There has been significant growth of foresight in parliaments in recent years, highlighted by the World Summits of the Parliamentary Committees of the Future in 2022 and 2023. This paper is a scanning report of a sample of those activities along with insights and observations on parliamentary foresight. Specifically this paper explores those developments and activities in the context of anticipatory governance in and through parliaments, considers the impediments to creating and sustaining foresight, identifies ideal foresight attributes and functions, samples the types of parliamentary foresight efforts pursued, and provides observations on the growth and spread of parliamentary foresight.
This article explores the future of genomics in Mexico by 2030. It addresses the research questions: what are the potential futures of genomic sequencing in Mexico towards 2035? and what is the impact of this technology for healthcare, agriculture and biodiversity conservation? Previous studies have highlighted genomic sequencing on a global scale. This research fills a gap, by focusing on the local ethical and regulatory challenges in Mexico. Foresight methods like Futures Triangle, 2x2 Matrix, Causal Layered Analysis, coupled with Horizon Scanning and expert interviews, led to four scenarios centered on technology costs and ethical challenges and key uncertainties. Findings emphasize foresight's strategic value in complex fields such as genomic sequencing, contributes to anticipating rapid genomic advances that could present both challenges and opportunities and it enhances strategic pathways for navigating future diverse scenarios.
This study examines Peru's technological progress through innovation and development Scenarios Towards 2050, based in the theoretical foundations of technological foresight. This study examines trends and scenarios using the real-time Delphi method to identify key drivers in sustainability, the digital economy, education, and scientific-technological capacity. Four scenarios were developed using the deductive approach based on two uncertainties: "Innovative Synergy 2050: Peru as a Technological Epicenter of Latin America", "Disconnection 2050: Innovation Trapped in the Laboratory", "Technology Gap 2050, The Decline of Innovation in Peru", and "Technological Oasis in the Academic Desert, Peru 2050". The first one was defined as a target scenario through the Probability, Desirability, and Governability analysis. Finally, strategies to build this scenario were proposed using the backcasting method.
Futures thinking was in the minds of historical figures in the Philippines prior to all the current initiatives, conversations, and desk work on it, but without the rigid systematic, methodical, and theoretical orientations that modern advocates and scholars provide. Filipino heroes in the 19th century, like those in the propaganda movement in Europe, aspired for a desired future for a forlorn country in the hands of the Spanish colonizers. In this essay, we claim that Jose Rizal was one of these pioneers of Philippine futures thinking and foresight, exemplified by his intellectual exercise and character traits. The essay takes cues from observations made by Rizal are integrated into the schema of fundamental elements constituting environmental scanning, as delineated by Jen Coote. Additionally, the present essay classifies the socio-political prognostications articulated by Jose Rizal as either positive or negative according to their expected or perceived future outcomes.
This study examines Ethiopian secondary school students' images of the future, focusing on their personal, national, and global perspectives. Using a survey research design, data were collected from 443 students through structured questionnaires. Analyses included descriptive statistics, t-tests, and ANOVA. The findings revealed that while most students expressed optimism about their personal futures, they were largely pessimistic about national and global challenges, including economic inequality, environmental degradation, and political instability. Notably, optimism about personal futures declined during critical adolescent years. These results suggest that students may struggle to perceive the interconnectedness between broader societal issues and their individual lives. The study highlights the importance of integrating future-oriented curriculum practices to foster spatial and temporal awareness and support students' identity formation and future planning. This research contributes to understanding the role of education in shaping young people's images of the future and their capacity to navigate complex societal challenges.
