Science Gallery Melbourne goes to the World Economic Forum, Dalian 2026

This month, the Science Gallery Melbourne team travelled to China to take part in the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the New Champions. Joining over 1,700 participants from more than 90 countries for three days of conversations around innovation and technology. 

A panel with four people seated on a stage in front an audience

The theme this year was Innovating at Scale.  

As part of the forum, we presented an interactive exhibition featuring artworks by Emanuel Gollob, Nina Rajcic, Marco Barotti and Max Haarich developed in collaboration with Science Gallery Bengaluru and Science Gallery Monterrey. As well as participating in a lively panel discussion titled Curiosity as Catalyst, moderated by Vanessa Chan, Inaugural Vice-Dean of Innovation & Entrepreneurship at the University of Pennsylvania, with Science Gallery Director Ryan Jefferies, alongside fellow panellists Miguel Alejandro González Virgen, Director of Science Gallery Monterrey, and Jahnavi Phalkey, Director of Science Gallery Bengaluru.

The exhibition and panel examined AI and digital systems, asking how these technologies are reshaping the way we think, behave and relate to the environment around us. What resulted was a cross-cultural conversation about who gets to shape emerging technology and what responsible and ethical innovation looks like in practice. 

Director Ryan Jefferies reflected on what made the collaboration meaningful:

“This collaboration has showcased Science Gallery on the world-stage and created a dynamic platform for researchers and artists from different countries to explore how emerging technologies are reshaping society. Innovation can succeed through creativity, curiosity and connections between countries.”

Accompanying Ryan to Dalian was our Curator, Bern Hall, who described the visit as

“Truly inspiring to see Science Gallery’s work resonating with the global audience of the World Economic Forum. It has been especially meaningful to reconnect with artworks from our MENTAL exhibition, delighting and surprising audiences once again to see the innovation that arises from interdisciplinary practice.”

In our continue work across borders, Science Gallery Melbourne and Shanghai University will co-host the next Future Careers Forum in November. More to come on that soon. 

Gallery from our time at the World Economic Forum: 

Watch the panel

Image Credits:

  1. Curiosity as Catalyst panel discussion (left to right) Moderator Vanessa Chan, University of Pennsylvania, Ryan Jefferies, Director of Science Gallery Melbourne, Miguel Alejandro González Virgen, Director of Science Gallery Monterrey, Jahnavi Phalkey, Director of Science Gallery Bengaluru. 

  2. Left to right: Miguel Alejandro González Virgen, Director of Science Gallery Monterrey, Greta Fernanda Ramírez Guerrero, Mediator from Science Gallery Monterrey, Bern Hall, Curator from Science Gallery Melbourne, Jahnavi Phalkey, Director of Science Gallery Bengaluru and Ryan Jefferies, Director of Science Gallery Melbourne.  

  3. Exhibition display of Doing Nothing with AI by Emanuel Gollob. 

  4. Ryan Jefferies with exhibition display of Doing Nothing with AI by Emanuel Gollob. 

  5. Greta Fernanda Ramírez Guerrero and Bern Hall at the World Economic Forum entrance. 

Partnerships, AnnouncementsJaneca CabanayanSGI World Economic Forum