The Europe Chapter of the World Future Society
The Europe Chapter of the World Future Society is sponsored by European Futures Observatory. The aims of the Chapter are:
* To contribute to a reasoned awareness of the future and the importance of its study.
* To advance serious and responsible investigation of the future.
* To promote the development of methods for the study of the future.
* To increase public understanding of future-oriented studies.
* To facilitate communication and cooperation among organizations and individuals interested in studying or planning for the future.
The Chapter promotes these aims by holding meetings across Europe where issues affecting the future are discussed. The Presentation Slides from the meetings are published on this site, along with any other published matter that may arise from the meeting.
* To contribute to a reasoned awareness of the future and the importance of its study.
* To advance serious and responsible investigation of the future.
* To promote the development of methods for the study of the future.
* To increase public understanding of future-oriented studies.
* To facilitate communication and cooperation among organizations and individuals interested in studying or planning for the future.
The Chapter promotes these aims by holding meetings across Europe where issues affecting the future are discussed. The Presentation Slides from the meetings are published on this site, along with any other published matter that may arise from the meeting.
Chapter Information
The Europe Chapter of the World Future Society is operated through WFSE Limited, a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee that is registered in England & Wales (Reg. No. 05581049). Those members of the World Future Society who reside in any of the EU Member States are automatically guaranteed membership of the group as participating members. Others (both those who are not members of the World Future Society and those residing outside of the EU) may participate in the Chapter events as Friends of the Europe Chapter.
Staying In Touch
We plan to help members stay in touch about forthcoming Chapter activities and events through a periodic newsletter. Members are invited to sign up for the newsletter using the form below. We shall not provide your details to any third party, and they will be used solely for the distribution of the newsletter. All information will be held under the UK Data Protection. Registering for the newsletter will be taken to imply that you consent for us to store your information under these conditions.
2012-13 Programme: The Next Golden Age Of Technology
This series of meetings features prominent futurists, who use different approaches to consider forecasts for the period including 2030-45 - a period which has the potential (if we reach it safely) to be a golden age of technology. Can we in fact forecast the future with any degree of confidence? Many people believe that, as there are so many imponderables, the long range future is opaque to us.
Underlying where we are today are a number of longer term trends and developments that occur with such regularity to make them something of a recurring cycle. For example, we can see a pattern in the developments from the letter, to the telegraph, to the telephone, to twitter. The purpose of this series of meetings is to consider the evidence supporting these "long models" of technological advance, and to speculate on how they might unfold.
Underlying where we are today are a number of longer term trends and developments that occur with such regularity to make them something of a recurring cycle. For example, we can see a pattern in the developments from the letter, to the telegraph, to the telephone, to twitter. The purpose of this series of meetings is to consider the evidence supporting these "long models" of technological advance, and to speculate on how they might unfold.
2011-12 Programme: Communities Of The Future
In the decade after this one, many believe that the impacts of Peak Oil and Climate Change will start to be felt. On top of this, the growth of global population will also have an effect, stretching our food and water resources towards their limits. As futurists, we have labelled the next decade as a period where ‘Scarcity Bites’ to reflect these impending challenges.
2010-11 Programme: A History Of The Next Ten Years
Many believe that the recent recession has heralded a new era in our social, economic, and political development. If they are right, then the next decade could well be critical to our development over the rest of this Century. In many ways, the course of the next ten years is already apparent. Using the tools of professional futurists, the shape of the coming decade has taken form. The purpose of this programme is to outline how this form may develop.