Joint
Research for
Better Futures

At the Grand Challenges Conference you will experience the energy of new encounters, the inspiration of fresh ideas, and the sense of possibility that comes from working together across boundaries.

Initiated by the Berlin University Alliance, the Grand Challenges Conference is a new format designed to share research, spark fresh thinking, and build a vibrant international community committed to engaging with the urgent challenges of our time.

Over three days, around 300 participants from across disciplines, institutions, and sectors will come together to present innovative approaches, exchange ideas, and explore new forms of cooperation. Perspectives from across society will enrich the conversation and open up fresh ways of thinking about complex problems.

At its core, the conference asks how science can help confront the most pressing issues of our time. It brings together researchers from diverse fields to forge connections, imagine new pathways, and pursue collaborative and responsible solutions. In addition to exploring strategies for responding to global challenges, the program focuses in particular on five pressing challenges: Global Health, Social Cohesion, Climate and Water under Change, Quantum Technologies, and Responsible Innovation.

The conviction behind the Grand Challenges Conference is clear: today’s urgent problems are wicked, deeply interconnected and cannot be solved in isolation.

By combining the expertise of researchers with the perspectives of diverse partners, the conference lays the groundwork for shared understanding, responsible research, and joint action. Join us in this exchange to cross boundaries, to inspire and be inspired, and to shape bold new directions for research and action that truly make a difference.