WFSF has been holding World Conferences around the globe for 50 years in such diverse places as: France, Norway, Germany, former Yugoslavia, Poland, Egypt, Sweden, Costa Rica, USA, China, Hungary, Spain, Finland, Kenya, Australia, the Philippines, Romania, Japan, and Mexico.
26th WFSF World Conference
27th – 31st October 2025
Previous WFSF World Conferences
A complete listing of conferences, in reverse chronological order, is below. Clicking on the highlighted links will take you to the conference website or further conference articles and documentation.
2023
25th World Conference and General Assembly
Photo Album: https://goo.gl/photos/
2021
24th World Conference & General Assembly
The Openness of Futures, 26th – 29th of October 2021 in Berlin, Germany
2019
23rd WORLD CONFERENCE WFSF 2019 & General Assembly
USES OF THE FUTURES: Traditional * Cosmopolitan * Creative * Holistic
September 10-13, 2019
This is the first WFSF Congress to be held in Latin America and Mexico will have the privilege of receiving people from all over the world who belong to this diverse and plural Federation. This year’s event will have verification at the Maximum House of Studies of the country, the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
2017
WFSF XXII World Conference & General Assembly
HUMANKIND 2050: Peace * Development * Environment
June 7-10, 2017, Jondal, Norway in partnership with the Hardangar Academy for Peace, Development, Environment.
WFSF Humankind 2050 Photo Album: https://goo.gl/photos/
2013
WFSF XXI World Conference & General Assembly Global Research and Social Innovation: Transforming Futures
June 26-28, 2013, Bucharest, Romania in partnership with the Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding & WFSF 40th Anniversary
27th June, Bucharest, Romania.
2009
WFSF General Assembly
Bollwiller, France, June 5- 6, 2009
2008
WFSF XX World Conference & General Assembly
Transitions: Encouraging Emerging Worlds, Trollhättan, Sweden, June 30-July 3, 2008
2005
WFSF XIX World Conference & General Assembly, Futures Generation for Futures Generations
Budapest, Hungary, 2005.
2002
WFSF XVIII World Conference & General Assembly: Futures of Humanity around the Oceans
Kure City, Japan, November 13-16, 2002.
2001
WFSF XVII World Conference & General Assembly: Many cultures, One World: Globalisation and Local Development
Brasov, Romania, September 5-9, 2001.
1999
WFSF XVI World Conference & General Assembly: Futures of Diversity: Celebrating Life and Complexities in the Next 100 Years.
Bacolod, Philippines, December 5-8, 1999
Sweet Memories of the Future [in the Nineties] – Sohail Inayatullah
1997
WFSF XV World Conference & General Assembly: Global Conversations: What You and I Can Do for Future Generations
Brisbane, Australia, September – October 1997
1995
WFSF XIV World Conference & General Assembly: Futures Beyond Poverty
Nairobi, Kenya in July 1995.
(See paper by Heiner Benking on “The Optics of Ethics” presented at the above conference)
(See also paper by Heiner Benking on “Robust Paths to Global Stability” presented at the above conference)
1993
WFSF XIII World Conference & General Assembly: Coherence and Chaos in Our Uncommon Futures: Visions, Means, Actions.
Turku, Finland, August 1993.
Opening Keynote by outgoing President, Jim Dator.
Paper by incoming President Pentti Malaska.
The WFSF and I – Jim Dator [1966-1993]
1991
XII WFSF World Conference & General Assembly: Advanced Democracy and Participation: Challenges for the Future.
Barcelona, Catalonia, September 1991 [In cooperation with Centre Catalo de Prospectiva]
1990
XI WFSF World Conference & General Assembly: Linking Present Decisions to Long Range Visions.
Budapest, Hungary, May 1990 [In cooperation with the Futures Research Committee of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences].
Link to a paper given at this conference by Vadim Nikolajew and published in Futures.
The futures of futures conferences: An interesting dialogue took place at this time in the journal Futures.
The first letter was from founding member Igor Bestuzhev-Lada from Russia.
Two letters of response were written by then WFSF President, Eleonora Masini from Italy and Alan Tough from Canada.
1988
X WFSF World Conference & General Assembly: The Future of Development: Cultural, Economic, Scientific, and Political Perspectives.
Beijing China, September 1988 [In cooperation with the Chinese Society of Futures Studies and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences]
Letter to Futures Editor “The Future of Futures Conferences“, Igor Bestuzhev-Lada, Moscow
1986
IX WFSF World Conference & General Assembly: Who Cares? – And How?
Honolulu, Hawaii, May 1986 [In cooperation with the University of Hawaii]
1984
VIII WFSF World Conference & General Assembly: The Futures of Peace: Cultural Perspectives.
San Jose, Costa Rica, December 1984 [In cooperation with the University of Costa Rica]
The first fifteen years: a personal view of the early history of the WFSF (1967–1982) Bart van Steenbergen
1982
VII WFSF World Conference & General Assembly: The Future of Politics.
Stockholm, Sweden, June 1982 [In cooperation with the Secretariat for Futures Studies, Government of Sweden]
1978
VI WFSF World Conference & General Assembly: The Future of Communications and Cultural Identity in an Interdependent World
Cairo, Egypt, September 1978 [In cooperation with the National Specialised Councils of Egypt].
Article by Eleonora Masini.
1977
WFSF General Assembly,
Jablonna, Warsaw, Poland, April 1977.
1976
V WFSF World Conference & General Assembly: World Alternative Systems vs. Needs,
Dubrovnic, March/April, 1976.
1975
WFSF General Assembly,
Berlin, West Germany, May 1975.
1974
1st WFSF General Assembly,
Paris, France, March, 1974.
Report available in Futures, Vol 6, Issue 3, pp. 281–283 (link not working).
1973
[Fourth] WFSF Special World Conference, Human Needs, New Societies, Supportive Technologies,
Rome, September 1973.
Formal Foundation of WFSF in Paris, May 1973 (See attachment below called “WFSF Origins 1974 Futures piece”)
Reflections on World Futures Studies Federation – Eleonora Barbieri Masini
1972
[Third] World Futures Research Conference, The Common Future of Human Beings,
Bucharest, Romania, September 9,1972, hosted by Professor Pavel Apostol and the Romanian Organizing Committee.
(See paper by Jim Dator presented at the final Plenary session)
Report on plans for the 1972 Conference reported Futures (See attachment below called “Plans for First Conference 1972)
1970
[Second] Futures Studies Meeting, Challenges from the Future,
Kyoto, Japan, April 1970 [organised by Hidetoshi Kato]
Announcement of the second Mankind 2000 meeting to be held in Japan in 1970 is reported in the journal Futures. (See attachment below called “2nd Congress of Mankind 2000 International Japan 1970”)
1967
[First] Gathering, Mankind 2000, Oslo, Norway, September 1967 [sponsored and initiated by Johan Galtung, Robert Jungk, and James Wellesley-Wesley]