In geometry, sphere packing refers to the arrangement of non-overlapping spheres within a containing space. An everyday example would be how oranges may be stacked as closely and thus efficiently as possible. What appears to be a rather ordinary task, has stumped mathematicians for centuries. It was only in 1998…

The Natural Entrepreneurs project guides students aged 14-18 to address sustainability challenges by drawing inspiration from nature. Using STEAM-based designs, teams collaborate on SDG-based challenges for viable solutions. An online platform serves as the project core, fostering European teamwork. Guided by provided materials, teachers and students navigate challenges to solutions.…

The negative effects of our digital habits, our propensity to skim-read texts and our lack of mental focus have been widely reported. However, the real impact on our reading abilities, which extends to the impairment of crucial structures in the functioning of our brain, has consequences far greater than we…

Nominated by: University of California, Berkeley Presented by: Dr. Alan Cowen

Guided by a theologician, a team of Industrial Design students set out to redesign core rituals of the Catholic religion. They created seven objects – a weight-shifting seesaw that counterbalances people’s weight, a color-changing flame as a feedback system for prayers, a remotely lid light that gives people a sense…

My project aims to reduce trash pollution in an at-risk community with schools as the vessels of social innovation, by permanently integrating zero-waste education and expanding community engagement.   Tags: Climate change, Education, Environment & Nature, Ocean pollution, Social Cohesion.

After successful restoration of visual function in animal models of retinal degeneration (with Botond Roska (IOB, Basel), Dr. Sahel conceived the first-in-man clinical trial combining a biotherapy (photoactivatable optogene channelrhodopsin expressed in retinal ganglion cells) coupled with a stimulation device, and observed the first clinical evidence for vision restoration using…

How Gender Balance Can Transform the Global Economy “Forget China, India and the internet: economic growth is driven by women”, the Economist wrote in 2006 in an article titled A guide to womenomics. Over the past 10 years, the importance of gender equality to promote development, innovation and economic growth…

The nominating institution Chinese University of Hong Kong on the breakthrough: International student exchange is key to nurture future global citizens. Recent travel restrictions due to COVID-19 have stopped such activities worldwide. Taking advantage of recent, accelerated use of digital technology in higher education, the APRU Virtual Student Exchange (VSE) program…

The nominating institution University of Ulm on the breakthrough: NMR is of major importance in biology, chemistry, medicine, and physics, as it gives access to molecular structure and revolutionised medical imaging. But the poor sensitivity of current NMR technology prevents its application to single proteins or the imaging of cellular…