world examples of research-based innovations that successfully scaled - and those that failed? Why were some successful and others failed?
• Why is scaling so difficult in the context of global development, and what factors most influence success? How can early-stage innovators design for scale from the beginning?
• What roles do researchers, private sector, international organizations, and donors each need to play to increase the chances of reaching impact at scale? What type of collaborations do we need?

Chair: Dr. Fritz Brugger (ETH)

Panelists: 

• Laliteswar Kumar (Velocity)
• Prof. Charles Niwagaba (Makerere University)
• Martina Schmidt (Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation)
• Dr. Bublu Thakur-Weigold (INSEAD)

Friday, 12 September from 1:30 pm - 3.30 pm 

Fostering Equitable and Impactful Global Research Partnerships

The workshop focuses on building equitable and effective global research partnerships. It explores strategies to ensure fair collaboration, mutual benefit, and meaningful impact across diverse cultural and institutional contexts. Topics include colonial hegemonies in research partnerships, power imbalances, and approaches to navigating ethical and cultural sensitivities in research partnerships.

Target Audience: All symposium participants

Activities: Presentations and interactive sessions, as well as discussions on guidelines to equitable partnerships

Organisers: Dr. Fabian Käser, external page Swiss Alliance for Global Research Partnerships (GRP-Alliance) and Dr. Medinat Malefakis, NADEL, ETHZ

Location: HG E 22

Friday, 12 September, 13:30-15:30

Information Management & Machine Learning for Human Rights: Digital Transformation in the Public Sector

This interactive two-way session will explore how the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), civil society, and technologists are leveraging digital transformation and advanced information management to enhance human rights policy work. Through case studies of existing databases, participants will gain a deeper understanding of how structured information management, automation, and AI-powered processes can improve the way human rights information is collected,
processed, and used for policymaking, advocacy, and implementation. The workshop will then shift to an audience-driven brainstorming exercise to identify practical ways to improve visualization and usability of human rights data; interoperability between tools and systems and statistical measurement for human rights information management.

Goals: 

• Understand the mandate of OHCHR, its key stakeholders, and the critical role of information and information management in supporting the Office’s work.     
• Learn from concrete examples of human rights information systems
  
• Explore current automation practices, including the use of machine learning (ML) and AI for tasks such as text processing, metadata extraction, and managing politically sensitive information.    
• Brainstorm with participants on how to improve: Visualization & usability of human rights information; Interoperability across tools and databases; Statistical measurement of human rights data.

Activities:  In-person, roundtable layout for plenary and interactive segments

Organisers: external page The Geneva Human Rights Platform and ETH Center for Security Studies

Location: HG G 26.5

Find more detailed information in Download the concept note. (DOCX, 68 KB)

Friday, 12 September, 13:30-15:00

How can NGOs use evidence to maximize impact?

In recent years, there has been a surge in research assessing the effectiveness of development interventions. This is happening at a time when organisations are facing shrinking budgets, making cost-effectiveness more critical than ever. However, using this evidence in strategy and programme design raises challenging questions.

For example, how many evaluations are needed for an intervention to be truly evidence-based? How much can findings from one context be generalised to another?

NGOs also encounter discrepancies between robust evidence and their specific plans, prompting queries about adapting findings, integrating own monitoring data, reconciling conflicting evidence and determining when to shift focus from innovation to well-established interventions. 

In this workshop, you can discuss your pressing questions with Prof. Rachel Glennerster, President of the Center for Global Development, former Chief Economist at DFID, and former J-PAL Executive Director at MIT. 

Target Audience: Programme managers of NGOs

Activities: Moderated Q&A with Prof. Rachel Glennerster and. Bring along questions and challenges.

Organiser: Prof. Isabel Günther, ETH NADEL

Location: HG E 21

Friday, 12 September from 1:30 pm - 3.30 pm 

From Research to Practice: How can Universities Maximize their Real-World Impact?

This workshop explores two central challenges for university-led innovations in global development and humanitarian spaces: 

• How to “match-make” and build effective collaborations between researchers and practitioners
• How to bring promising research-based innovations to scale

Activities: Participants discuss examples from their own organizations, reflect on barriers to collaboration and scaling, and co-develop suggestions to advance research-based innovation in the humanitarian and development field. 

Organisers: Fabrice Lauper, external page The International Committee of the Red Cross; Dr. Adina Rom, ETH4D

Location: HG E 33.1