About the Department

About

The UNESCO Chair on Future Studies (№2021RU1468) was established in 2021 at the HSE Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge (ISSEK) International Research and Education Foresight Centre, which has been successfully conducting long-term foresight studies for many years.

The department’s activities cover the following areas:

• monitoring changes and identifying emerging trends and wildcard events affecting the development of society, economy, science and technology, political processes, and cultural and other values at the national and global level
• building and disseminating new competencies and skills in the field of futures studies and socio-economic and science and technology foresight
• improving future-relevant strategic decision-making
• strengthening international research and education partnerships in the field of foresight studies

The results of ongoing research lay a foundation for responding to potential threats in a timely manner and developing mechanisms to prevent or mitigate the negative consequences of global challenges.

The department’s mission is to disseminate and promote best practices in futures studies by holding public events with the participation of international partners.

The department’s educational activities include master classes, training events, workshops, and cultural exchanges to promote the futures studies culture in Russia and abroad. Highly skilled experts are recruited for these purposes from Russia and from Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

The department is a member of the UNESCO Global Futures Literacy Network.

Global Futures Literacy Network

The Global Futures Literacy Network is an academic community comprising more than twenty UNESCO Chairs and a number of non-governmental organisations from around the world who share experience in the field of futures studies and teaching foresight and planning skills.

In addition to research and educational activities, the UNESCO Chair on Future Studies participates in foresight projects, advises public associations, and holds expert events involving people who make key decisions about the future.

A scientific approach to forecasting allows researchers to more accurately predict crises, minimise their adverse effects, and plan and take steps to bring the desired future closer. Futures literacy is becoming an essential competence in drafting strategic plans and science and technology forecasts.

According to UNESCO, the mission of the Global Literacy Network is ‘to overcome the reliance on the illusion of certainty and the vulnerabilities it creates’.