ASEAN 2030

Culture, Technology and Security in ASEAN and the wider Asia-Pacific

5th Asia-Pacific Futures Network Conference & 1st ASEAN Foresight Knowledge Exchange

17-18 September 2019

@Ananda UrbanTech Campus,

FYI Center Building 2, 11th Floor, Central Bangkok

Purpose

Hosted in Bangkok for the second time, the 5th APFN conference intends to take a three-track approach catering for practitioners, academic researchers, and government leaders simultaneously. The organizers of the conference intend also to increase the profile of the work futurists are doing especially in the ASEAN region. This year Thailand is the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Thailand is also actively discussing the 4th Industrial Revolution, the Digital Economy 4.0 and other futures-oriented themes.

This year's conference seeks to understand the changing futures of Asia with a concentration on ASEAN. Our focus, in particular, is on ASEAN 2030. Thematic areas for the conference are economy, knowledge, and security. Based on current trends, what might the region look like in a decade? What are emerging issues/disruptors that could take change this trajectory? And what are the alternative futures of ASEAN and the broader Asia-Pacific region.

Questions we see as relevant is can the knowledge economy drive the region, the way manufacturing did earlier? Can we imagine the beginnings of an Asian confederation that can enhance security especially in the light of threats from dramatic climate change? How might the economy for nations, communities, individuals and the region as a whole transform? Will the rise of China, micro-manufacturing, blockchain, challenges to patriarchy, transformations in traditional factory-based education be significant in changing the future?

While policymakers often desire precise answers to these questions, futurists have learned that these are best answered as alternative futures, as scenarios of the possible, plausible and preferred.

Along with alternative futures, case studies of foresight in practice from government, the private sector, and the community arena will be highlighted.

Last but not least the APFN is a peer-to-peer learning conference with extended space for networking and through interaction, genuine knowledge sharing. Moreover, we wish to enhance the futures literacy of newcomers to the field to allow them to make more informed policy and strategic decisions today for tomorrow.

Objectives

Imagine the futures of ASEAN and its neighbours; explores disruptions, and create alternative futures
Share methods, tools and innovations for futures thinking and strategic foresight
Support the advancement of methods, practices and complementary approaches to the changing needs of policymakers
Demonstrate how foresight has influenced policy processes and decisions
Promote cooperation and networking among participants as well as share experiences between members of different organizations and backgrounds
Stimulate the uptake of these approaches and exchange between practitioners and policymakers and ultimately to increase the profile of futures thinking and foresight in the Asia-Pacific.

Conference Fee

Like last year we will ask for a modest donation to support young and ermerging futurists and some of the catering costs. It will be even less than 2018 thanks to our supporting partners.

Conference contribution: USD 120

For students: USD 50

The conference donation can be paid online via the registration page from June 17, 2019 online. In case you have to cancel we will refund you the full amount minus the transaction cost for the refund.

Conference Steering Committee for the 5th conference

Professor Sohail Inayatullah, UNESCO Chair for Future Studies & Co-Founder Metafuture.org
Mr. Jost Wagner, Managing Director, The Change Initiative, Bangkok
Dr. Pun-Arj Chairatana, Executive Director, National Innovation Agency, Thailand
Dr. Susann Roth, Principal Knowledge Sharing and Services Specialist, Asian Development Bank

Organizing Team