A History of the Next 10 Years

Many believe that the recent recession has heralded a new era in our social, economic, and political development.

If they are right, then the next decade could well be critical to our development over the rest of this century. In many ways, the course of the next 10 years is already apparent. Using the tools of professional futurists, we can see how the shape of the coming decade has taken form.

Drawing upon the Europe Chapter 2010-11 program, this session will outline some of the models that help us to put the next decade into perspective and will identify some of the key trends that may prove to be formative as events unfold. It will consider developments in the realms of society and politics, and it will take a view on the long-term economic trends that will shape the decade.

Who should attend: Those who are interested in putting current events into a longer-term perspective and wish to gain an understanding of how events might unfold in the near future. This would include those with an interest in business, public policy makers, members of the third sector, and all those with an interest in the next 10 years.

What you’ll learn: How we have managed to arrive where we are today and what our reasonable prospects are for the next 10 years.

How this new knowledge can be applied: The session will create awareness of the immediate future to allow those attending to be able to plan more effectively for their immediate future.

Stephen Aguilar-Millan, director of research at the European Futures Observatory; director, The Greenways Partnership, a firm of consulting futurists, Suffolk, United Kingdom

keywords: economy, recovery, society, geopolitics