WFSF President: “Foresight Must Be Grounded in Exploratory Thinking, Not Hype” – Global Webcasts Present New Study on the Future of Foresight
Berlin, Germany 13 February 2025 – Foresight Folk, in collaboration with Themis Foresight and the World Futures Studies Federation (WFSF), presented its latest study, Growing Foresight, in two webcasts attended by an international audience from all continents. The study provides a comprehensive look at the professional landscape of futurists, analyzing their backgrounds, expertise development, and the evolving needs of the field.
“Foresight must be grounded in exploratory future thinking, not hype. We need structures, infrastructure, and tools to institutionalize and professionalize the discipline,” said Erik Øverland, President of the WFSF. Katharina Michalski, founder of Foresight Folk and lead researcher of the study emphasized: “Foresight competencies are becoming more prevalent, and as a field, we have built a strong foundation in foresight tools and methods. At the same time, our study highlights opportunities for further growth, particularly in strengthening strategic capabilities and interdisciplinary synthesis. By advancing these areas, we can further elevate foresight’s impact in helping organizations navigate uncertainty and complexity.”
Jan Berger, CEO of Themis Foresight and WFSF member, emphasized the need for rigor in the field: “While foresight is growing in influence, we must ensure it remains methodologically sound. Stronger epistemological grounding is crucial to differentiate evidence-based foresight from speculative hype.” The discussion underscored the need for integrating foresight into decision-making, fostering cross-cultural understanding, and advancing global foresight methodologies.
The study Growing Foresight is available for download here, providing key insights for foresight practitioners, policymakers, and organizations looking to build strategic resilience in an increasingly complex world.
New ‘Future in Focus’ review spotlights UN DESA’s foresight efforts
New York, USA–3 February 2025 — Our complicated modern era requires leaders to use foresight to make strategic choices to shape a resilient, inclusive and sustainable world. A new report from UN DESA shows how its work provides policymakers with strategic foresight analysis and other tools to help them understand emerging trends, as well as leverage new opportunities for sustainable development. [Click Here to More].
Introducing World Futures Studies Federation (WFSF) at the BRICSX Marketplace
Washington D.C., USA – October 31, 2024 — Director of the World Futures Studies Federation (WFSF) presented the groundbreaking work of WFSF in promoting Futures Studies globally during the BRICSX Marketplace Conference. This special event offers insights into how the Federation is shaping the futures studies by fostering critical thinking and foresight methodologies across nations. This session was streamed on Futee.TV, a leading digital television platform. Audiences can tune in via the Futee.TV website media player, or watch on television through Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV. The session is also available on the go with the Futee.TV app, downloadable from the Apple App Store or Google Play for Android devices. Share this event with your network and tag us with #futeetv, #romgayoso, or #debdietz to join the conversation!
The 3rd Future and Development Conference Explores Emerging Industrial Trends in Beijing
Beijing, China – September 26, 2024: The 3rd Future and Development Conference, organized by the China Society for Futures Studies was convened at the China Science and Technology Hall in Beijing. With the theme “Looking forward to the future industrial development trend and helping enterprises grasp the new opportunities of the times,” the event provided a platform to discuss forward-thinking strategies for businesses navigating the rapidly evolving global landscape. The opening ceremony featured remarks by prominent speakers, including Erik F. Øverland, President of the World Futures Studies Federation (WFSF), whose speech can be viewed here. The conference attracted over 400 in-person attendees from various industries across China, and the live broadcast engaged an audience of 90,000 online viewers. For more details and a full report in Chinese, visit this link. AI translation tools in your browser can assist with reading in your preferred language [Click Here to More].
Open letter to the President of the UN General Assembly
Washington, D.C., USA – September 9, 2024 –– The Millennium Project, in collaboration with the World Academy of Art and Science and the World Futures Studies Federation, sent today an open letter to the incoming President of UN General Assembly, His Excellency Mr. Philémon Yang, about the development, security, and governance of future forms of AI called Artificial General Intelligence or AGI. [Click Here To Read More].
Handbook of Futures Studies
Trento, Italy – This insightful Handbook emphasizes the unique contribution that Futures Studies offers when understanding and managing current situations. Contributing authors argue that by learning to examine the future in the present, individuals and organizations can expand their abilities to analyze, assess and ultimately make better decisions. [Click Here To Read More].
United Nations Civil Society Conference (2024UNCSC) in Nairobi, Kenya
Nairobi, Kenya – The Department of Global Communications had never organized a conference of this size, which had attracted such a high level of interest, in such a short period of time. Over 3,600 civil society representatives from 2,750 entities had registered, along with around 400 representatives of 64 governments, seven International Governmental Organizations (IGOs), 37 United Nations entities and over 100 media reporters. 70 percent of those registered were from Africa and 40 percent of all registrations were youth, in the age group 18 to 34. The World Futures Studies Federation (WFSF) was represented by a delegate including Dr. Leopold Mureithi, Dr. Alexander Shenderov, and Dr. Steven Lichty. [Click Here To Read More].
Middle East and North Africa Chapter Report
Al Khobar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University is keen on implementing futures education and embracing this emerging field of futures studies among its academic courses and degrees. From the inception of Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd Center for Futuristic Studies (PMFCFS), it launched an introductory course in Futures Studies, designed with the World Futures Studies Federation (WFSF). [Click Here To Read More].
Federal Foresight Advocacy Alliance and Creation of New U.S. Office of Strategic Foresight
Washington, D.C., USA – March 1, 2024 – Today, World Futures Day, the Baldrige Foundation proudly celebrates the launch of the Federal Foresight Advocacy Alliance (FFAA), a new collective endeavor of leading foresight and strategy experts dedicated to the creation of a U.S. Office of Strategic Foresight to navigate the 21st century’s myriad threats, complexities, and opportunities [Click Here To Read More].
Report of the Chinese Delegation on the 25th World Conference of the WFSF in Paris
Beijing, China – The China Society for Futures Studies, an institutional member of the WFSF, has released the official report of the Chinese delegation regarding their experience at the 25th World Conference of the WFSF held in Paris in 2023. To access the first section in English, first enable AI translation in your web browser, then click here. For the second section, click here.
Join the Global Conversation on Building a Better Tomorrow
March 1st The Millennium Project and five other international futurist organizations will host the 11th annual World Futures Day – a unique 24-hour online conversation around the world exploring possibilities for our shared future. [Click here to read more].
WFSF President Keynote Speech: Future Possibilities for Relations between Humankind and Nature Need to be Articulated in New and More Affirmative Ways
Turku, Finland – Finland Futures Research Centre (FFRC) 23rd Futures Conference focused on the wide variety of ways we see futures and how futures studies can empower people, societies, and organizations for creating more just and sustainable futures. ‘Empowering Futures – Long-term Governance, Democracy and Futures Research’ conference was organized during 14–15 June in Turku, Finland and on 16 June 2023 online [Click here to read more].
UN Summit of the Future publishes the WFSF written input
Washington, D.C., USA, 2 February 2024 – In preparation for the zero draft of the Pact for the Future, the co-facilitators of the UN Summit of the Future: Multilateral Solutions for a Better Tomorrow, Germany and Namibia invited written inputs from Major Groups and Other Stakeholders (MGoS), other civil society networks and organizations, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and academia. Stakeholders were encouraged to reflect on the scope of the Pact for the Future outlined in the UN General Assembly Decision 77/568 and to provide concise, concrete and action-oriented recommendations structured around the elements of the Pact for the Future. Among the contributors, the World Futures Studies Federation (WFSF) has submitted a noteworthy input, reflecting the commitment to advancing global futures studies and shaping a sustainable and equitable future. [Click here to read more].