The Scottish Parliament's think-tank
This event, held on 19 February 2025 at the Scottish Parliament, brought together educators, policymakers, and researchers to discuss the responsible integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in Scottish schools. The event gave an opportunity for…
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This event, held on 25 March at the Scottish Parliament, brought together a group of education leaders, educationalists, policy makers and relevant education stakeholders for an exploratory discussion on possible futures for artificial intelligence (AI) in Scottish schools.
Friday 23 August 2024, at the Scottish Parliament Part of the 2024 Festival of Politics, this panel discussion explored the challenges and opportunities artificial intelligence (AI) and deepfake technology present to democracies. The panel included…
Tuesday 17 September 2024, at the Scottish Parliament This event, held on 17 September 2024 at the Scottish Parliament, showcased innovative approaches to integrating AI in education, highlighting its potential to enhance learning, foster creativity,…
Friday 23 August 2024, at the Scottish Parliament As part of the 2024 Festival of Politics, Scotland’s Futures Forum helped the Scottish Parliament mark its 25th anniversary with a panel discussion reflecting on its achievements,…
Are creative humans still relevant. This Festival of Politics debate in August 2024 explored the impact of AI on Scotland’s creative sector.
Tuesday March 19 2024 This event continued our critical conversation on the policies, strategies and practices shaping artificial intelligence’s future in Scottish schools. It brought together educators, academics and other experts and provoked discussions on…
22 April 2024 Scotland aims to achieve ‘net zero’ by 2045, but the Scottish Government announced, in April, that the interim 2030 target is unreachable highlighting the significant challenges ahead. By bringing together MSPs and…
How are parliaments changing to respond to the climate and biodiversity emergencies? How are they supporting their elected members to deal with the issues..
Malini Mehra, chief executive of GLOBE International, joins parliamentarians in the COP pavilion to provide an update on how conference negotiations are going.
This seminar in November 2023 explored the levers that we can use in education and learning to make the best use of artificial intelligence.
This event in October 2023 explored how we can use our land to underpin food security, maintain sustainable communities, & meet climate & biodiversity targets
This blog by David Waite, Richard Crisp and Anne Green reflects on different ideas of economic change and where they’ve come from.
An update from the Scottish Parliament’s think-tank on its work in autumn 2023. This includes information about a public debate in October.
This panel discussion in October 2023 explored how fair Scotland is as a country. Complete equality of outcome is impossible – so what does success look like?
What can be done to tackle the giants of 21st century poverty? This seminar in August 2023 with the David Hume Institute and Professor Danny Dorling explored whether Scotland is providing some answers.
If all political parties in Scotland are committed to tackling poverty, why has more progress not been made? This Festival of Politics debate in August 2023 explored Scotland’s poverty problem.
Post-pandemic and in a cost-of-living crisis, how can new economic ideas help us shape the future? This Festival of Politics debate in August 2023 explored how our economy could and should work.
How can Scotland create fair and sustainable communities? This Festival of Politics debate in August 2023 explored the role of and future for our land in Scotland.
With Scotland facing the challenges of a climate emergency and rising inequality, this seminar in June 2023 explored business purpose and making a good living.
This seminar in June 2023 explored the disruptive effect of artificial intelligence on education and skills. How could & should AI influence learning?
A half-day conference in May 2023 with the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee on the relationship between local and central government.
With Scotland facing the challenges of a climate and ecological emergency, rising inequality and an ageing population, this seminar in April 2023 explored the idea of a just transition.
With Scotland facing the challenges of a climate and ecological emergency, rising inequality and an ageing population, this seminar in February 2023 explored the idea of a wellbeing economy
A toolkit with seven key questions to scrutinise the design and use of artificial intelligence – for parliaments and others.
A contribution to the National Discussion on Scottish education from the Futures Forum and Goodison Group in Scotland.
Event in November 2022 with the Scottish Parliament Finance Committee on taxation in Scotland.
A forum debate in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday 8 November 2022 on Scottish education as part of the National Discussion on Education.
Podcast of “Data Vultures Destroying Democracy” debate, from the 2022 Festival of Politics, on the increasing role of data in our society and the implications for democracy.
A Futures Forum debate at the Festival of Politics on 11 August 2022 on disinformation, new media and democracy. In partnership with the CPG on Tibet.
A summary of the Futures Forum’s work on the future of democracy from 2021 and 2022: Environment, Technology and Participation.
This report uses events at COP26 to identify a pathway for Parliaments in tackling the climate and biodiversity emergencies.
This seminar in June 2022 focused on what happens when decisions made by algorithm don’t work as intended: who is accountable and how are they held accountable?
A short review of the responses of Parliaments around the world to the development of artificial intelligence [AI].
A discussion on 7 June 2022 with the Goodison Group in Scotland on building a compelling vision for Scottish education.
To mark Seachdain na Gàidhlig in 2022, the Futures Forum asked several Gaelic speakers to share their views of the future. These are their blogs.
If a week is a long time in politics, how can Parliaments and Governments take decisions for our long-term future? This seminar in March 2022 explored what Scotland can learn from Wales.
Round-table discussion in March 2022 with Scottish Parliament Education Committee: How will and should the learning experience in schools continue to change alongside developments in society and technology?
Round-table discussion in February 2022 with Scottish Parliament Education Committee: In a time of change, who should run Scotland’s schools?
This COP26 event asked parliamentarians, advisers, citizens & academics to explore how Parliaments must evolve in the context of a Code Red for humanity.
After taking part in a 2021 Festival of Politics event on Scotland as a sustainable society in 2045, writer James Robertson shares his reflections on our future
Online discussion from September 2021: What does a sustainable Scotland look like? How can we build a society that works for all our citizens? What changes do we need to make as individuals?
18 August 2021 – Online seminar with Scotland’s Climate Assembly: How should Scotland change to tackle the climate emergency in an effective and fair way?
Can we do politics differently? This seminar in January 2021 explored what the Scottish Parliament can learn from the work of the Citizens’ Assembly of Scotland.
Conference asking participants to take a step back from the day-to-day challenges of Covid-19 and consider the future: where next for education in Scotland?
As part of our conference with the Goodison Group in Scotland “What’s next for education in Scotland?” , we were keen to highlight the great work and innovation already possible in Scottish education and learning,…
The Scotland 2030 Programme has been an investigation into the kind of country we want Scotland to be in 2030 and beyond. Through it, Scotland’s Futures Forum has explored how Scottish culture and society is…
Throughout the Scotland 2030 Programme, our event participants shared their thoughts and ideas on how to approach the future. These are 10 ideas for the Scottish Parliament to consider – with some background information to…
Stories, artwork and other creative reflections on Scotland’s future produced during the Futures Forum’s Scotland 2030 Programme
Scotland’s Futures Forum, the Scottish Parliament’s think-tank, is today publishing the findings of its Scotland 2030 Programme, looking at what sort of country we might become, and what our response might be to the great…
Tha Prògram Alba 2030 air a bhith na rannsachadh air an t-seòrsa dùthaich a tha sinn a’ miannachadh a bhios ann an Alba ann an 2030 agus nas fhaide air adhart. Troimhe, tha Fòram Alba…
Thursday 19 November 2020, 7pm to 8.30pm, online and free As Scotland’s Futures Forum publishes its report into Scotland in 2030 and beyond, join an expert panel at the Scottish Parliament’s Festival of Politics to…
After her participation in a 2020 Festival of Politics event on Scotland in 2030, chaired by Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh MSP, writer and presenter Tomiwa Folorunso shares her reflections on the next 10 years. Open the…
Land-use analysis of three sites in two Scottish cities shows that private cars are taking more than their fair share of the available space. The research was conducted by Marli de Jongh, a PhD student…
What could schooling, education and learning look like in 2030 and beyond? Starting with this question, the Goodison Group in Scotland and Scotland’s Futures Forum have been exploring education, schooling and learning in 2030 and…
Tuesday 10 March 2020, at the Scottish Parliament To mark the publication of the Futures Forum and Goodison Group in Scotland report exploring the future of education in Scotland, leading figures from Scottish education joined…
Wednesday 4 March 2020, at the Scottish Parliament In conjunction with the David Hume Institute, Scotland’s Futures Forum held a seminar in March 2020 with Olli-Pekka Heinonen, the Director General at the Finnish National Agency…
Wednesday 5 February 2020, at the Scottish Parliament What jobs will there be in a net zero Scotland? With a climate emergency to respond to while new technology pushes at boundaries and disrupts our lives,…
Tuesday 10 September and Thursday 30 January 2020, at the Scottish Parliament Open the Scotland 2030 Leadership in Education report Scotland’s Futures Forum and the Goodison Group in Scotland continued their exploration of education in…
With the Goodison Group in Scotland, the Futures Forum has been investigating the future for schooling, education and learning in Scotland, looking to 2030 and beyond. In a series of interactive seminars, participants from a…