Geneva Research Lab for Digital Impact

Connectivity has become one of the defining infrastructures of our time. As technology reshapes our societies at unprecedented speed, how do we make sense of the changes ahead? In this conversation, christopher fabian, co-founder of Giga, reflects on the importance of connectivity and the role of academia. 👇 📹 Watch the interview below. #GRL #DigitalInclusion #Connectivity #DigitalImpact #SchoolConnectivity #Giga #ResearchForImpact UNICEF Digital Impact Giga University of Geneva Geneva School of Economics and Management - UNIGE Center for Innovation & Partnerships Geneva Innovation Movement Association Markus Meierer Alona Shmygel, CFA Emma Luu Van Lang Iris Dieleman Tanya Accone Marija Novkovic Gosic Ayat Alkurdi Katherine Tatarinov Adriana De Oro (she/her) Thomaz Teodorovicz Nina Zachlod Ane Casajús-Burutaran Lisa Canova Thomas Nobre Sara Šaljić Efe Elmas Vanina Vegezzi Sheerin Azhari Goran Đemidžić Iraj Nayebkhil Ruth McLachlin Sonja Novikov - Bruderhofer Nobuntu N.

🎥 Some moments are better seen than read. If you missed our "Bridging the Digital Divide: Can Doing Good Be Good Business? Building Tech-Enabled Business Models for Impact" session at the Giga Connectivity Centre (June 2, 2026), or simply want to relive it, here are the highlights. 👇 One thread ran through the whole evening: scaling impact isn't held back by a lack of capital or technology, it's held back by a lack of imagination in how we design business models around it. From Giga's connectivity credits turning last-mile access into a commercial incentive, to AXA's embedded social business approach reaching underserved markets, to a challenge to rethink what "good" even means across sectors, the discussion kept circling back to one idea: partnership, patience, and trust matter as much as any technology. 🎬 A huge thank you to Jonathan Moy de Vitry for capturing the energy of the room and putting this video together, it really brings the evening back to life. What stood out to you most from the session? Let us know in the comments. 👇 #ImpactBusiness #GigaConnectivityCentre #GRL #GIM #Innovation #DigitalImpact   University of Geneva Geneva School of Economics and Management - UNIGE Center for Innovation & Partnerships UNICEF Digital Impact Tina Ambos Emma Luu Van Lang Iris Dieleman Efe Elmas Vanina Vegezzi Geneva Innovation Movement Association Katherine Tatarinov Charlotte Arribe Ayat Alkurdi Mima Stojanovic Ioana Stoica Tanya Accone Nobuntu N. christopher fabian Michal Matul Elena Ogram, CFA, CESGA Pradeep Kakkattil Maria Curto Belmonte, Francesca Bini Ewa Janocha

🔍 Technology-enabled organizations are often praised for their agility, adaptability, and ability to challenge established ways of working. But can these organizational models create lasting impact when addressing complex global challenges? Drawing on the case of Giga, a joint UNICEF–ITU initiative supporting governments to connect every school in the world to the internet, we explore the role that open-source approaches can play in tackling these challenges. Credit: Tina Ambos, Katherine Tatarinov Full article: https://lnkd.in/eVjn5ZGE 👉 Swipe through to discover what organizational leaders can learn from this approach. #GRL #DigitalImpact #Connectivity #ResearchForImpact #EvidenceToAction #BridgingTheDigitalDivide #OrganizationDesign #OpenSource #SocialImpact Geneva School of Economics and Management - UNIGE Center for Innovation & Partnerships Geneva Innovation Movement Association Tina Ambos Katherine Tatarinov Markus Meierer Alona Shmygel, CFA Emma Luu Van Lang Iris Dieleman Tanya Accone Marija Novkovic Gosic Ayat Alkurdi Adriana De Oro (she/her) Thomaz Teodorovicz Nina Zachlod Ane Casajús-Burutaran Lisa Canova Thomas Nobre Sara Šaljić Efe Elmas Vanina Vegezzi Sheerin Azhari Goran Đemidžić Iraj Nayebkhil Ruth McLachlin Sonja Novikov - Bruderhofer

🌐 Connectivity shapes access to education, information, public services, economic opportunity, and participation in society itself. Yet, while digital technologies continue to transform the world around us, millions of children and communities remain excluded from meaningful connectivity. Why does this matter? And what role can research, universities, and cross-sector collaboration play in advancing digital inclusion? In this conversation, Professor Tina Ambos, Academic Director of the Geneva Research Lab for Digital Impact (GRL) at the University of Geneva, reflects on the vision behind the upcoming GRL Microlearning Series and the importance of bridging evidence, innovation, and real-world implementation. 🎥 Watch the interview below #GRL #DigitalInclusion #Connectivity #DigitalImpact #SchoolConnectivity #Giga #ResearchForImpact   UNICEF Digital Impact Giga University of Geneva Geneva School of Economics and Management - UNIGE Center for Innovation & Partnerships Geneva Innovation Movement Association Markus Meierer Alona Shmygel, CFA Emma Luu Van Lang Iris Dieleman christopher fabian Tanya Accone Marija Novkovic Gosic Ayat Alkurdi Katherine Tatarinov Adriana De Oro (she/her) Thomaz Teodorovicz Nina Zachlod Ane Casajús-Burutaran Lisa Canova Thomas Nobre Sara Šaljić Efe Elmas Vanina Vegezzi Sheerin Azhari Goran Đemidžić Iraj Nayebkhil Ruth McLachlin Sonja Novikov - Bruderhofer Nobuntu N.

🎓 How do you build a career across countries, sectors, and technological change? Last week, we wrapped up the final Digital Career Insights session before the summer break with Sanjida Alam, joined by students, researchers, and professionals at the Giga Connectivity Centre. Drawing on a career that has taken her from Bangladesh to the United Kingdom and now Switzerland, Sanjida shared how following curiosity, purpose, and what felt right at different moments shaped her professional journey across entrepreneurship, education, and digital health. 💡 A few highlights from the discussion: ▪️ Opportunities often emerge when we remain open to new contexts, challenges, and experiences. ▪️ Digital innovation looks different depending on the context. Drawing on her experience in Bangladesh, Sanjida reflected on how digital solutions can help address healthcare challenges in rural and underserved communities, while remaining grounded in local realities. ▪️ In the age of AI, our most valuable skills may be the most human ones. Communication, empathy, relationship-building, creativity, and the ability to bring our unique personalities to our work are qualities that technology cannot easily replicate. A warm thank you to Sanjida Alam, Sonja Novikov - Bruderhofer, and everyone who joined the conversation and contributed their questions and perspectives! This concludes the Digital Career Insights series for the summer. If you're interested in the intersection of digital innovation and humanitarian action, save the date for our next session on 30 September with Blaise Robert, Global AI Advisor at International Committee of the Red Cross - ICRC. 👉 Registrations are already open: https://lnkd.in/ewKdwGQu 📸 Photos from the evening below. #GRL #DigitalCareerInsights #AI #FutureOfWork #DigitalInnovation #GigaConnectivityCentre UNICEF Digital Impact University of Geneva Geneva School of Economics and Management - UNIGE Center for Innovation & Partnerships Tina Ambos Emma Luu Van Lang Iris Dieleman Efe Elmas Vanina Vegezzi Charlotte Arribe Ayat Alkurdi Tanya Accone Nobuntu N. christopher fabian Iraj Nayebkhil Lisa Canova Guillaume Follet

250 million students are enrolled in India’s school system. 49% of Côte d’Ivoire’s population is under the age of 20. Different countries, different realities, but one common takeaway: school connectivity is more than an infrastructure issue. Whether the challenge is coordinating delivery across a federal system, strengthening implementation capacity, or mobilizing sustainable financing, connectivity at scale depends as much on strong, coordinated institutions as it does on strong networks. 🎓 As part of the 2025 Student Challenge (Master in Responsible Management, University of Geneva), led by Prof. Tina Ambos in collaboration with UNICEF Digital Impact, nine student teams explored how school connectivity can scale across diverse national contexts. 📊 These two infographics highlight key findings from India and Côte d’Ivoire and the broader lessons they offer for policymakers as they advance school connectivity strategies worldwide. The research findings from all nine student teams are available in the white paper 𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑫𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝑫𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒆: 𝑬𝒙𝒑𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑮𝒊𝒈𝒂’𝒔 𝑮𝒍𝒐𝒃𝒂𝒍 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 – 𝑪𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒚-𝑳𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍 𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑺𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑺𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒕𝒚 which you can find on the GRL website: https://lnkd.in/efADK8_9 #GRL #DigitalImpact #ResearchForImpact #LearningForChange #GlobalStrategy #ResponsibleManagement #EvidenceToAction #BridgingTheDigitalDivide   Geneva School of Economics and Management - UNIGE Center for Innovation & Partnerships Geneva Innovation Movement Association Tina Ambos Emma Luu Van Lang Iris Dieleman Vanina Vegezzi Markus Meierer Efe Elmas Nina Zachlod Alona Shmygel, CFA Thomas Nobre Katherine Tatarinov Sheerin Azhari Sara Šaljić Iraj Nayebkhil Karim Achy Meichen LIU Vanessa Engenie FERNÁNDEZ Nicolás Ramírez del Villar V. Christine Kim Francesco Steinhauslin Jeremy Wattier Tanya Accone christopher fabian Marija Novkovic Gosic Charlotte Arribe Aditi Poddar Nobuntu N. Ayat Alkurdi Rafael Duarte Jaime Archundia

Last week, we had the pleasure of welcoming Matthias Tröbinger (Esade) for the final session of the 2025-2026 GRL’s 𝐀𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬 series. In his presentation, Matthias shared insights from his ongoing research and sparked a stimulating discussion on how to navigate decentralized environments. Launched this year, the series brings together scholars to explore key questions at the intersection of social innovation, cross-sector collaboration, and digital impact. Through presentations of ongoing research and interactive discussions, it aims to create a space for critical reflection, knowledge exchange, and the development of new academic connections. Over the course of the year, we had the privilege of welcoming researchers from leading institutions in Switzerland and abroad, who shared their work and engaged in rich discussions with our community: 📍 Session 1 | 15 September 2025 Remote Learning, Comparative Governance, and the Grand Challenge of Providing Access to Higher Education Thomaz Teodorovicz (University of Copenhagen)   📍 Session 2 | 31 October 2025 Cross-Sector Ecosystems Lisa Canova (University of Geneva), Emmanuelle Reuter, Ph.D. (University of Neuchâtel), Joachim Stonig (University of St. Gallen)   📍 Session 3 | 27 November 2025 The Sky is Not the Limit: Satellite Data for Grand Challenge Research Nina Zachlod (University of Geneva)   📍 Session 4 | 11 March 2026 Spinning Out of a Bureaucracy: Problem-Oriented Organizing for Grand Challenges Lisa Canova (University of Geneva)   📍 Session 5 | 6 May 2026 Can Predictive AI Support Human Learning? Experimental Evidence from Cancer Diagnosis Vivianna Fang He (University College London)   📍 Session 6 | 3 June 2026 Behaviors in Decentralized Problem-Solving Processes Matthias Tröbinger (ESADE Barcelona) A sincere thank you to all our speakers and participants who contributed to these conversations throughout the year. Your engagement has helped us build a growing community of researchers interested in shedding light on societal challenges. We are already looking forward to welcoming new voices and perspectives in the next academic year! #GRL #AcademicDialogues #DigitalImpact #ResearchForImpact Geneva School of Economics and Management - UNIGE Center for Innovation & Partnerships University of Geneva Tina Ambos Emma Luu Van Lang Katherine Tatarinov Markus Meierer Phanish Puranam Marya Hill-Popper Besharov Katja Hemmerich Ruth McLachlin Susanne Emonet Ivanka Visnjic Pavlos Sermpezis Xavier Cornut Pradeep Kakkattil

𝑮𝑹𝑳 𝑴𝒊𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 - 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒐𝒐𝒏! 📚🚀 In 2026, 2.2 billion people remain offline. Across the world, millions of children still learn without meaningful internet connectivity, leaving them disconnected from information, opportunity, participation, and essential services. What happens when schools, communities, and entire regions remain unseen by digital systems? And what does it truly take to make universal connectivity possible? The Geneva Research Lab for Digital Impact (GRL) is preparing to launch a new Microlearning Series exploring the systems, partnerships, technologies, and decisions shaping digital inclusion worldwide. From mapping schools and measuring connectivity quality to financing infrastructure and understanding how the internet actually works and benefits children, schools and communities, the series reveals the complex yet fascinating architecture behind connectivity. Stay tuned! #GRL #Connectivity #DigitalImpact #SchoolConnectivity #Giga #ResearchForImpact #GRLMicrolearning #EvidenceToAction  #BridgingTheDigitalDivide   University of Geneva Geneva School of Economics and Management - UNIGE Center for Innovation & Partnerships Geneva Innovation Movement Association Tina Ambos Sara Šaljić Goran Đemidžić Alen Crnogorcevic Efe Elmas Markus Meierer Alona Shmygel, CFA Emma Luu Van Lang Iris Dieleman Tanya Accone Marija Novkovic Gosic Ayat Alkurdi Charlotte Arribe Katherine Tatarinov Adriana De Oro (she/her) Thomaz Teodorovicz Nina Zachlod Ane Casajús-Burutaran Lisa Canova Thomas Nobre Guillaume Follet Vanina Vegezzi Sheerin Azhari Iraj Nayebkhil Sonja Novikov - Bruderhofer

Can doing good be good business? This was the title and central question posed at a recent event hosted by the Geneva Research Lab for Digital Impact, Geneva Innovation Movement Association, UNICEF Digital Impact that brought together voices from business (AXA), international organizations (UNICEF), academia (University of Geneva) and the innovation ecosystem (Health Innovation Exchange - HIEx). The discussion began with a deceptively simple question: What does it mean to do good? One definition that resonated was: Meeting the needs of today's generation while preserving options for tomorrow's generation. Through this lens, social impact is not just about charity or philanthropy. It is about creating long-term value. Yet we often treat social impact and business value as competing objectives. Corporate social responsibility is designed as an add-on rather than something embedded in how value is created. The challenge is to build business models where social impact and economic value reinforce one another. Take school connectivity. Through Giga's work, we know that only around half of the world's schools are online. The technology exists, but in many rural areas the economics don’t add up. For local internet service providers, deploying broadband infrastructure to serve schools alone is often not commercially viable. This shows that the challenge is not technological. It is economic. What if connectivity infrastructure served not only schools, but also nearby health facilities, agricultural actors, small businesses and local communities? Instead of operating in silos, these sectors could share infrastructure, spread costs and create value for one another. A connected school then becomes an anchor institution for an entire community. The same principle applies to global health and development more broadly. Many solutions already exist, but we haven't solved the access problem because we have relied too heavily on donor funding cycles which are heavily influenced by shifting geopolitical priorities. As the global health and development sector grapples with a funding crisis and rethinks the design of the global health architecture, one of the key questions that we should be asking is not where future funding will come from. Rather, it is how do we design interventions that create enough social and economic value to sustain themselves beyond donor funding cycles. Because investments in connectivity, education, health and inclusion are not costs. They are investments in future economic capacity, resilience and opportunity.