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Two hundred of the brightest minds from around the world sit in a darkened room. They are bent over their laptops, surrounded by whiteboards with formulas and to-do lists. As you can smell, the students spend hours brainstorming about complex algorithms.
In the middle of the stuffy room: a man and two male students from Switzerland. Elena Acinapura (24, ETH), Elias Xaver (23, ETH Zurich) and Alessandro Sinibaldi (24, EPFL Lausanne). You are participating in the 11th Social Welfare Hackathon in the Arab World.
Hackathons are meetings between teams that want to compete in thinking, or rather, find technical solutions to specific problems. This was also the case last weekend in Abu Dhabi, where the participants had to implement a concrete idea with quantum computers in three days.
Quantum computers are based on the principles of quantum mechanics. Instead of bits, as with conventional computers, quantum computers use qubits. Instead of zero and one, calculations are made with almost countless variants. A quantum computer isn’t necessarily faster than traditional computers (and probably never will replace them), but it does make some calculations a lot easier.
The projects of the teams should use this advantage for sustainable development. Behind it is the GESDA foundation from Geneva (see box), which collaborates with the university. Their goal: to link science and diplomacy, to save the world with quantum computers.
It’s amazing what ideas take shape on day one. Elena Acinapura’s team is working on an application to detect cancer cells earlier. Rapid diagnosis is also a goal for Alessandro Sinibaldi, this is about Alzheimer’s disease. Elias Xaver and his team are developing a method to protect electricity grids against disturbances.
For Acinapura and Xaver it is the first hackathon, for Acinapura even the first trip outside Europe. Born in Italy, she studies how to build quantum computers – not how to program them.
“For me, this is a great opportunity to learn new things,” she enthuses. She generally seems to be in a good mood and answers questions with patience and a smile. That seems contagious: everyone in her team is relaxed and happy to provide insight. The cooperation runs smoothly, even though everyone comes from very different countries, from Algeria to Togo.
SonntagsBlick: Mr. Brabeck, you were the boss of Nestlé. Today you will work on an Open Quantum Institute, a Science Diplomat Training, a Science Breakthrough Radar…
Peter Brabeck: International cooperation is not really fashionable these days, and the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA), which I have the privilege of chairing, is trying to counter this. It’s about finding out what’s going on in the labs of the world, knowing in advance if there are any problems that can only be solved through multilateral organizations. And to ensure that scientific breakthroughs not only benefit individual companies or countries, but everyone.
Noble goals, but all very theoretical. How exactly do you want to implement this?
We collaborate with thousands of scientists from all over the world. They tell us what is happening in their laboratories and what breakthroughs they expect in their research in the next five, ten, 25 years. We have selected themes that we can now tackle. One subject is an Open Quantum Institute that aims to give everyone access to quantum computers. A second is the Global Curriculum for Science Diplomacy. We are discussing more.
Why the collaboration with the Hackathon in Abu Dhabi?
The question is where quantum computers provide an advantage. You cannot accurately predict the future. But if you want to shape things, you have to see what we can expect. Otherwise, the development is suddenly there and you don’t know what to do with it yet. For example with quantum computers. We know that they will not replace normal computers. But they make new things possible, such as the invention of new materials that conventional computers could never compute. We also want to involve young people.
GESDA has existed since 2019 at the initiative of the federal government in collaboration with Geneva. Why is a private foundation necessary?
The government feared that Geneva would lose its attractiveness as a center of humanist multilateralism. That is why the Federal Council wanted an institution to be created that would look ahead to issues requiring a multilateral response.
How come you are involved with GESDA?
Secretary of State Ignazio Cassis asked me. I do this on a voluntary basis because I am interested in the subject. It’s incredibly rewarding to get the chance to talk about the future with thousands of scientists. And: I am not Swiss, but I have learned a lot from Switzerland. If I can give something to Switzerland, it is a civic duty for me.
SonntagsBlick: Mr. Brabeck, you were the boss of Nestlé. Today you will work on an Open Quantum Institute, a Science Diplomat Training, a Science Breakthrough Radar…
Peter Brabeck: International cooperation is not really fashionable these days, and the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA), which I have the privilege of chairing, is trying to counter this. It’s about finding out what’s going on in the labs of the world, knowing in advance if there are any problems that can only be solved through multilateral organizations. And to ensure that scientific breakthroughs not only benefit individual companies or countries, but everyone.
Noble goals, but all very theoretical. How exactly do you want to implement this?
We collaborate with thousands of scientists from all over the world. They tell us what is happening in their laboratories and what breakthroughs they expect in their research in the next five, ten, 25 years. We have selected themes that we can now tackle. One subject is an Open Quantum Institute that aims to give everyone access to quantum computers. A second is the Global Curriculum for Science Diplomacy. We are discussing more.
Why the collaboration with the Hackathon in Abu Dhabi?
The question is where quantum computers provide an advantage. You cannot accurately predict the future. But if you want to shape things, you have to see what we can expect. Otherwise, the development is suddenly there and you don’t know what to do with it yet. For example with quantum computers. We know that they will not replace normal computers. But they make new things possible, such as the invention of new materials that conventional computers could never compute. We also want to involve young people.
GESDA has existed since 2019 at the initiative of the federal government in collaboration with Geneva. Why is a private foundation necessary?
The government feared that Geneva would lose its attractiveness as a center of humanist multilateralism. That is why the Federal Council wanted an institution to be created that would look ahead to issues requiring a multilateral response.
How come you are involved with GESDA?
Secretary of State Ignazio Cassis asked me. I do this on a voluntary basis because I am interested in the subject. It’s incredibly rewarding to get the chance to talk about the future with thousands of scientists. And: I am not Swiss, but I have learned a lot from Switzerland. If I can give something to Switzerland, it is a civic duty for me.
It’s different for Xaver. His team changes the execution of the joint idea three times in the first two days. Everyone is tense behind their laptops. If you ask how are you, the answer is short. “Very good. But no time to talk now,” says the ETH student. On the second day, half of the team is working night shifts. Will they win? “We still have a lot to do, but I think we have a chance to have.”
Xaver had to fight to compete. Acinapura and Sinibaldi had already won the ETH and EPFL internal competitions. Xaver was initially rejected. But the Master’s student with German roots remained stubborn. The organizer was impressed and let him participate.
On the final day, the teams rush through their presentations. Many seem stressed. Your project was still in progress in the morning, now is the moment of truth. Yet there are major delays. By the time the jury reaches its verdict, dinner is long overdue.
The hackathon was a success for the Swiss universities: Sinibaldi and Xaver each won the audience award with their teams, Acinapura took third place.
Then the surprise: Xaver’s team and its anti-power outage app also took first place – and with it the coveted GESDA award. The winners will all fly to Geneva in the autumn to present their ideas at the top of the foundation.
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
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