Global Foresight: Events
Past Events
10–11 December. CONFERENCE - HYBRID EVENT
Anticipatory Governance and Future Aspirations
Christina Garsten, Tor Hernes, Anders Ekström
Join us for an engaging event with two lectures exploring how future thinking and anticipatory governance help organizations respond to global challenges and shape future scenarios in a rapidly changing world.



10 December, 09:30-10:30 a.m.
Reaching for the Moon? How to Move Distant and Unknown Futures
Tor Hernes, Professor of Organization Theory at Copenhagen Business School (CBS). Adjunct Professor at University of South-Eastern Norway
ABSTRACT:
We know little about how organizations move towards distant and unknown futures. However, it is imperative to understand how, for example, actors can work towards CO2-neutral futures, which lie far beyond their strategic time horizons. The field has relied either on goal- or strategy-driven models or processes of imagining distant futures on the other. Neither of these seems satisfactory to understanding this crucially important conundrum of present-day organizations. I will discuss one way of addressing the problem, based on a recent paper co-authored with Miriam Feuls and Majken Schultz, in which I propose the concept of path enactment. Path enactment is a way to understand how future solutions act as “placeholders” that constitute multiple possible paths towards the future. While enacting paths of solutions, actors draw upon various mechanisms to select or validate alternative paths. I conclude the presentation by suggesting further research.
11 December, 09:30-10:30 a.m..
Centres of Temporalization: The Tarfala Experiment
Anders Ekström, Professor of History of Science and Ideas, Uppsala University
ABSTRACT:
This lecture argues for the importance of understanding Anthropocene temporalities from the places of their making. Drawing on the history of Arctic fieldwork, and its legacy of knowledge in the intersection of natural and cultural history, the lecture will focus on the Tarfala valley in the high-alpine area of Kebne-
kaise in northern Sweden as a 'centre of temporalization' in the context of rapid Arctic warming. The lecture also aims to explore the ongoing convergence of temporalities between different scientific fields in the study of Anthropocene history, and the possibilities it brings for collaborative research in the future.
You can find the programme and full conference description here >> Pdf, 3.4 MB, opens in new window. (PDF)
To register for in-person attendance, please contact Ellen Werner at ellen.werner@swedishcollegium.se and include any dietary preferences. Physical space is limited; however, online participation via Zoom will be available for those who cannot attend in person.
This event is part of the research project Global Foresight: Anticipatory Governance and the Making of Geocultural Scenarios, funded by Riksbankens Jubileumsfond.
December 15-16, 2023
Keynote Lecture: Melissa Fisher, “The Future of the Work Environment and Work Design,” Keynote for Sustainability, Technology, Resilience, Innovation, Development and Entrepreneurship Conference. Northcap University School of Management and Liberal Studies. Gurugram, India.
September 27, 2023
Keynote Lecture: Melissa Fisher, "Leveraging Cultural Anthropological Tools to Design Future Human-Centered Workplaces, “WORKTECH Keynote. North America Conference, New York City.
June 26-28, 2023
Global Foresight Book Workshop: Christina Garsten, Adrienne Sörbom, Mark Maguire, Mikkel Flyverbom and Ulrik Jennische, Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study (SCAS), Uppsala
March 31-April 1, 2023
David Westbrook: “Anticipation, Social Theory, and the Stories We Tell Ourselves” (with Mark Maguire), Forms of War, conference given by Telos/Paul Piconne Institute, in collaboration with the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute, Queens College/CUNY, and the International Center for Critical Theory at New York University conference, New York City
September 27, 2022
Keynote Lecture: Melissa Fisher, “International Business Ethnography and the Global Reimagining of The Future of Work,” Keynote for the launch of the Global Cultures Program.Maynooth University School of Business and Department of Anthropology, Maynooth, Ireland.
August 26, 2022
Keynote Lecture: Melissa Fisher, “Collaborative Ethnography Today: Developing Collective Methods to Reimagine the Future of Work,” Keynote, Ethnography Symposium, Suffolk Business School. University of Suffolk. UK
March 24, 2022
Keynote Lecture: Melissa Fisher, “The Future of Work in the Age of Pandemics,” Keynote for Conference on Work from Home: Global Perspectives. Department of Management Studies, BMI. Munjal University, India.
May 6, 2021
Keynote Lecture: Melissa Fisher, “Charting the Future of Business and Organizational Ethnography” Keynote, Research and Impact Away Day, Essex Business School. UK.
April 30, 2018
Global Foresight Seminar: David A. Westbrook, “Thinking about the University after Globalization”. Presentation held at Sustaining Organizational Scholarship across Boundaries (SCANCOR). Stanford University
April 10-13, 2018
Global Foresight Seminar: David A. Westbrook, "In Conversation with Marwa al-Sabouni on The Battle for Home" (keynote presentation) at the King's Transnational Law Summit 2018, Dickson Poon School of Law, King's College, London.
February 22-23, 2018
Global Foresight Project Workshop: Varieties of Anticipatory Knowledge and Organizational Domains. Paris, France
November 30, 2017
Global Foresight Seminar: David A. Westbrook, "Calling Plays: A Cautionary Note on the Ontological Status of the Scenario" for the panel Future Matters: Anticipatory Knowledge and Scenario-modeling, at the 2017 annual meeting of the American Anthropological Association, Washington D.C.
September 1-2, 2017
Global Foresight Seminar: David A. Westbrook, "Happy Endings? (Partially) Reconciling Ourselves To Bureaucracy Through Teleology" at After the End of Revolution: Constitutional Order Amid the Crisis of Democracy. A conference co-organized by the Telos-Paul Piccone Institute and the National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow.
July 6-8, 2017
Global Foresight Seminar: Christina Garsten and Mikkel Flyverbom, "Anticipation: Models, Technology and Knowledge in the Making of Organizational Futures", a sub-theme at the 33rd EGOS Colloquium, The Good Organization – Aspirations, Interventions, Struggles, Copenhagen, Denmark.
June 17, 2017
Global Foresight Seminar: Mark Maguire, with Eileen Murphy, "The Future of Border Security", at Borders X, a workshop by the Irish Writers Centre, Londonderry.
June 8-9, 2017
Global Foresight Seminar: Mark Maguire, "The Anthropology of Ten Minutes of Terror" for NATO advanced research workshop, Countering Terrorism at the Borders, University of Texas El Paso.
June 6, 2017
Global Foresight Workshop: Mikkel Flyverbom, "Paper Development Workshop: Actionable Knowledge, Visibilities and Governance in a Datafied World", at the Department of Management, Society and Communication, Copenhagen Business School.
May 24, 2017
Global Foresight Seminar: Mark Maguire, "Brexit, and the Future of Border Security", for Brexit Borders Workshops, at Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice, Queens University Belfast.
May 23, 2017
Global Foresight Seminar: Adrienne Sörbom participated in a panel, "Exploring Decision-Making Under Growing Uncertainty (in Silicon Valley and Beyond)" at the conference Anticipating and Preparing for the Future, in Palo Alto, California, USA.
May 23, 2017
Global Foresight Seminar: Christina Garsten,"Anticipation and Organization: Knowledge Templates and Organizational Machineries of Foresight" for the STINT workshop, 'Organizing for Expertise', in Paris.
April 28, 2017
Global Foresight Meeting: Analytical Workshop, in Siena, Italy.
December 14, 2016
Global Foresight Seminar: David A. Westbrook, "Reflections on the European and American Projects: Answering Rousseau", at the Departments of Anthropology and Law, National University of Ireland Maynooth.
December 13, 2016
Global Foresight Seminar: David A. Westbrook, "Peace and Prosperity? The 'Battle of Ideas' and Possible Futures for the Euro" for "EU Financial and Monetary Law', at Queen Marie University of London School of Law.
December 12, 2016
Global Foresight Seminar: David A. Westbrook, "And After Globalization? Two Understandings of the Future of Public International Law", at London School of Economics and Political Science.
November 14-15, 2016
Global Foresight Meeting, Conceptual Workshop at NYU, New York, USA.
September 15, 2016
Global Foresight Seminar: Christina Garsten, "Risk, Resilience, and Alternative Futures: Scenario-building at the World Economic Forum" External link, opens in new window., Score, Stockholm University, Sweden.
August 19, 2016
Global Foresight Seminar: Douglas R. Holmes, "How Central Banks Fashion the Future`, Public project launch, Score, Stockholm, Sweden.
August 19, 2016
Global Foresight Public Project Launch, Score, Stockholm, Sweden
July 20-23, 2016
Global Foresight Seminar: David A. Westbrook, "The University of Planning" External link, opens in new window.', EASA (European Association for Social Anthropology) 2016 Annual Meeting
External link, opens in new window., panel: Anticipatory knowledge: prognostics
and prophecy in management and governance, Milan.
July 20-23, 2016
Global Foresight Seminar: Christina Garsten and Adrienne Sörbom, "Risk, Resilience, and Alternative Futures: Scenario-building at the World Economic Forum" External link, opens in new window., EASA (European Association for Social Anthropology) 2016 Annual Meeting
External link, opens in new window., Panel: Prognostics and Prophecy in Management and
Governance.
July 7-9, 2016
Global Foresight Seminar: Christina Garsten and Adrienne Sörbom, "Small Places, Big Stakes: “Meetings” as Moments of Ethnographic Momentum External link, opens in new window.', EGOS 32nd Colloquium, Naples, Italy.
July 7-9, 2016
Global Foresight Seminar: Sébastian Picard (with Steyer, V. and X. Philippe), "The Intermediary Role of Corporations in Shaping Regulation: Organizing Accountability and Legitimation Ties in the Vaccine Industry", EGOS 32nd Colloquiium, Naples, Italy.
June 16-18, 2016
Global Foresight Seminar: Sébastian Picard (with V. Steyer and C. Gilbert), "The Revolving Credit of Legitimacy: Maintaining Provisional Autonomy through Temporal Work", PROS (Process Organization Studies) 8th International Symposium. External link, opens in new window.
May 12-13, 2016
2nd Workshop on Anticipation, organized by Mikkel Flyverbom and Christina Garsten, and the project Governing Responsible Business (GRB), Copenhagen Business School.
April 20-23, 2016
Global Foresight Seminar: Mark Maguire and P. Fussey, "Sensing Evil: Counterterrorism and Technoscience". Surveillance Studies Network (SSN), External link, opens in new window. Barcelona Spain.
April 15, 2016
Global Foresight Seminar: Christina Garsten, "Imaginable Futures: Anticipatory Knowledge and Narratives of Futurity in U.S. Think Tanks', Futurepol, Sciences Po, Paris.
April 15-16, 2016
Prediction External link, opens in new window., International conference, organized by Jenny Andersson and the project Futurepol, Sciences Po, Paris.
February 7-8, 2016
Global Foresight Project Launch, New York University, Institute for Public Knowledge.
February 4, 2016
Global Foresight Seminar: Mark Maguire, "Sensing Evil: Counter-terrorism Today", Department of Sociology Seminar Series, Trinity College Dublin
February 3, 2016
Global Foresight Seminar: Christina Garsten, "Researching Futures: Global Think Tanks and the Making of Geo-cultural Scenarios", Department of Political Science, Stockholm University.
October 20, 2015
Global Foresight Seminar: Christina Garsten, "Att forska om framtider: Globala tankesmedjor och formandet av geo-kulturella scenarier", Faculty of Social Sciences, Stockholm University.