June 11, 2021
PSU Futures Collaboratory End-of-Year Two Report
Our last “official meeting” was set for June 11. At that meeting, PSU leadership was invited to hear our “final report” and engage in some dialogue with us. Our presentation slides, see PPT Presentation, “tell the story” of our work this year. All PSU Futures Fellows, but especially the committees who were part of the Look Back/Look Forward as well as the CLA effort, were asked to use these projects to contribute to the larger narratives about these efforts. Some time was set aside in advance to review/discuss and see who was willing to step up to help lead the discussion at this gathering. In this manner we co-created the presentation and dialogue around our PSU Futures Collaboratory end-of-year-two report.
Our last meeting of the year was also an opportunity to receive valuable feedback from our PSU President and Vice Provost and consider the many ripples and interest requests we generated within the PSU campus community and well beyond. We also took this opportunity to “clink our glasses” in a virtual toast to our efforts this year, and make sure that all involved knew they were welcome to continue “in community” for whatever futures work is ahead for us all.
Once a PSU Futures Collaboratory member always one; PSU Futures Fellows are always part of the Collaboratory family, especially after the distinct honor of working closely with PSU Presidential Futures Fellow, the one and only Dr Laura Nissen!
Lots More . . .
What does a futurist do? Ran across two recent job descriptions for meaningful futures/foresight work. Thought folks might interested in seeing what “the job” is like in settings that have a deep value commitment to human rights and justice. First is a new Director Position at IFTF for the Equitable Futures Lab. Second is a consultation position with the UN Development Program. Both are interesting just to get a “feel” for what the day to day work of foresight looks like out in the world.
Here’s a new report from the Chronicle of Higher Education on the Future of Teaching. Many interesting and important elements here and worth a look. (Not exhaustive or perfect...but a thoughtful read…)
In a truly bold proposal, this piece from the UN suggests that the future should swing towards a “Global Degree” system. This is a far-reaching and visionary idea - offers disruptive, but extremely meaningful suggestions for how to make higher education more accessible to everyone globally in new ways. Is this the future of higher education?
New report from the national University Innovation Alliance on vital shifts the higher education sector must make to fulfil its promise and commitment to society. Chiefly among them, get out of a competition mindset, adopt a trial and error ability to experiment more, and others. Interesting report with some important information.
New article in WaPo “The racist roots of campus policing” is a must read during increasing attention to the dangers associated with historic “public safety” practices and calling for a new era of explicitly less racist practice. A futures lens requires a “look back to look forward.” What will a new paradigm of justice mean for our campus community? (To that end...if you hadn’t seen Tom Hanks’ piece in the NYT last week re why we all need to learn more about the Tulsa Race Massacre, is another important contribution urging everyday white America to realize the deep history of distortion in how our national history has been told. Perhaps Tom will change a few more minds.)
What climate science loses without enough Black researchers
New report out from the European University Association asserts a vision for 2030 that is a university that is open and without walls. Interesting and thought provoking ideas and worth a look!
Please don’t forget to share/bookmark our “Future of Work” webinar series page. Everything is up, captioned and available for some summertime viewing as time permits! This was a very successful event. Thanks to the many Futures Collaboratory members involved!
From a fine NPR piece that was on the air last week - important segment on the equity/justice centered “Reimagine Oregon” initiative. Here’s the segment focused on how Oregon is doing with its efforts to dismantle systemic racism. Urgent listen/read for those focused on creating a more equitable future in our state. (Thanks Cynthia!)
The future of sensemaking (from the Canadian govt. - a project focused on how to help people explore and co-create ways to make sense of the changing world together)
Reimagining higher education in the age of flexible work
Making the invisible visible (about BIPOC faculty’s “hidden” labor)
The future of the academic enterprise (on demand webinar from February)
Note: While the majority of this “open channel” list focuses on issues pertaining to the future of higher education/future of equity in higher education - occasionally I like to include just some good “mind-blowing” futures pieces. I’ve gathered up a few - they are included to just remind
you how fast the world is changing and how various folks are communicating about/making sense of it. This list is just intended to browse or enjoy over the summer!! “The future” is somewhere embedded, braided, revealed and hidden in these and more.
Smart homes: Brain-computer interface in the house. (Related: The future of housing looks nothing like todays)
Portals erected in Lithuania and Poland let people see each other in real time.
International conference at Columbia University last month on the future of the web - called “Reimagine the Internet” - all sessions viewable online.
Miami’s first “heat officer” re climate change
How covid-19 transformed the future of medicine’
The shared power principle: The future of government also this the Future of the State
Global Alliance on the Future of Food
Why astronauts are printing organs
The future of immigration policy in the US
Families in flux: Imagining the next generation of the American family
Why the next stage of capitalism is coming
The future of activism also Black Futures Lab and Resilience 2032 and Abolitionist Futures
Next generation foresight awards (what are up and coming futurists across the globe doing/thinking right now and what can/should we be learning from them?)
Foresight Talks (with a variety of futures thinkers/practitioners on a wide variety of topics)