Over 2,500 participants from 100 countries, including 40 heads of state, are expected to attend this year's World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. (Photo : www.flyfreedomair.com)
The 46th World Economic Forum (WEF) is set to convene from Jan. 20 to 23 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, to tackle the theme of this year's annual meeting, "Mastering the Fourth Industrial Revolution," the Xinhua News Agency reported.
The theme refers to the current social and economic changes brought about by advances in artificial intelligence, robotics, autonomous vehicles, 3-D printing, nanotechnology, and other areas of science. These innovations, which are at the crossroads of these disciplines, are expected to change life in new and unforeseen ways and will affect every industry and society, the report said.
"The purpose of our meeting this year is to build a shared understanding of this change, which is essential if we are to shape our collective future in a way that reflects ultimately that the human being should be at the center," WEF founder and executive chairman Klaus Schwab said on Wednesday, Jan. 13.
The WEF said that the central aim of this year's meeting is to learn how humankind can benefit from this so-called revolution, while addressing its challenges.
More than 40 heads of state and government and senior officials are expected to attend the annual meeting. Some 1,500 business leaders will also be present to shed more light on the 2016 global economic prospect.
Over 2,500 participants from more than 100 countries and regions are expected to discuss ways to attain inclusive, sustainable growth in an environment beset by low inflation, restrained oil and commodity prices, and widespread currency weakness.
The annual meeting is also expected to examine how the ongoing refugee crisis and recent terrorist acts will affect geo-strategic competition, renewed regionalism, and new antagonists which erode global solidarity.
Last year's meeting in Davos discussed issues on how to sustain inclusive and durable growth in the face of dramatic oil price shocks, deflation and renewed prospects of currency crises, as well as global challenges from climate change, transnational crime and the rising geopolitical tensions.
The participants of the 2015 forum also tackled the rise of nationalism, populism and extremism that divides societies around the world and the ways to speed up technical and scientific progress for growth and human development.
