This program gives you the tools and mindset to be future-ready and co-create a bright and sustainable future. Uncertain times offer exciting opportunities to contribute to present and future global transformations. An increasing number of organizations, social movements and communities adopt innovative bottom-up practices to find disruptive solutions to local and global issues such as public health and climate change. Futuring (aka foresight) consists in preparing the future by appropriately influencing the present. It is also about having a view of the future: a vision of knowing what the future could hold and why. It can inform various stages of policymaking to avoid worst-case scenarios and help organizations, social movements, communities, and individuals be future-ready and thrive sustainably. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the European Commission, and Save the Children are among the numerous actors that use foresight to identify mega trends, weak signals, wild cards, and build scenarios of the future. They apply foresight to capitalize on the opportunities weak signals portend, as well as prepare contingency plans for adverse scenarios. They do this through creative and innovative forms of collaboration and governance that involve a number of stakeholders with different views and perspectives.
Based at the heart of international Geneva, and drawing on a large community of innovation and foresight experts, this program aims to create leaders and teams who will drive global change across multiple innovation horizons. Join our network of innovation and foresight practitioners!
The program has two parts.
Learning with experts: The first part of this program offers a discussion with experts from the International Geneva. They will share with you case studies and stories of accelerating and scaling change in their communities and organizations towards a positive future.
Futuring bootcamp: The second part adopts a hands-on approach to learning. You will learn mindset and tools by practicing foresight. In small groups, you will respond to a challenge and then present your scenarios to a panel of experts. This will allow you to put into practice the knowledge and ideas from the first part of the program, while adopting foresight methodologies that will be useful later in your professional and academic career.
After this session, participants shall:
- Have acquired a futuring toolbox constituted of a variety of foresight methodologies and tools;
- Understand the relevance of a foresight approach to inform policymaking and innovation;
- Have acquired knowledge and understanding of different innovation practices within organizations, and communities;
- Be able to assume leadership responsibility in managing a foresight creative process;
- Contribute to build resilient, inclusive, sustainable, and future-proof organizations and communities.
Target Audience:
This summer school is tailored towards undergraduate, graduate and PhD students from all around the world who want to learn more from - and network with - innovation and foresight experts in international Geneva.
Course credits:
The equivalent of 3 ECTS credits can be obtained (to be validated by the home university) upon submission of a paper. Participants will receive a certificate for completing the summer school if they meet the compulsory attendance requirements. Please note that this is not an official University of Geneva transcript, as Geneva Summer School courses are not accredited University of Geneva courses. It is the students’ responsibility to validate the course for credit at their home university before commencing the Summer School, as specified in the Geneva Summer School Regulations.
Tuition fees
Professionals : CHF 1,000
External students : CHF 800
UNIGE students : CHF 200
Application requirements:
Step 1) Prepare a valid web link* to your supporting documents**
CV : academic and/or professional resume
Motivation letter (maximum of 500 words): explain briefly your motivations to take part in the course of your choice
Reference letter (professor, employer...etc): the reference comes from a professional or academic acquaintance.
University certificate of registration (external students only): only students providing such a certificate are eligible for the external students fee
*Be careful not to provide a protected url (intranet weblink) but a public url. Examples of free accounts you can get a web link from: Dropbox, Google Drive or other
**Please uppload all documents in one (1) single PDF document.
2) Fill in the application form (link below)
Complete all required fields (*) of the application form.
3) Language requirement
Applicants must possess a sufficient command of the language of instruction of the course, demonstrated in their motivation letter, studies and work experience.
For more information click "LINK TO ORIGINAL" below.