Free Master Course in Futures Literacy with one of the World's Leading Experts
By Per Koch, Special Advisor, NIFU
Dr. Riel Miller, who has an associate position at NIFU, is the founder of what is called Futures Literacy, a new approach to using the future in strategy development, institutional learning and policy-making. Riel worked for several years at UNESCO, where he established a separate network of researchers and practitioners from all over the world.
NIFU is part of this network. NIFU is also, together with the University of Stavanger, UNESCO chair in Futures Literacy (one aimed at leadership and innovation ) .
I can now invite you to a two-day free Futures Literacy Masterclass on future skills for policy learning, strategy development, public debate and research.
Here you will be given an introduction to the thinking behind the Futures Literacy model. We will test out the so-called Futures Literacy Laboratory method, a tool that aims to help participants think critically and creatively about their own preconceptions about the future.
BACKGROUND
In recent years, we have faced a number of crises (climate, corona, political polarisation, war...). The fact that we have not seemed sufficiently prepared for any of them tells us that our entrenchment in dominant thought models, institutional structures and inherited prejudices prevents us from using the future constructively.
We actually use the future all the time in our thinking and practice, regardless of whether we are aware of us doing so or not. The aim of Futures Literacy is to become aware of what we actually do with our ideas about the future.
By challenging our prejudices about the future, we also broaden the perspective of what is possible to think and do. Not only do we learn more about the complexity of the social system we are part of, we also become better able to identify new challenges and new opportunities.
RESULT
At the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Assess when it is appropriate to bring in new perspectives and new practices in the implementation of strategic processes.
- Explore different paths that can give individuals and organizations the ability to include the future in strategy development, competence development, policy-making and public debate.
- Gain hands-on experience using field-tested design principles for the use of future skills.
- Describe what future skills are and why they are important.
IMPLEMENTATION
The participants will help define topics for the future literacy laboratories we will try out during the course. However, given that NIFU is an institute for innovation, research and education, it is natural that we look at the knowledge society of the future, the challenges we face and will face there and what we can do to meet them.
The course will therefore be of special interest to those who work with learning, management and strategy development at universities and colleges, research institutions, ministries and councils, interest organizations, companies and public institutions.
Those of you who are involved in the Norwegian government's review of the research system or innovation in the public sector (the HE sector included), will see why this is relevant to them.
The course is also useful for researchers. You can use this way of thinking and working to identify research questions and enrich projects with alternative approaches and perspectives that cross disciplines and social sectors.
The course is free and takes place on November 21 and 22 in NIFU's premises at Tøyen (Økernveien 9). Day 1 is used primarily for an introduction to thinking and method and planning the implementation of the laboratory the following day. The agenda will follow later. Lunch will be served on both days. We will be at NIFU from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday and 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday.
You can sign up by filling in this form . Alternatively send an email to per.koch@nifu.no .
For more about Riel Miller, see this interview in Research Policy.
Photo from the University of Stavanger.
