The NEO Network («NEO» for short) is a student think tank and network dedicated to explore and to address tomorrow‘s challenges with the leading industry experts, scientists and entrepreneurs at the largest Swiss universities.
To power these endeavors, we are a deliberately rich and diverse students community of both men and women from every scientific discipline – all connected by a shared optimism towards science and technology and a common dedication to advance the status quo in order to shape our communities for the better.
NEO (from «néos», ancient greek) is based on three pillars: NEO Keynotes, NEO Network and NEO Labs. We connect and interact through our network, explore and understand in our keynotes and create and impact at our labs.
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«At NEO, we are curious, committed and connected.»
Why
Reason and Purpose
As much as this new era of radical technological advances (see focus topics below) hold the promise to improve the state of the world and create wealth and prosperity, they will confront us with new thorny risks, problems and challenges. You are the young generation, today‘s high potentials, future leaders and policy makers. As you will steer us through this era, we aim to provide you with a platform that enables both a continuous and constructive exchange about our future.
We encourage you to be part of this movement, to think forward, to embrace thought leadership and to contribute with the best of your talents in order to advance the status quo and shape our communities for the better.
How
Activities and Endeavors
To deliver on the promise of NEO‘s foundational purpose, our activities are based on three interrelated pillars: The NEO Network, NEO Keynotes and NEO Labs. The NEO Network is at the core of our activities and provides the people, the diversity and collective intelligence needed to meaningfully explore and address tomorrow‘s challenges.
Nurturing a common and shared understanding is the first vital aspect to advance present conditions. The NEO Keynotes are devoted to serve this purpose and explore the future challenges brought about by cutting-edge technologies with the leading industry experts, scientists and entrepreneurs at the largest Swiss universities. They raise awareness for thorny risks and challenges, enhance our understanding of causes and effects and sharpen our future-oriented and pluralistic thinking.
Knowing the challenges is one thing; acting upon them is another. Building upon a shared understanding, the second step to drive change, are genuine efforts towards creative innovation. This is why we provide members of the community the opportunity to tackle the challenges they are eager to solve at the NEO Labs. Being united through the network, members form circles of peers and elect themselves into the think tank, to embrace design thinking, break with existing norms and policies and experiment with new ideas and approaches – to turn thorny challenges into viable opportunities.
«You are the ones we’ve been waiting for.»
Who
Members and Values
Our minimal requirement for membership is your immatriculatation as a Bachlor, Master or Doctoral student at a Swiss university. We welcome domestic as well as exchange students from all scientific disciplines – from law and economics to engineering and physics to medicine and biology.
Our community is based on values of mutual trust, respect and commitment. We endorse accessibility and inclusion and welcome students irrespective of race, gender, nationality, disability, religion, sexual orientation or origin and require all members to adhere to these values.
What
Focus and Topics
A new industrial revolution awaits us with an overwhelming breadth of technological breakthroughs and will connect technologies among the physical, digital and biological spheres; ranging from artificial intelligence and robotics, to synthetic biology and precision medicine, to advanced materials and 3D printing – to name just few. Our scope of topics considered is intentionally held broad to attract students from a multitude of scientific disciplines.