Wednesday 11 March 2026
Opening Ceremony
Ms. Ylfete FANAJ, Member of the Government Council of the Canton of Lucerne, Head of the Department of Justice and Security
Prof. (Em.) Dr. Wolff HEINTSCHEL VON HEINEGG, President of the Society & EuropaUniversität Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder)
Brigadier General Hugo ROUX, Commander of the Military Academy (MILAC) at ETH Zurich, Member of the Board of Directors of the Society & Member of the Advisory Board of the Swiss Group of the Society
Keynote Speech
Dr. Markus MÄDER, State Secretary, State Secretariat for Security Policy SEPOS, Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport
Panel 1
Global Security in a Changing World Order
Chair:
Dr. Tobias VESTNER, Director of the Research and Policy Advice Department, Geneva Centre for Security Policy
Panellists:
Dr. Gorana GRGIC, Head of the Global Security Team, Centre for Security Studies, ETH Zürich
Publicated of ETH Zürich – Strategic Trends 2026
Dr. Markus MÄDER, State Secretary, State Secretariat for Security Policy SEPOS, Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport
Panel 2
Is a Lower Threshold for the Application of International Humanitarian Law Emerging?
Chair:
Ambassador Sandra LENDENMANN WINTERBERG, Vice-Director, Directorate of International Law, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
Panellists:
Lieutenant Colonel Nick WOBMA, Deputy Head, Law Branch, NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence
Dr. Heather HARRISON DINNISS, Senior Lecturer, Centre for International and Operational Law, Swedish Defence University
Thursday 12 March 2026
Panel 4
Autonomous Weapon Systems & Artificial Intelligence
Chair:
Reto WOLLENMANN, Deputy Head Section Arms Control, Disarmament and Cybersecurity, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
Panellists:
Joe BOUCHER, Research Assistant, Swiss Centre for Drones and Robotics, armasuisse Science and Technology, Swiss Federal Office for Defence Procurement
Dr. Jessica DORSEY, Assistant Professor of International and European Law, Utrecht University
Colonel Inna ZAVOROTKO, Head of International Humanitarian Law, Ministry of Defence, Ukraine
Panel 5
Maritime Warfare in the Digital Age
Chair:
Prof. (Em.) Dr. Wolff HEINTSCHEL VON HEINEGG, President of the Society & EuropaUniversität Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder)
Panellists:
Prof. Dr. Anna PETRIG, Chair of International and Public Law, University of Basel
Abby ZEITH, Legal Advisor, International Committee of the Red Cross
Panel 6
Cloud, Data and Quantum Computing in Armed Conflict
Chair:
Ann VÄLJATAGA, International Law Researcher, NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence
Panellists:
Major David QUAYAT, Directorate of Cyber Operations Law, Office of the Judge Advocate General, Canada
Dr. Heike RIEL, IBM Fellow, Head Science and Technology, Lead IBM Research Quantum EMEA
Panel 7
Roundtable: The Future of International Humanitarian Law in the Age of DisruptiveTechnologies
Chair:
Dr. Jessica DORSEY, Assistant Professor of International and European Law, Utrecht University
Panellists:
Heidi KANDIEL, Legal Advisor, Arms and Conduct of Hostilities Unit, Legal Division, International Committee of the Red Cross
Dr. Heather HARRISON DINNISS, Senior Lecturer, Centre for International and Operational Law, Swedish Defence University
Robert KOLB, Professor of Public International Law, Law Faculty, University of Geneva
Dr. Tobias VESTNER, Director of the Research and Policy Advice Department, Geneva Centre for Security Policy
Colonel Inna ZAVOROTKO, Head of International Humanitarian Law, Ministry of Defence, Ukraine
Conclusions
Colonel Christophe LEUENBERGER VERZASCONI, Co-President of the Swiss Group of the Society & Commander of the IHL Detachment, Swiss Armed Forces
