1st International School of Futures Studies
The Art and Science of Long-Term
We have an increasingly urgent need to think long-term, yet we find it increasingly difficult to do so. Although we have tools and methods capable of analyzing the long-term evolution of major global dynamics and constructing multiple scenarios, our societies are increasingly focused on the present and on short-term returns, with the result that we are unable to even anticipate macroscopic phenomena such as demographic decline, the rise of zoonotic diseases, or technological unemployment.
At the same time, longtermist philosophy is spreading among tech billionaires, aiming to design humanity’s future thousands of years from now at the expense of the present. We must therefore prevent long-term thinking from being monopolized by the few who today hold the power to decide the world’s fate.
For these reasons, we have designed the first edition of the International School of Futures Studies with a focus on long-term thinking, in order to learn new methods for designing the societies of tomorrow with a forward-looking perspective. Born from the experience of the Italian Institute for the Future and some of the world’s leading experts in foresight and futures studies, the international school is designed to offer a space for learning, exchange, and discussion for those who wish to help strengthen our long-term vision.
Educational Objectives
The International School of Futures Studies aims to provide participants with advanced conceptual and practical tools to strengthen long-term thinking and anticipatory capacities in complex societies. Through an interdisciplinary approach combining futures studies, foresight, governance, storytelling, and organizational innovation, the School seeks to:
- Develop the ability to analyze long-term transformations through trends, cycles, and systemic dynamics;
- Strengthen critical understanding of contemporary longtermism and competing visions of the future;
- Introduce methods and practices of foresight used by international organizations and forward-looking institutions;
- Explore anticipatory governance approaches for public policy and strategic decision-making;
- Foster the capacity to design organizations capable of dealing with uncertainty and long-term change;
- Use speculative imagination, narratives, and future fictions as tools for expanding futures literacy;
- Recognize and critically assess practices of “future-washing” in institutions, corporations, and public discourse;
- Apply futures thinking to different professional domains, including strategic management, education, research, and public administration;
Target Participants
The International School of Futures Studies is designed for:
- Researchers and PhD students interested in futures studies, foresight, governance, and long-term societal transformations;
- Policy-makers, public administrators, and professionals involved in strategic planning and anticipatory governance;
- Managers, consultants, and innovation professionals seeking to integrate long-term thinking into organizational strategy;
- Educators and practitioners interested in futures literacy and transformative learning;
- Professionals working in international organizations, NGOs, think tanks, and research institutions;
- Designers, communicators, and cultural practitioners interested in future narratives and speculative imagination;
- Individuals motivated to contribute to more sustainable, inclusive, and future-oriented societies.
Location
Culture Hotel Villa Capodimonte is a 4-star hotel in Naples, situated on the scenic Capodimonte hill. The hotel is set in a lush garden, featuring several areas with Mediterranean vegetation. The hotel is just a short walk from Capodimonte Park and the Royal Palace, home to the Capodimonte Museum, which houses works by Caravaggio, Ribera, and Titian, as well as contemporary artists such as Palladino, Pistoletto, and Warhol.
Faculty and special guests
Nevena Alexandrova
Agricultural Extension Officer, Policies and capacities for Innovation Unit leader, Office of Innovation, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Fabio Chiusi
Journalist, writer and researcher, Project Manager for the Berlin-based nonprofit AlgorithmWatch, where he coordinates the “Automation on the Move” project on AI and migration.
Adriano Cozzolino
Director of Research at the IIF-Italian Institute for the Future Foundation. Researcher in Political Science and International Relations at the University of Campania “L. Vanvitelli".
Valentina De Matteo
Senior consultant at Business Integration Partners (Bip), Adjunct professor at the University of Bologna, academic coordinator of the Executive Master in Business Innovation Design at Bologna Business School.
Olivia Levrini
Full professor of Physics Education and History at the University of Bologna, principal investigator of the European project FEDORA: Future-oriented Science Education to Enhance Responsibility and Engagement in a Society of Acceleration and Uncertainty.
Arianna Mereu
Professor of Strategic Foresight and coordinator of the Master’s program in Fashion Futures & Foresight Strategies at Polimoda. Member of the Advisory Board at IIF-Italian Institute for the Future Foundation.
Roberto Paura
President of the IIF-Italian Institute for the Future Foundation and Editor-in-Chief of the journal “Futuri". He teaches "Technology foresight" at the University of Udine and "Introduction to strategic foresight" at the Universy of Trento.
Christin Pfeiffer
Former Head of Futures Literacy and Foresight at UNESCO. Senior Expert on innovation, digitalization, and sustainable development and policy analyst for the Italian government.
Joice Preira
Vice President of ALAF-Latin American Association of Futurists. Advisory Board Coordinator at the IIF-Italian Institute for the Future Foundation. She teaches in the Master’s program in Strategic Foresight in Brazil.
Claudia Poppi
Co-founder of BeFutures, futurist and sustainability consultant with over 25 years of experience. She uses her coaching and counseling skills to support individuals and organizations in adopting responsible, generative models focused on transformation.
Rocco Scolozzi
Founding Partner of Skopìa Anticipation Services®, where he leads the School of Systems Thinking. Lecturer in Futures Studies Methods and Systems Theory at the University of Trento.
Francesco Verso
Multiple-award Science Fiction writer and editor (3 Europa Awards, 2 Urania Awards, 1 Golden Dragon Award, 2 Italy Awards). Founder of Future Fiction. Honorary Director of the Fishing Fortress SF Academy of Chongqing.
Main Guest
Bill Sharpe
Co-founder of Future Stewards, the home of the Three Horizons Hub, working to build a regenerative future where we meet the needs of all life to flourish within the means of the planet. He is a member of H3Uni and the International Futures Forum with whom he works to build a global commons of futures practice for transformative change. Former esearch lab director at Hewlett Packard. He is also the author of the influential book "Three Horizons: The Patterning of Hope".
Program
DAY 1 – Sunday, September 20th
13.00-14.00 – Welcome lunch
14.00-15.00 – Presentation and ice-breaking
15.00-16.30 – Cycles, trends, and longue durée: from the past to the future (Roberto Paura – IIF)
16.30-17.00 – Coffee break
17.00-18.30 – Long-term policies for anticipatory governance (Adriano Cozzolino – IIF)
DAY 2 – Monday, September 21th
9.00-11.00 – Foresight in international organizations: the case of FAO (Nevena Alexandrova – FAO)
11.00-11.30 – Coffee break
11.30-13.00 – Foresight in international organizations: the case of the Strategic Foresight Community of Practice (Christine Pfeiffer – former UNESCO)
13.00-14.00 – Lunch
14.00-18.00 – Designing forward-looking organizations (Valentina De Matteo – University of Bologna)
This workshop focuses on organizational design and innovation in contexts of uncertainty and rapid transformation. Participants will explore methods for building adaptive, future-oriented organizations capable of integrating foresight into strategy, culture, and decision-making processes.
DAY 3 – Tuesday, September 22th
9.00-10.30 – Longtermism and its critics: deconstructing Siliconian thinking (Fabio Chiusi)
10.30-11.00 – Coffee break
11.00-13.00 – Global future fictions: other times, other futures (Francesco Verso – Future Fiction)
This module investigates the role of speculative fiction and future narratives in expanding futures imagination. Through examples from global science fiction and speculative storytelling, participants will explore how cultural narratives shape perceptions of the future and open space for alternative visions of tomorrow.
13.00-14.00 – Lunch
14.00-18.00 – The trouble with future-washing (Joice Preira & Arianna Mereu – IIF)
This session critically examines the growing use of “future-oriented” rhetoric in corporate, technological, and institutional contexts. Participants will analyze how superficial or manipulative uses of foresight can obscure structural problems, reproduce inequalities, or create misleading narratives about innovation and progress.
This will be followed by social activities and dinner.
DAY 4 – Wednesday, September 23th
9.00-13.00 – Becoming Good Ancestors (Rocco Scolozzi & Claudia Poppi – BeFutures)
Train the long view: a session on becoming the “Good Ancestor” we need. A practical and theoretical taste of the long path, inspired by Ari Wallach and Roman Krznaric, to spark curiosity and a desire for positive collective futures.
13.00-14.00 – Lunch
14.00-15.30 – Future-scaffolding skills for long-term thinking (Olivia Levrini – University of Bologna)
15.30-16.00 – Coffee break
16.00-18.00 – Futurizing your work for:
- Strategic management (with Christophe Roux-Dufort)
- Research and education (with Olivia Levrini)
- Public institutions (with Adriano Cozzolino)
DAY 5 – Thursday, September 24th
Foresight Masterclass on Three Horizons with Bill Sharpe
9.30-16.30
Details
An exclusive opportunity to learn one of the most widely used methods in the field of Futures Studies directly from its creator! Bill Sharpe, a member of the International Futures Forum and co-founder of Future Stewards, developed the 3H-Three Horizons method to gain a deeper understanding of what we typically refer to as the short-, medium-, and long-term future.
The Masterclass will be held at MUDD-Diocesan Museum of Naples, Largo Donnaregina 1.
Costs
- Future Week Formula - early bird€ 1590,-
- 1st International School of Futures Studies (September 20-23)
- Foresight Masterclass with Bill Sharpe (September 24)
- Futures Studies Conference (September 24-26)
The cost includes lunches and coffee breaks for all activities from September 20 to 26. It does not include accommodation costs.
Early-bird rate until August 15, then €1,990. Prices include VAT.
- International School only - early-bird€ 1490,-
- 1st International School of Futures Studies (September 20-23)
- Foresight Masterclass with Bill Sharpe (September 24)
The cost includes lunches and coffee breaks for all activities from September 20 to 24. It does not include accommodation costs. Early-bird rate until August 15, then €1,890. Prices include VAT.
- International School Under-30€ 990,-
- 1st International School of Futures Studies (September 20-23)
- Foresight Masterclass with Bill Sharpe (September 24)
The cost includes lunches and coffee breaks for all activities from September 20 to 24. It does not include accommodation costs. Prices include VAT.
