SIT INSIGHTS IN TECHNOLOGY TALKS with Markus Gross: The digitalisation of entertainment
Markus Gross is a Professor of Computer Science at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH), head of the Computer Graphics Laboratory, Vice President Research, Walt Disney Studios and the director of DisneyResearch|Studios. He joined the ETH Computer Science faculty in 1994. His research interests include physically based modeling, computer animation, immersive displays, and video technology. Before joining Disney, Gross was director of the Institute of Computational Sciences at ETH. He received a master of science in electrical and computer engineering and a PhD in computer graphics and image analysis, both from Saarland University in Germany in 1986 and 1989.
Gross serves on the boards of numerous international research institutes, societies, and governmental organizations. He received the Technical Achievement Award from EUROGRAPHICS in 2010 and the Swiss ICT Champions Award in 2011. He is a fellow of the ACM and of the EUROGRAPHICS Association and a member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina as well as the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities.
In 2013 he received the Konrad Zuse Medal of GI, the Karl Heinz Beckurts price. In 2013 and 2019 he received a Technical Achievement Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He cofounded Cyfex AG, Novodex AG, LiberoVision AG, Dybuster AG, Gimalon AG, Kapanu AG, Perceptiko AG, Propulsion Academy AG, Arbrea Labs AG, Nanocorp AG and Animatico AG.
Dr Serguei Beloussov
Chief Executive Officer of "Acronis", Founder of "SIT"
Entrepreneur and business executive with an outstanding 24-year track record of building, growing, and leading high-performing, multi-national high-tech companies in North America, Europe, and Asia.
Recognized as an innovator and thought the leader in the fields of virtualisation, data center automation, and cloud computing, SB is a frequent speaker at industry events around the world. SB has led more than 200 patents and has an h-index of 37.
SB is currently focused full-time on Acronis, the company he founded and returned to as a CEO. Acronis is a global leader in cyber protection, has enjoyed rapid growth and is very profitable, generating hundreds of millions of US$ in revenue.
SB is also dedicated to supporting innovation, and the development of science and education. He co-founded Qwave Capital venture fund, which was created for support of advanced quantum technologies.
SB is a Member of the Advisory Council of Innopolis. Innopolis University has already become an educational leader, featuring best practices from more than 100 teams of world-renowned professors and researchers.
Dasho Tshering Tobgay
Bhutanese politician, environmentalist, cultural advocate, former Prime Minister of Bhutan
Tshering Tobgay served as Bhutan's first leader of the opposition party from 2008 to 2013, and as prime minister from 2013 to 2018.
Tshering was a civil servant before he joined active politics. He was the first official to resign from his work to take part in his country's transition to a parliamentary democracy. He was responsible for establishing the People's Democratic Party as the first registered political party in Bhutan and continues to serve as its president.
As an advocate of Gross National Happiness, he has spoken about conservation, climate change, poverty, democracy and happiness in various international conferences. He is currently writing a book about his country's successful transition to democracy.
Tshering has an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and a master's in public administration from Harvard University. He is married to Tashi Doma and has two children. He enjoys social work, reading, trekking, bicycling, jogging, archery, yoga, music and drama.
Three reasons to attend
1. Leading speakers from Technology, Business and Science
SIT hosts the world's leading scientific researchers, technology innovators, and thought leaders for a one-day activity exploring the noteworthy advances that are transforming the modern world.
2. Cutting-edge topics
Whether examining the creation of new matter at ultra-low temperatures, the future of computing, the evolution of banking technology, or how weights and measures are being redefined – and the impact that will have on us all – SIT examines cutting-edge, timely scientific topics that have real-world implications.
3. Accessible content
All presentations and discussions are designed to be broadly appealing and accessible to all – from business leaders and academics to high school students and the general public – ensuring that everyone understands the advances that affect our lives.