16 March 2023, Geneva, Switzerland - On 16 March 2023, UNITAR, the University of Geneva, Open Geneva and Crowd4SDG hosted the fifth edition of the Geneva Trialogue at the Globe of Science and Innovation, under the theme of Open Innovation for Education, launching the 2023 Open Geneva Festival. 

Co-hosted by Crowd4SDG, the Geneva Trialogue featured the five (5) Crowd4SDG winning student teams from the Crowd4SDG 2019-2022 GEAR Cycles, who presented their innovative projects addressing critical sustainability challenges. 

Continuing the pioneered novel hybrid format from 2022, 11 lead partners from academia, international organizations, and the private sector from Switzerland, Thailand and around the world, brought their sustainability challenges under the 2023 theme, and developed practical outcomes of new educational and learning approaches that culminate in positive social and environmental impact, through an engaging Discovery and Design process. 

A total of 140 participants representing 100 Geneva Trialogue entities, took part in the thematic acceleration tables, at the CERN Globe and online, and shared in plenary about the progress of their discussions. The acceleration tables discovered in parallel challenges, opportunities, and potential good practices that can elicit scaling through the Discovery phase process, and they collectively designed an innovation process, applying impact design methods, to address the challenge. Some acceleration tables put their innovation process in full hands-on action during the Open Geneva Festival. 

Jonas Haertle, Chief at UNITAR’s Office of Executive Director, hosted the event as Master of Ceremony. CERN's Director of International Relations, Charlotte Lindberg Warakaulle, welcomed the audience at the CERN Globe. UNITAR’s Executive Director and UN Assistant Secretary-General, Nikhil Seth, delivered welcome remarks highlighting the imperative role of all actors in leading innovation for education towards the advancement of the UN SDGs. Yves Fluckiger, Rector of the University of Geneva, focused on the importance of renewing the commitment to open innovation for education, in Europe, Africa and around the world.

In a keynote speech, the Director of the International Affairs Department of the canton of Geneva, Beatrice Ferrari, marked that International Geneva is about value creation and that the SDGs are at the heart of the creation of this value. She also highlighted that the challenges brought to the Geneva Trialogue, are a great reflection of what represents the International Geneva today and that all stakeholders are present to co-create solutions. 

• New Challenges in Technology Consulting - M&A, Sustainability & SDGs led by Deloitte Switzerland
• Measure, Monitor and Monetize the SDGs' Impacts led by Axess Impact
• YOMA - Token Economic Systems for Learning to Earn initiatives in Africa led by Caliber Consult
• Reinventing curricula for Africa in the SDG era led by the University of Geneva 
• Creating Innovative and Sustainable Water Monitoring around the World led by World Meteorological Organization
• Global SDG Summer School and SDG Olympiad led by Citizen Science Center Zurich 
• Building Open Innovation Commons for International Geneva led by Geneva Graduate Institute - Fabrique de la Paix
• Education in a ChatGPT world led by AICrowd
• Raising the Impact of Model United Nations led by Geneva International Model United Nations - GIMUN & UN Youth Association Switzerland - UNYA SWITZERLAND
• Risk Resilience and Sustainability in a Changing Climate led by the Asian Institute of Technology
• Future Citizen Debates: Envisioning, designing, and coding open deliberation processes led by the University of Geneva 

During the Design phase, the acceleration tables interacted with each other and engaged with special invitees and keynote listeners Colombe Waren, Project Officer at the European Commission, and Nicholas Niggli, Deputy Secretary General at the Republic and State of Geneva in receiving insights on funding opportunities for open innovation projects. The groups shared their final progress out of the Design phase, and their commitments to implementing the designed innovation approach to further address their challenges. 

At the closing ceremony, keynote listener Colombe Waren pointed out that disruptive ideas and solutions have come out of the Geneva Trialogue while marking the importance of multiplicity and common language developed during the event. Nicholas Niggli, expressed that what is most important is to adapt our views to the challenges we have with the opportunities that are emerging from these challenges if we face them properly.

The 2023 Geneva Trialogue was supported by Open Geneva, TenderHut S.A and Axess Impact.