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Rice at Davos

World Economic Forum Annual Meeting

Jan. 19 –23, 2026

Bloomberg House | Davos, Switzerland

A Rice delegation anchors Bloomberg House programming in Davos, highlighting cities, innovation and the future of human capital at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Switzerland.

Past Rice at Davos

A Spirit of Dialogue

Rice University is joining global leaders at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos to help shape conversations around the world’s most pressing challenges, from innovation and urbanization to health, energy and the future of higher education.

Featured Agenda

The sessions below highlight where Rice will be active throughout the week at WEF. Leaders from Rice will host and moderate discussions on Tuesday and Wednesday, convening voices from academia, industry, and the public sector. On Thursday, Rice President Reginald DesRoches will be a featured panelist at Bloomberg House, sharing Rice's unique perspective on innovation and applied research.

Monday, Jan. 19

Time Session

1–3 p.m.

MIT AI Hackathon: EVP David Sholl will be participating in a crucial AI conversation with other higher education and industry leaders

1:30–3:30 p.m.

Harris Eyre (TPC House): Brain Capital, Natural Capital and Collective Stewardship

6–7:30 p.m.

Harris Eyre (Geneva AI Hub): "Leading the Brain Economy in the Intelligent Age"

Tuesday, Jan. 20

Time Session

10:15–10:45 a.m.

V-Labs session on Innovation, led by Provost Dittmar, featuring Adrian Trömel: "Built for Speed: Rethinking the Global Research University" (Rice Panel)

7–8:30 p.m.

Continued Brain conversations: WEF roundtable discussion, featuring Harris Eyre on mental health

Wednesday, Jan. 21

Time Session

9:30–10:10 a.m.

"From AI to ROI: The Brain Economy" (Rice Panel) moderated by Provost Dittmar, featuring Harris Eyre and unveiling the McKinsey Brain report

12:30–2 p.m.

Brain Economy Working Lunch hosted at V-Lab

6:30–8:30 p.m.

Rice Bloomberg Reception

Thursday, Jan. 22

Time Session

9–10:20 a.m.

Bloomberg Breakfast + Panel: "Future Cities: Where Universities Lead, Growth Follows", (Rice Sponsored) featuring President DesRoches

(All time slots provided are in Central European Time)

These engagements reflect Rice’s goal at Davos: to ensure leading research universities are present where global priorities are shaped and to show how research, partnerships, and education can turn ideas into real-world impact.

“Rice’s engagement in Davos underscores a broader strategy to position the university as the model global research institution — one that not only generates knowledge but also delivers measurable public impact, from advancing climate-resilient cities and sustainable infrastructure to leading the science of brain health and translational medical innovation, Rice combines bold research with deep local partnerships to address global challenges at a human scale.”

RICE DELEGATION

Reginald DesRoches

Reginald DesRoches

President
Amy Dittmar

Amy Dittmar

Howard R. Hughes Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
David Sholl

David Sholl

Executive Vice President for Research
Caroline Levander

Caroline Levander

Vice President for Global Strategy
Melinda Spaulding Chevalier

Melinda Spaulding Chevalier

Vice President for Public Affairs
Stephen Bayer

Stephen Bayer

Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations
Adrian Trömel

Adrian Trömel

Interim Vice President for Innovation and Chief Innovation Officer
Harris Eyre

Harris Eyre

Harry Z. Yan and Weiman Gao Senior Fellow for Brain Health and Society and Senior Adviser for Neuroscience, Office of Innovation
“At Rice, we are focused on accelerating the journey from lab to life, whether we are advancing health innovations abroad or building partnerships here in Houston, our goal is to deliver knowledge that strengthens cities, expands opportunity and invests in human wellbeing. Davos offers an important platform to collaborate with global partners who share that vision.”