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Calling researchers and practitioners: Apply by June 30 for our Futuring Masterclass

News published:  23/06/2025

As cities around the world grapple with climate change, social inequality, and rapid urbanization, the push toward more sustainable and just urban futures have never been more urgent. Yet many dominant visions – like the much-hyped ‘smart city’ – remain steeped in techno-utopian ideals.

Where do these future visions come from? And how can we begin to imagine – and create – alternative urban futures?

A new masterclass at SLU Campus Alnarp, launching in fall 2025, aims to tackle these questions head-on. 

Centered on the concept of futuring, the course invites researchers and urban practitioners to critically explore how the futures we imagine shape the decisions we make today.

"Over five interactive half-day sessions we will dive into the politics and power dynamics behind future-making. From foresight and modelling to participatory scenarios and arts-based experimentation, the masterclass offers a deep dive into a variety of futuring methods", says Nina Vogel, Programme Director at SLU Urban Futures. 

Hands-on workshops will allow attendees to apply these tools directly to their own work, whether in research, policy, or planning. Each session blends expert lectures with collaborative experimentation, and participants are encouraged to bring their own cases and perspectives to the table.

The program is open to professionals and academics across disciplines and levels of seniority, with a shared interest in shaping more equitable and imaginative urban futures.

“I hope to generate excitement about the possibilities of futuring techniques to challenge the status quo and build more just and sustainable futures”, says Lisette van Beek, Postdoc, Social scientist, Lund University. 

Send your application before June 30

Full detail and application form are available here

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