Bio

I just finished my work as a Dean of Dubai Future Academy at Dubai Future Foundation that I have been engaged with since early 2020 . Previously I have worked as a professor of futures studies in Finland Futures Research Center which is situated in University of Turku, its School of Economics. I am also Unesco Chair of learning for transformation and planetary futures. I have worked far over 25 years with futures research and it has given me a tour de forcé of interesting topics to deal with: Future of technologies, culture, food, climate change etc. etc. At times I have been outside academic institutions, particularly when I worked couple of years with world largest private insurance company Allianz in Munich, leading their work on trends and strategic research. My past research focuses on three major themes: First, I have done research long-term societal waves, and particularly the emerging next wave. I am publishing a book on that topic early next year, called ''Patterns of the Future'', by World Scientific Publishing house. Second, I have been working with my research team on future of organizations and work, trying to understand how breaking the old industrial modes of work can bring incredible results. Thirdly, I am picking up with my research team the issue of future of cities, building an understanding, how cities of the future could be more human focused, healthy and mobile. I am still very much into environmental issues and sustainability. I work with corporations that wish to understand responsibility in a more fuller sense. Climate change, resource scarcity and natural environments (my old occupation is a professional gardener) are my dear topics As a Unesco Chair for Learning Society and Futures of Education, I am now diving deeper into issues of educational issues and learning all around the globe. I wish I can be of help to anyone wishing to build a more human focused learning environments. Lastly, I am also very willing to bring futures research and foresight into the level, where it can provide a better platform for understand the contingencies of the future. This work now continues with my new employment in Dubai Future Academy, which is one unit of Dubai Future Foundation