Theme: Think Different – Think Perspective!

A change of perspective is often very beneficial to gain newfound and inspiring ideas and solutions for supposed obstacles and to look at matters in a fresh way. Especially in this day and age and with the numerous events that changed our world in 2020, it is becoming increasingly important to look at these unexpected events from different perspectives and angles and use them to our advantage so that we can find novel strategies and methods to improve our future or possibly even change the world. With a new way of looking at the world, it might even be possible to make our planet a better place for all of us and for future generations.

This change of perspective can take place here at the Medical University in research, health-care or teaching, but also with humanity in general on various societal or social issues.

The goal is to gain more understanding, to move society towards greater cohesion or to develop new ideas and find better and faster solutions. We believe this is a methodology that people have lost sight of and that can help us to move forward again.

MED Campus Graz - Aula
Neue Stiftingtalstraße 6
Graz, Steiermark, 8010
Austria

Caroline Schober

Vice Rector of Research and International Affairs at the Medical University of Graz

Caroline Schober is a biochemist and molecular biologist with many years of experience in international management. She has worked as a marketing and change management consultant on projects involving industrial minerals in the U.S. and in China. After nearly one decade in research management of several large national and international research projects, she managed the Institute of Molecular Bioscience at the University of Graz from 2011 to 2016. Since February 15, 2016, Caroline Schober has been Vice Rector of Research and International Affairs at the Medical University of Graz.

Christoph Holz

Expert for Digitalization / Speaker, Innovator & Business Angel

Christoph Holz explains the complex digital world in an incomparable and humorous way. His thought experiments show the larger context and the personal effects on each individual. The computer and rocket scientist knows what he is talking about. He is a startup founder, Silicon Valley entrepreneur, angel investor and a real cyborg. Like no other, he translates digital knowledge into logical future scenarios and surprising consequences. His activities as a speaker, podcaster and university lecturer have taken Holz from CeBit and TEDx to Google in California. Christoph Holz knows how to inspire with wit, impressive images and extraordinary examples. He combines technology, society and business into a meaningful whole. His future perspectives take away people's fear of change.

Johanna Pirker

assistant professor, software engineer, and researcher at the Institute of Interactive Systems and Data Science at Graz University of Technology (TUG)

She finished her Master’s Thesis during a research visit at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) working on collaborative virtual world environments. In 2017, she finished her doctoral dissertation in computer science on motivational environments under the supervision of Christian Gütl (TUG) and John Belcher (MIT). She specialized in games and environments that engage users to learn, train, and work together through motivating tasks. She has long-lasting experience in game design and development, as well as virtual world development and has worked in the video game industry at Electronic Arts. Her research interests include AI, data analysis, immersive environments (VR), games research, gamification strategies, HCI, e-learning, CSE, and IR. Johanna was listed on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list of science professionals, and was awarded the Women in Tech Award by Futurezone (2019), the Käthe Leicher Award (2020), and the Hedy-Lamarr Award (2021).

Julie Turney

HR professional

Julie Turney is a heart centric and people-focused HR Professional with over 16 years of experience in the field. She is the brainchild of HR@Heart Consulting Inc., a coaching firm she describes as the “HR Safe Space.” Julie created her firm as part of her healing process through her second bout of HR burnout to help HR professionals struggling to connect theory to practice and deal with the emotional weariness of working in the profession. Julie is also the Lead Organizer of DisruptHR Caribbean for Barbados, Jamaica & Trinidad, Host of the HR Sound Off Podcast Show and author of the book “Confessions of an HR Pro: Stories of Defeat and Triumph.” Julie is on a mission to raise awareness around mental health in HR and demystify the many misconceptions in the profession as she connects the HR community

Karine Sargsyan

Managing Director for International Biobanking and Education at the Medical University of Graz and Vice Scientific Leader and Lecturer of the course MSc Biobanking at the Medical University of Graz

Karine was born in Armenia and lives in Graz, Austria. Due to her professional experience, she is a highly appreciated member of many scientific organisations such as ISBER (International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories), the Austrian Society for Epidemiology and ESBB (European, Middle Eastern & African Society for Biopreservation and Biobanking). She provides scientific expertise and experience as a consultant to several institutional organisations (ACC - ILCEC: Oncology Research Vietnam, Qatar Biobank, etc.). In her free time she enjoys painting (three exhibitions), playing the piano and happily commits herself to various voluntary activities.

Lars Flottrong

Partner, digitalisation, innovation, business development, business process management, IT and finance (for Moscow)

Lars graduated from the Moscow State University of International Relations with a Master of Science in Economics in 1995. With 13 years working experience as CFO for international companies and 12 years as Partner in the consulting business, he is a well known business advisor in the Russian market. He is an expert in business strategy development, corporate and digital transformation, business consulting and innovation. Being a business angel and mentor of Startups, Lars is very much looking into new technologies and actively studies and implements best practices of Startup development practices. In addition, Lars is a ISO 31000 Approved Risk Management Trainer and actively shares his knowledge with the younger generation by giving lectures and workshops at universities. Lars looks back to more than 300 public presentations and workshops, writes business articles and publications.

Markus Peschl

Professor of Cognitive Science and Innovation at the University of Vienna

His focus of research is on the emergence of novelty (“Emergent Innovation”), 4E-approaches in cognitive science, future-driven organizational design, and on (organizational) enabling environments (“Enabling Spaces”) that are fostering knowledge and innovation work. He is co-founder of theLivingCore Innovation- and Knowledge Architects and has published more than 150 articles and six books.

Rebeka Wallaszkovits

Medical student at Johannes Kepler University Linz

Rebeka is a fourth-year medical student, studying both in Graz and Linz. After writing her bachelor thesis last semester, she found herself to be very fascinated about research and scientific work in general. In her spare time, she also tries to familiarise herself with the basics of shares and assets, as she believes financial knowledge is essential today. In addition, she enjoys engaging in long, extensive discussions, both with like-minded peers and with people who have completely different opinions.

Sangeeth Varghese

Founder and MD: LeadCap Ventures. President: IFSPD. WEF Young Global Leader. Author: 2 Global bestsellers

Sangeeth Varghese is an acknowledged leadership thinker, who has consulted for heads of nations, international institutions, and Fortune 500. Varghese is the author of the bestsellers 'Open Source Leader' and 'Decide to Lead' As a core team member, he enabled India's telecom and computer penetration grow from 1 to 50%. He studied at Harvard and the London School of Economics with scholarships. Varghese was nominated as the Young Global Leader 2010 by the World Economic Forum and as their first Asian Youth Ambassador by the government of Libya. Emerald Insights recently published a case study about Varghese and his life story.

Tamás Landesz

Organization / Young Global Leader@World Economic Forum / Innovator / Investor / Author / Futurist / Lecturer-Guest Professor

Dr. Landesz directs the operations of the World Health Organization’s global cancer prevention research agency (IARC/WHO), based in France. Held various leadership positions in the UN system, international organizations, NGOs, and academia. Worked in complex hotspots across four continents, including the Balkans, Caucasus, Central Asia, Middle East, Horn of Africa, and South America. Early in his career, he advised governments, public companies, and private investors during the early stages of the Eastern European privatization process, facilitating the move from planned to market economies. Holds a PhD from Paris. Studied at Harvard University, the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and in Vienna. Awarded as Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2010, where he remains actively engaged in multi-disciplinary projects aiming to improve the state of the world. His PhD focused on the ‘future of leadership’.

Tobias Madl

Professor for Integrative Structural Biology and Metabolomics at the Medical University of Graz

Tobias Madl is Professor for Integrative Structural Biology and Metabolomics at the Medical University of Graz and co-founder of Cleara Biotech, a start-up dedicated to targeting cellular senescence to extend human healthspan. He studied Chemistry, Physics, History and Computational Sciences and received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Graz in 2004. Before he joined the Medical University of Graz in 2015, he was a PostDoctoral researcher at Utrecht University, the Netherlands and group leader at the Technical University and Helmholtz Center Munich. His research interests encompass unraveling the key role of disordered proteins in human health, disease and ageing and the design of interventions to target these proteins.

Zisis Kozlakidis

Head of Laboratory Services and Biobanking at the International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization (IARC/WHO)

He is responsible for one of the largest and most varied international collections of clinical samples in the world. This WHO infrastructure supports multinational efforts in making treatments possible and delivering those to resource-restricted settings. He has significant expertise in the field of biobanking and has served as President of ISBER and is an active BBMRI-ERIC member. He is a virologist, with a PhD in microbiology from Imperial College London. He is an elected Fellow of the Linnean Society of London, UK, and a Turnberg Fellow of the UK Academy of Medical Sciences. He serves as editor-in-chief for the peer-reviewed international scientific journal ‘Innovations in Digital Health, Diagnostics and Biomarkers’. He is scientific advisor to the PTEN Research Foundation, holds an MBA from the Bayes Business School, City University of London. He holds visiting faculty positions in the UK and China.