2007 PRECONFERENCE COURSES &
NANOTECH SYMPOSIUM

The most frequently asked question futurists hear is "How do you tell what is going to happen?" The future is a constant source of fascination and anxiety, but people have little idea what they can do to shape it. Few have taken a course, much less earned a degree, on how to think about and deal with the future.

This course fills that gap. We will share the approaches that futurists use to anticipate and influence the future systematically and effectively. We will give participants a framework to understand what futurists are saying and a method to create their future in productive and useful ways. We'll address futures thinking, futures methods, future events and issues, and planning and change management.

The course offers resources and methodologies for meeting one’s educational and career objectives. Our approach is interactive in order to address participants’ real questions and to provide participants with first-hand experience of the techniques discussed.

Who should attend: Anyone interested in a comprehensive overview of the theory, the methods, and the field of futures studies.
Wat you’ll learn: Attendees will receive an introduction to the tools futurists use to pick up the signs of change, manage uncertainty in forecasts, identify preferred futures, and act to bring those futures about.
How this knowledge can be applied: This information will help individuals understand change as well as anticipate and influence the future.

Faculty: Peter Bishop, associate professor of human sciences; chair, Studies of the Future graduate program, University of Houston, Houston, Texas. Founded in 1974, the University of Houston program is the only degree program in the United States and one of only two or three in the world devoted exclusively to the study of the future.

$140 members/$190 nonmembers  (Register now!)

Whether you want to include futures in your course or workshop or you want to build a course on the future, this workshop provides practical "how-to" information. Attendees will review existing futures courses and learner exercises that can be practically applied to their academic environment. Participants will also create new exercises directly related to their needs and will have an opportunity to share experiences with others. We will give actionable advice on how to create: templates for a course/learner syllabi, online credit and non-credit courses, outlines for crafting futures exercises, and unique learning experiences. Workshop leaders are experienced futures instructors from the Institute for the Future at Anne Arundel Community College (www.aacc.edu/future) who can share their knowledge and guide creation of new learning opportunities.

Who should attend: High school and college educators, trainers, and those who want insight into some topics and strategies in teaching and learning the future.
What you’ll learn: Participants will add new futures learning and teaching strategies to their repertoire. They will also find out how to create their own futures exercises and courses.
How this knowledge can be applied: This course is practical. Attendees will take away new processes and procedures for futures teaching and learning.

Faculty: John Sagi, advisory team, Institute for the Future, School of Business, Anne Arundel Community College, Arnold, Maryland
Stephen F. Steele, director, Institute for the Future, Anne Arundel Community College, Arnold, Maryland

$50 members/$75 nonmembers  (Register now!)
 

C-3 Enhancing Future Consciousness: The Development of Constructive, Optimistic, and Creative Attitudes and Behaviors about the Future
Saturday, July 28, 2007
9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Future consciousness is the total set of psychological abilities, processes, and experiences humans use to understand and deal with the future. This course provides basic concepts for understanding all the major dimensions of future consciousness and an array of techniques and principles for heightening its capacities. The central activity for participants will be the development of a preferable future life narrative based on the ideas learned in the workshop. Participants will also do a quick self-assessment on their level of future consciousness.

As a starting point, we will address human emotion, motivation, and constructive goal-directed behavior as core components of future consciousness; we'll also highlight the environmental context and lifespan development of human emotions; closely examine the pivotal significance and influence of hope and fear upon future consciousness; describe cognitive capacities such as critical, reflective, and possibility thinking, foresight and imagination, creativity, and planning; and provide tools to assist in the development and management of these psychological abilities. A key feature of human psychology is self-identity. We'll review self-efficacy, self-narratives (personal storytelling), and optimism as important aspects of self-identity and examine how they contribute to enhanced future consciousness.

In the concluding section of the workshop, we'll describe the virtues of self-responsibility, courage, mental discipline, wisdom, justice, balance, partnership, love and compassion, transcendence, and most importantly wisdom—identified as the highest expression of future consciousness.

Who should attend: Educators, psychologists, social service workers, business leaders, and any individual interested in personal or professional growth.
What you’ll learn: Attendees will gain a thorough understanding of the psychology of future consciousness and the importance of virtues and wisdom in heightened future consciousness, and learn a variety of principles, strategies, and tools for enhancing future consciousness.
How this knowledge can be applied: Knowledge gained in this course can be used to significantly enhance a person’s abilities to think constructively and imaginatively about his or her personal or professional future and to measurably improve one’s chances for creating a more fulfilling, positive, and rewarding future. Attendees will also learn how to construct an effective preferable future life narrative that will positively impact the quality of their lives.

Faculty: Thomas Lombardo, futures professor and faculty chair of Psychology, Philosophy, and Integrated Studies, Rio Salado College; author, The Evolution of Future Consciousness and Contemporary Futurist Thought, Tempe, Arizona
Jonathon Richter, associate researcher, Center for Advanced Technology in Education, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon

$150 members/$200 nonmember (Register now!)
 

C-4 Integral Futures
Saturday, July 28, 2007
9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

This course presents theory and futures approaches based upon Integral Theory as is popularized by the philosopher Ken Wilbur. Integral theory is one of the "new" approaches to futures and foresight work that underpins the Masters of Strategic Foresight at Swinburne University in Melbourne, Australia. Since 2002, this post-graduate course has presented the only dedicated unit on integral theory offered in a graduate school. This workshop draws upon the approaches and experience that have come from five years of teaching integral theory. The premise of futures and foresight work from an integral perspective is that "the depth in the method arises from the depth in the practitioner." Participants of this workshop will receive an overview of aspects of integral theory and shall have a first-hand experience of the integral perspective. They will then apply integral theory and integral perspectives to a range of futures and foresight methods including scenario development. This course gives experienced practitioners a "fresh take" on their existing approaches to futures work and will suggest new approaches that they could explore. Organizational futurists will receive insights into how futures and foresight methods interact with culture and process.

Who should attend: Experienced practitioners.
What you’ll learn: Integral theory offers an opportunity to reconceptualize traditional methods of futures inquiry and also suggests new approaches that practitioners can employ. It is also a framework that integrates different knowledge domains and a powerful diagnostic tool to explore remedial strategies.
How this knowledge can be applied: Practitioners will apply this knowledge to their current approaches to futures work and they will gain greater depth and clarity in what they are attempting. The knowledge can also be applied to how interventions are designed and communicated to clients and stakeholders.

Faculty: Peter Hayward, program director, Masters of Strategic Foresight, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia
Rowena Morrow, lecturer, Strategic Foresight Program, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia

$250 members/$300 nonmembers  (Register now!)
 

C-5 Introduction to Transhumanism: The Fourth Wave
Sunday, July 29, 2007
9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Transhumanism represents a radical new approach to future-oriented thinking and is based on the premise that the human species does not represent the end of our evolution but, rather, its beginning. Transhumanism is an interdisciplinary approach to understanding and evaluating the possibilities for overcoming biological limitations through scientific progress. Transhumanists seek to expand technological opportunities for people to live longer and healthier lives, and to enhance their intellectual, physical, and emotional capacities.

Transhumanism emphasizes that we have the potential not just to "be" but to "become." Not only can we use rational means to improve the human condition and the external world, we can also use rationality to improve the human organism. Furthermore, we are no longer limited to only traditional methods, such as education (which humanism normally espouses) for self-improvement; we can use technology to move beyond what many would describe as human. Transhumanists think that, through the accelerating pace of technological development and scientific understanding, we are entering a whole new stage in the history of the human species. We are moving from a slow and erratic biological evolution to a fast and designed technological evolution.

Who should attend: Anyone interested in finding out how the new wave of technological changes will radically transform humanity as we know it today. Also, anyone planning to live more than 20 years to see the beginning of the "singularity" and the first transhumans.
What you’ll learn: Attendees will be exposed to the main ideas of transhumanism and the major future technologies that will radically change the future of humanity.
How this knowledge can be applied: The ideas discussed will help individuals understand accelerating change in order to anticipate and influence the future.

Faculty: Ronald Bailey, science correspondent, Reason magazine; author, Liberation Biology: The Scientific and Moral Case for the Biotech Revolution, Charlottesville, Virginia
José Luis Cordeiro, president, Venezuelan Chapter of the World Future Society; co-founder, Venezuelan Transhumanist Association (VTA); chair, Venezuelan Node of the Millennium Project, Caracas, Venezuela

$95 members/$145 nonmembers  (Register now!)
 

C-6 Trends, Models, Paradigms of Change: Preparing for Life and Human Evolution in the 21st Century
Sunday, July 29, 2007
9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

This course will use a layered analysis approach. First, we'll provide an introduction to how futurists view change. Next, we'll offer an overview of key trends in different areas that are impacting our world, followed by a number of deeper-level models of change, with examples of trends under each model. Then, we'll discuss emerging paradigms and overarching worldviews that underlie these changes, as well as the common characteristics these paradigms share. Finally, we'll review key areas of evolution that impact not only the human future, but also the physical evolution of the universe, the biological evolution of species, cultural evolution in the broad sense of all of our socially-learned behavior, and the evolution of consciousness. Small groups of participants with similar interests will brainstorm together on insights they have gained from this workshop and how they might apply ideas from this workshop to different areas of their lives and work. Participants will receive a reader with articles and handouts relevant to the different sections of this course.

Who should attend: Academic, business, government, and community organizations who wish to better understand change.
What you’ll learn: We'll look at key trends in different areas, examine some models of change that cover many issues in the future studies field and explore the core characteristics of the futurist approach to understanding change. The course ends with participants forming groups to brainstorm together on how these changes are impacting their areas of interest and work.
How this knowledge can be applied: Every area of life is undergoing massive change today. A better understanding of the processes and substance of change will help participants clarify challenges and opportunities in their lives and areas of work, thus allowing for more informed problem-solving and policy decision-making.

Faculty: Linda Groff, director, Global Options Consulting; professor of political science and future studies; coordinator, Behavioral Science Undergraduate Program, California State University-Dominguez Hills, Carson, California

$170 members/$220 nonmembers  (Register now!)
 

C-7 Wiser Futures: Using Futures Tools to Understand and Create the Future
Sunday, July 29, 2007
9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

The Institute for Alternative Futures offers its popular workshop introducing its world-class approaches to using futures techniques in communities, organizations, governments, and corporations around the world. You will examine specific futures tools such as forecasts, scenarios, and visions; get practical advice on using futures tools to enhance learning and effective choice within organizations and communities; and explore how aspirational futures can transform organizations. This is a highly interactive workshop where participants experience the tools we describe. Every participant receives a sourcebook of tools and examples of work products that illustrate successful outcomes. Past participants have been able to adapt these tools for use in their own foresight and strategic planning work.

Who should attend: This course is valuable for individuals from organizations and corporations responsible for foresight and strategic planning. Previous workshop attendees from associations, government agencies, small businesses, large corporations, and independent consultants have all found it very useful.
What you’ll learn: Three experienced practitioners will provide their wisdom and hands-on experience in identifying trends, developing forecasts, creating stimulating scenarios, and discovering powerful visions for an organization. The course provides an introductory overview to the steps the Institute for Alternative Futures considers the core of visionary strategic planning and creating better futures.
How this knowledge can be applied: Participants can use the skills learned to monitor trends, design and use scenarios, and apply futures techniques to develop a better vision and strategies for a preferred future for their organizations. Practicing futurists will appreciate this opportunity to benchmark their tools and approaches against a leading futurist organization.

Faculty: Craig Bettles, futurist/researcher, Institute for Alternative Futures, Alexandria, Virginia
Clement Bezold, chairman of the board and founder, Institute for Alternative Futures; contributing editor, THE FUTURIST magazine, Alexandria, Virginia
Devin Fidler, futurist/project manager, Institute for Alternative Futures, Alexandria, Virginia

$200 members/$250 nonmembers (Register now!)
 

C-8 Industry Foresight and Value Innovation
Saturday, July 28, 2007
9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Developing insight into evolving technologies and lifestyles (using trend tracking, scenario planning, or similar tools) is merely the first stage in turning foresight into value for the benefit of an organization. "Stage two" futures work distills from foresight those optimal innovations that a specific company in a particular industry at a given time should pursue. This course teaches the "stage two" futures methods: how to get from seeing future trends to finding and capturing competitive value in these trends, given a company’s industry position, business model, operating environment, and brand-marketing platform. It shows managers how to extract value-enhancing innovation from the sea of general future possibilities, and know how to navigate change through value management. The program is an executive version of an MBA course in "Industry Foresight and Strategic Innovation" taught at various prominent business schools worldwide.

Who should attend: This course is relevant both to futures professionals who seek the tools to work more closely and deeply with client companies, and to managers who seek to be better able to apply future insights in their daily work. It will also be pertinent to those with an interest in the real challenges of senior management—taking general foresight forward to the specific challenge of setting direction for and determining the path of an organization under conditions of external uncertainty. It will be relevant to participants from business, nonprofit, and government sectors.
What you’ll learn: The course teaches participants an integrated method for going from general future studies to real-world innovation: how to turn foresight into value. It selects the best materials from both academic and business sources, including business case studies. It is pragmatic in style and approach.
How this knowledge can be applied: Participants will emerge knowing how to turn general trend insights into the specific initiatives for new products, services, and customer interfaces that furthers their organization’s goals. Where appropriate, attendees will have the opportunity to apply the tools learned to their own industry and company, and to take first steps in developing their own innovation agenda.

Faculty: Adam Gordon, director, The Future Studio; author, Future Savvy (forthcoming), Cardiff, United Kingdom

$225 members/$275 nonmembers (Register now!)

C-9 Advanced Systems Thinking for Professionals
Sunday, July 29, 2007
9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

This course examines advanced systems concepts and presents powerful analytical tools that professionals can use to understand complex systems. We'll begin with a quick review of basic system concepts, followed by an examination of advanced ideas and tools for solving real-life problems.

One of the most important tools presented in this course is an introduction to the Unified Modeling Language (UML) as a tool for capturing a designer’s vision of how a system should operate and for enabling communication of that vision to anyone who has a stake in the system. Before the advent of UML, systems development was often a hit-or-miss affair. Individuals working with complex business, organizational, or technical systems worked hard using traditional approaches to assess the needs of their clients, generate a set of requirements, and give that analysis to designers, developers or marketing experts in the hope that the final product and/or service was the system that the client wanted.

Using the traditional approach, the potential for error lurks at every stage of the process. The designer may have misunderstood the client or vice versa; the results of the designer's analysis might not have been clear to others in the organization so that the result is a system that is difficult to use, does not do what it was meant to do, and is not a solution to the client’s original problem. Consequently, many of the systems in common use today are inefficient, clunky, cumbersome, and difficult to use.

Furthermore, it is a fact that chaos and disorder are often responsible for spontaneously generating new order in complex human-constructed systems, contrary to the classical mechanistic worldview that still dominates contemporary thinking. This means that the very foundations of many social, political, and scientific theories are faulty. The developing field of complexity theory shows that we live in a world in which all things are linked by a web of interconnectivity and where the total effect of behavior is rarely equal to the sum of individual actions. This course presents advanced tools to help professionals more effectively understand—and get a grip on—highly complex and chaotic problems.

Who should attend: CEOs, executive managers, futurists, technical professionals, social workers, military/peacekeeping personnel, inventors, and software developers will benefit from this course.
What you’ll learn: Participants will learn how to: 1) understand the language of modern systems thinking; 2) learn how to construct and interpret advanced flow diagrams; 3) use tools such as the UML for the analysis of complex, dynamic, evolving systems; 4) avoid the obvious "solutions" that actually end up making things worse; 5) step outside of negative recursive loops; 6) understand when an attempted "solution" is actually causing the problem; 7) see the world from the point of view of a web of interactions and linkages; and 8) become more effective at managing their professional career, finances, health, and relationships.
How this knowledge can be applied: Participants will be able to apply the principles and tools of systems thinking to the solutions of the most difficult, complex, interlinked, real-life problems they face on a daily basis.

Faculty: Paul D. Tinari, director, Pacific Institute for Advanced Study, Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada

$225 members/$275 nonmembers  (Register now!)

C-10 How to Think Like a Futurist (two-day course)
Saturday, July 28, 2007 and Sunday, July 29, 2007
9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

This course is an intensive introduction to all aspects of studying the future, giving particular attention to the intellectual characteristics and practical strategies which futures work requires. The course consists of three components. The first is a brief presentation of a study that covers the professional and psychological preparations individuals must undertake to effectively engage the future.

The second component includes exercises for both individuals and teams. We will cover the "why," "when," and "how" of useful techniques, including trend identification and extrapolation, cross-impact analysis, expert judgment (Delphi), environmental scanning, moot hearings, trees, signed digraphs, and scenarios. For each one of these methods, participants will be carried through a practical example, advised about when and how to use the technique, and informed about relative costs and requirements for special training or equipment. A team assignment taking a minimum of two hours (completed during the interval between the two days) will require substantial group work and is designed to solidify the course material in the minds of the participants.

The third component involves presentation and critical reviews by the members of the teams as well as by the instructor.

There are no preliminary requirements. Everything needed will be supplied on site. The participants must be prepared to work strenuously in a high-pressure intellectual setting.

Who should attend: Professional and avocational futurists as well as those who wish to better understand, interpret, and use futures material will benefit from this course.
What you’ll learn: Attendees will experience all aspects of studying the future, giving particular attention to the intellectual conditions and practical strategies and tools which futures work requires. All concepts will be demonstrated and reinforced by examples drawn from first-hand experience.
How this knowledge can be applied: Individuals will be able to apply practical strategies and futurist tools to their everyday lives.

Faculty: Joseph F. Coates, president, Joseph F. Coates Consulting Futurist, Inc.; co-author, 2025: Scenarios of U.S. and Global Society Reshaped by Science and Technology; author of over 500 articles and reports to clients on the future, Washington, D.C. Web site: www.josephcoates.com.

$350 members/$400 nonmembers  (Register now!)
 

C-11 Exploring the Future Toolkit: The Strategy Matrix
Saturday, July 28, 2007
9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Strategic exploration is an important futuring skill that examines how key issues such as trends, innovations, and paradigm shifts affect individuals and organizations. Leaders who explore the future learn how to avoid the "unintended consequences," how to minimize the dangers, and how to take advantage of the opportunities that lay ahead. This workshop explores a structured way of examining the possible impact of events on strategic objectives and offers participants a way to introduce futuring skills in a variety of educational settings.

The Strategy Matrix® is an exploration tool for exploring the possible impact of trends, innovations, policy changes, events, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats on an organization’s strategic objectives and key characteristics. In a structured matrix format, a row item is assessed for its short-term and long-term impact on a strategic objective or key characteristic. Powered by new software with extensive reporting and graphing capability, the Strategy Matrix® provides key information to enhance organizational decision-making. The software features a new application, which adds a powerful, quantified approach to traditional SWOT analysis.

Who should attend: Anyone interested in exploring how trends, innovations, and paradigm shifts might affect their organization’s strategic objectives and key characteristics. Anyone interested in using simulations and experiential exercises to teach and learn futuring skills.
What you’ll learn: Attendees will earn certification in the Strategy Matrix®, an exploration tool, and a one-year software license. After completing a post-class assignment, attendees will be able to apply and teach the Strategy Matrix® to others and apply it to their own organizations. (This is not a certification training in the Implications Wheel® process.)
How this knowledge can be applied: Participants will be able to apply this strategic exploration tool to their organizational, professional, and personal environments.

Faculty: Andrew Barker, matrix trainer, Institute for Strategic Exploration, St. Paul, Minnesota
Joel A. Barker (introduction only), president, Infinity Limited Inc.; futurist and independent scholar; chairman, Institute for Strategic Exploration; on-screen host, Joel Barker’s Leadershift: Five Lessons for Leaders in the 21st Century, St. Paul, Minnesota
A.J. Schreier, associate, Institute for Strategic Exploration, St. Paul, Minnesota
James W. Schreier, associate, Institute for Strategic Exploration, St. Paul, Minnesota

$275 members/$325 nonmembers  (Register now!)
 

Nanotechnology involves the design, characterization, production, and application of structures, devices, and systems by controlled manipulation of size and shape at the nanometer scale (atomic, molecular, and macromolecular scale). Nanotechnology engineering is intended to produce structures, devices, and systems with at least one novel/superior characteristic or property. Although the full potential of nanotechnology will ultimately be realized in the distant future, basic research in nanoscience is rapidly producing commercially viable products. In fact, governments and industries across the globe are investing billions of dollars in research. Clearly, international rivalries are growing and political alliances and battle lines are beginning to form. In 2005, governments, corporations, and venture capitalists globally spent almost $10 billion (U.S. dollars) on nanotechnology R&D while emerging nanotechnology was incorporated into more than $30 billion in manufactured goods. Given this backdrop, the potential future impact of nanotechnology could be huge. Public perception has also been steadily increasing as mention of nanotechnology in the media has dramatically risen in the past few years.

This symposium focuses on nanotechnology’s interdisciplinary nature, highlighting cutting-edge R&D in nanomedicine, nanoelectronics, and nanomaterials. The presentations will explore commercial opportunities and offer networking opportunities to researchers from industry, government, academia, and other professionals. We will discuss current factors fueling nanotechnology’s growth, start-up opportunities, and potential bottlenecks to viable commercialization. We will also examine future societal, environmental, ethical, and privacy issues which may arise; the impact of nanotechnology on the future soldier and warfare; and the vital role of U.S. regulatory agencies, such as the FDA, EPA, and the U.S. Patent Office.

Topics to be discussed include:

The role of nanomedicine in cardiology;

Ethical, privacy, and policy considerations in nanotechnology;

Nanosystems for targeted drug and gene delivery;

Regulatory issues in nanotechnology;

Nanotechnology’s impact on the medical device industry;

Nanotechnologies for the global good;

Nanotechnologies for defense;

Advances in nanotechnology for cancer diagnosis and therapy;

Ten classic nanotech products in the market today.

All registered attendees will receive issues of the peer-reviewed journal Nanotechnology Law & Business as well as a 500-page handbook containing classic papers and reference materials pertaining to nanotechnology and nanoscience.

Who should attend: Citizens; futurists; lawyers; engineers; regulators; legislators; researchers from industry, government, and academia; physicians; intellectual property practitioners; business and economic development professionals; technology transfer specialists; policy makers; venture capitalists; and health-care professionals.
What you’ll learn: Attendees will get a glimpse of the coming revolution in nanotechnology and nanoscience. As we enter the "golden era" of nanotechnology in the next decade, with additional breakthroughs accruing, attendees will experience how nanotechnology will impact every aspect of human existence in novel and revolutionary ways.
How this knowledge can be applied: This information will prepare you for the profound impact of nanotechnology in the coming years.

Faculty: Orlando Auciello, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois
Raj Bawa, president, Bawa Biotechnology Consulting LLC, Ashburn, Virginia; associate editor, Nanomedicine; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York
Charles W. Boylen, Darrin Fresh Water Institute, Lake George, New York
Rutledge Ellis-Behnke, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts; University of Hong Kong, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, Hong Kong
Drew Harris, Graves, Dougherty, Hearon & Moody, Austin, Texas
Chid Iyer, Sughrue Mion PLLC, Washington, D.C.
Stephen B. Maebius, Foley & Lardner LLP; editor-in-chief, Nanotechnology Law & Business, Washington, D.C.
Alan Minsk, Arnall, Golden & Gregory, Atlanta, Georgia
Edward Moran, Deloitte & Touche LLP; member, Board of Advisors, NanoBusiness Alliance, New York, New York
Sander Rabin, Saratoga Technology Accelerator, Convergent Technology Patent Law Group, Saratoga, New York
Chiming Wei, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; editor-in-chief, Nanomedicine, Baltimore, Maryland

$345 members/$395 nonmembers  (Register now!)
 

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