College of Global Futures faculty, students, among future thinkers present at Dubai Future Forum

Shortly before the new year began, approximately 2,500 people from around the globe attended the Dubai Future Forum to discuss the potential paths ahead for our world. Among them was a small group consisting of both faculty and students from Arizona State University’s School for the Future of Innovation in Society, demonstrating the school’s commitment to empowering learners of all ages and experience levels to shape their own futures.

Four students, along with faculty members from the School for the Future of Innovation in Society, participated in interactive presentations, workshops and sessions during the event. The Dubai Future Forum took place from Nov. 19 - 20 and featured thought leadership relating to an interconnected global future.

“Our students learn how to translate innovation into action with public value, and the Dubai Future Forum is a natural place to see that skillset in action,” said Eusebio Scornavacca, director of the School for the Future of Innovation in Society. “Engaging with such a diverse range of voices allowed us to envision innovative pathways toward a sustainable and inclusive future.”

Alexandrina Agloro, an assistant professor in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society, said the event was a key opportunity to focus on outcomes and aspirations from a global perspective.

“I was particularly interested in seeing what futures can look like in a more global sense — specifically, how we are incorporating indigenous voices into this idea of our interconnected global future,” Agloro said. “When we talk about our future here in the United States, I’ve noticed that a lot of our conversations tend to be very individualistic in nature. As a futurist, that isn’t how I was trained. This forum offered more of the global perspective, which I think was really valuable to see.”

The term “futurist” refers to an individual who uses both data and creative outlets to look beyond the present moment. As a futurist working for the School for the Future of Innovation in Society, part of the College of Global Futures, Agloro takes both a practical and whimsical approach to thinking about securing a thriving and sustainable future. Agloro said she hopes the globally-minded perspective of the forum inspires the student attendees to be ambitious, flexible and imaginative in their work going forward.

“I think an additional value of time we all spent together at the Dubai Future Forum is that we could also reflect and apply our insights from the event to what we're learning and teaching through ASU,” Agloro said. “The PhD candidates were able to have meaningful discussions about how the topics the forum covered were relating to their work and future careers.”

Toby Shulruff, a PhD candidate in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society’s human and social dimensions of science and technology program who attended the forum in Dubai, said it was inspiring to see on such a large scale what work is already in progress and what needs more support.

Shulruff emphasized the importance of collaboration and inviting all voices into future-focused conversations. This attitude was exemplified in the outcomes of the forum: One of the key insights from the forum was that by 2050, around 1.5 billion people are projected to be displaced due to climate change. To successfully meet the needs of those most impacted by some of our future challenges, Shulruff said solutions do not always need to start with technological advancements.

“Technology is sold as the solution to our problems, but talking to each other and building relationships is low-tech and necessary when we're thinking about the future,” Shulruff said.