Photo credit: Frontiers

More than 500 top scientific researchers and influencers will meet in Switzerland later this week for the Frontiers Forum Live, which is taking place in Montreux from 27-29 April. The event, now in its eighth year, will address critical issues including the climate crisis, improving global health and well-being, and preserving biodiversity. This is its first hybrid edition, and the Forum is expected to attract thousands of invited researchers to participate online.  

The mission of the Frontiers Forum is to bring together trailblazing figures from the realms of science, policy, commerce, and society. It creates a platform enabling expertise and cooperation that will hasten the transition to open science, spur the creation of groundbreaking solutions, and pave the way for a world in which all can lead healthy lives on a healthy planet. By facilitating dialogue and partnerships among these leaders, the Forum is helping to catalyze transformational change and build a brighter future. 

Kamila Markram, CEO and co-founder of Frontiers, said: “It’s thanks to science that we can be together in person again and run our first ever hybrid event – this time with thousands of participants joining us online. The record-breaking development of effective vaccines and treatments for Covid-19 was accomplished by openly sharing scientific research and this incredible achievement proves what we can achieve when science is open, and collaboration can flourish.” 

Expert speakers will outline their visions of how science can help bring solutions to today’s most pressing challenges. They include:  

• Prof Johan Rockström, planetary boundary pioneer from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Germany   

• Prof Yuval Noah Harari, historian, philosopher, and best-selling author from Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel  

• Dr Kamila Markram, CEO and co-founder of Frontiers  

• Ban Ki-moon, eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations, South Korea 

• Prof Cynthia Kenyon, authority on health span extension from Calico Life Sciences, USA   

• Prof Rudolf Jaenisch, stem cell trailblazer from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA   

• Dr Kevin Esvelt, exponential biologist from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA  

• Dr Seth Berkley, global vaccine advocate from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Switzerland  

• Dr Britt Wray, eco-anxiety expert from Stanford University, USA 

• Prof Mary Scholes, environmental systems expert from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. 

The sessions promise to be a hub of innovation and exchange. They will offer a unique perspective from some of the world’s foremost thinkers that push the boundaries of what's possible. These thought-provoking discussions will be readily accessible to everyone via YouTube shortly after the Forum, enabling a broad audience to access and engage with the latest research and ideas. 

The Frontiers Forum has been an annual event held in Switzerland for leading researchers in their fields since 2015. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the event was hosted online and last year alone, coverage of Frontiers Forum sessions attracted more than five million views from people all over the world online. 

For more information, please visit: https://forum.frontiersin.org/ 

About Frontiers

Frontiers is the 3rd most-cited and 6th largest research publisher. We publish groundbreaking discoveries by the world's top experts. Scientists empower society and our mission is to accelerate scientific discovery by making science open. We place the researcher at the center of everything we do and enable the research community to develop the solutions we need to live healthy lives on a healthy planet. Featuring custom-built technology, artificial intelligence, and rigorous quality standards, our research articles have been viewed more than 2.4 billion times, reflecting the power of research that is open for all.