#shapetheworld in Geneva
On 13 and 14 February, the Geneva Hub welcomed 40 Global Shapers from 15 different hubs for an event they dubbed #ShapeTheWorld. Bringing together Shapers from around the world – from Brussels to Lugano, from Ottawa to Jeddah, just to name a few – for two days offered the unique opportunity to reflect together on the importance of partnerships and intercultural solutions, as well as to develop synergies to expand ideas. In addition, it served as a great introductory meeting to all the new Shapers who recently joined the Geneva Hub.
The Valentine’s Day weekend kicked off with a meeting at the WEF on Friday evening. Following a brief team building session of the Geneva Hub, all the Global Shapers attending #ShapeTheWorld gathered together to discuss projects and objectives. Melih Nurluel, Associate Director Europe, Global Shapers, also attended the meeting and talked about the role of #ShapeTheWorld.
The Hubs had the possibility to present on their latest initiatives. Geneva gave a presentation on three projects, including the upcoming Reading for Change project, designed to share information and technology with those who need it the most (the project will be launched on 14 March, so stay tuned for more updates). The Venice Hub talked about solutions to tackle youth unemployment, whereas the Rabat Hub announced that Rabat will be hosting #ShapingAfrica 2015. Last but not the least, the Zurich Hub presented their exciting project focused on art and migration.
On Saturday, the Geneva Hub organized a visit to CERN, the largest particle physics laboratory in the world and a prime example of international collaboration, bringing together scientists of almost 100 nationalities. The day started off with an early breakfast at the newly open IdeaSquare, where new technologies and innovation are shaped. Then, the Shapers took part in the CERN guided tour and learned about the history and the groundbreaking research carried out by this leading institution. The Shapers also visited the Globe “Universe of Particles”, a permanent exhibition on key existential questions like “Where do we come from? What is the origin of the laws of Nature?” currently being explored by the CERN.
The day ended with a productive brainstorming between Geneva, Venice, Turin, Rome and other Hubs for an upcoming project (more info to come soon).
Following this great experience, we would like to invite every hub to use #ShapeTheWorld when collaborating with other Hubs on finding intercultural solutions to social problems.Let’s continue to #ShapeTheWorld together.
Photo credit: Giulia Zanzi, Geneva Hub.
