Mini-Trip Reports

Mini Trip Report: Jeju, Seoul, and Gimcheon, South Korea

July 18-23, 2017

The Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry brought be to Korea to keynote their 42^nd Korea Jeju Forum. In addition to the usual MP work/tech insights I suggested: the identify their improvement system, then improve that system with online applications and AI (as advocated by Doug Englebart inventor of the mouse, hyperlinking and other group ware techniques); focus on qualitivity not just productivity; explore synergistic intelligence, not just competitive intelligence; connect their strategic planning with ways to anticipate synergies among next technologies (NT); plan to augment workers with NT as possible; seek relation of the 4IR with the biological revolution, self-actualizing economies, and the coming Conscious-Technology Age; and tie it all together with their own collective intelligence system.

Just before the keynote Youngsook Park, Chair of the Korean Node of The Millennium Project and I met again with the Governor of Jeju to build on the idea of creating a national AI center. We suggested he consider the concept proposed by Ben Goertzel: SingularityCoin to facilitate the operation of SingularityNet, a “Decentralized Self-Organizing Cooperative” comprised of AI-controlled software and hardware agents using smart contracts and MIT media lab Dr John Clippinger idea of issuing Green Coin now called Swytch Token, for Jeju Island. MP Korea is now becoming the core center of Initial Coin Offering (ICO) for cryptocurrency and blockchain experts coming to collaborate with MP Korea. Also while in Jeju I gave a seminar at the Jeju National University on environmental scanning, collective intelligence systems, State of the Future Index, and participatory systems.

Then the next two days (Seoul and Gimcheon) were organized by Youngsook Park, chair of the Korean Node of The Millennium Project. In Seoul I gave a talk on methods plus the MP Future Work/Tech 2050 Global Scenarios, which ended in a mini workshop/discussion groups on strategies to address the issues in the scenarios. Then the next day on to Gimcheon for another similar seminar at Youngsook Park’s Gimcheon multi-use center (solar panels feeding the local electric grid, seminar center, guest house, and agriculture and aquaculture production.

Some press coverage:

• http://news.mt.co.kr/mtview.php?no=2017071918490421194&outlink=1&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.naver.com
• http://www.yonhapnews.co.kr/photos/1990000000.html?cid=PYH20170719251900056&input=1196m
• http://www.gukjenews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=743666

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Mini Trip Report: Silicon Valley

July 14, 2017

En route to South Korea, I stopped off in Silicon Valley to meet with Members of the Silicon Valley Node of The Millennium Project and others interested in helping to create a workshop on to explore long-range strategies to address issues raised in the Future Work/Technology 2050 Global Scenarios. The meeting was held at Singularity University hosted Jonathan Knowles, head of Academic Programs.

The workshop is tentatively planned as a 1.5 day session for late Fall or Winter. It was suggested the one valuable result could be an open collective intelligence platform that integrates the results of all the workshops around the world and invites continuous updates and improvements. The “platform” should act as a kind of ‘expert system’ to allow “continuous updates and improvements” informed by real policy strategies, impacts, and adjustments, from government and major corporations down to the individual level. For every input, at any level, an organization or individual should be able to anticipate what the reactions of other players and output might be. From outputs, it should be able to show what is both politically and economically feasible and sustainable.

In addition to Singularity University other sponsors/partners to be explored are Autodesk, Carnegie Endowment, Stanford University, Governor’s Office California, City of San Jose, Intel, SRI, and RAND. Brock Hinzmann will call the workshop steering committee together once every two weeks or month to review progress.

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Mini Trip Report: Monterrey, Toluca, and Mexico City, Mexico 

May 14-18, 2017

Concepción Olavarrieta, Chair of the Mexican Node of The Millennium Project organized two Future Work/Technology 2050 Workshops:  one in Monterrey in the same conference room for the RIBER meeting a few weeks ago sponsored by TecMilenio University and the other workshop in Toluca sponsored by the Institute of Public Administration of the State of Mexico and Colegio Mexiquense. Two former MP Tele-Interns from Technologico de Monterrey participated in the first workshop.

The visit began with a fabulous lunch produced by Concepción at her home with some of the authors of the forthcoming Mexico 2050 – a chapter each on the 15 Global Challenges relative to the future of Mexico.  The visit ended with another fabulous dinner at Concepción’s home with the Director of EGADE Business School Mexico, Tecnologico de Monterrey; and the Associate Vice President, Government Relations of Tecnologico de Monterrey. EGADE is considered the leading business school of Latin America. As a result of this dinner, we agreed in principle to hold the next MPPC Meeting in Mexico City in October or November – details to be worked out soon so you can plan ahead. Thank you Jose Cordeiro (Chair MP Venezuela Node and Pres. of RIBER) for initiating this conversation and to Concepción for making in concrete. Although the Dubai Police Department confirmed the first session of the futures methodology training program, it did not decide to sponsor the MPPC meeting. So, we are happy to meet in Mexico.

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Mini Trip Report: Jeju and Seoul, Korea

April 27-May 1, 2017

The Jeju Development Institute brought me to Korea to address their 20^th Anniversary event.  http://www.newsis.com/view/?id=NISX20170428_0014862691&cID=10813&pID=10800 While in Jeju Governor Won of Jeju interviewed me for a two-part TV show about the future work technology strategies to be broadcast in a few days http://www.ihalla.com/read.php3?aid=1493517482564414073

The Governor was an original member of the Korean Node when he was in Parliament in Seoul and is expected to be a successful presidential candidate in five or ten years. I recommended Jeju create an AI center for R&D and training, that might create a relationship with Elon Musk’s new NeuraLink Company to create a brain-AI interface he calls neural lace. The Governor liked the idea and appointed Youngsook as an advisor on the project. Governor Won has already signed an agreement with Tesla Motors.

While in Jeju I met with Benjamin Butler, founder of Emerging Future Institute (Hong Kong) at the recommendation of Puruesh Chaudhary (Pakistan Node Chair) and Youngsook Park (Korean Node Chair) who attended a recent meeting on Asia futures. They discussed an Asia regional organization much like RIBER and FEN.  Benjamin also expressed interest in creating the Hong Kong Node and maybe in Singapore as well.

Then back to Seoul for a talk on future work/tech 2050 and the second future work/tech workshop, all organized by Youngsook Park http://www.indaily.co.kr/client/news/newsView.asp?nBcate=F1014&nMcate=M1003&nScate=1&nIdx=32284&cpage=1&nType=1

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Mini Trip Report: Dubai

February 24-March 1, 2017

Greetings from Hind Hind AlMualla (هند المعلا), Dubai Millennium Project Node Chair and Paul Epping, the new Co-Chair of the Node who is Principal at Philips Healthtech and heads the Singularity Chapter in the UAE.

It looks like we may have the MP-PC meeting in Dubai in October or November with sponsorships by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), the Dubai Police Headquarters, and the Dubai Future Foundation DFF). All three have agreed in principle to sponsor the MP-PC meeting, but will probably be a month or so follow-up to make sure. As part of a three one-week futures methods training program for the Dubai Police we may create the Dubai SOFI and collective intelligence system for their Early Warning System. The Dubai SOFI and Dubai collective intelligence system might also have KHDA and DFF involved as well giving it a larger scope than just police matters.

At the suggestion of Puruesh Chaudhary, Pakistan Node Chair, The Eisenhower Fellows program brought me to Dubai to address their South Asia Rising Conference in Dubai. All the presentations should be available in a few days at their conference website: http://www.southasiarising.com/. Puruesh and Paul accompanied me to meetings with Cafe Scientifique of 1776 incubator (at the suggestion of Jose Cordeiro MP Venezuela Chair), Dubai Future Accelerators, Dubai Future Foundation (in the first 3D Printed Building), and ended with a great meeting with Hind and her staff.

As you may remember, the first MP Future Work/Tech Charrette workshop was held in Milano in cooperation with the Singular University Milano Chapter. The proposed future work/tech workshop in Dubai would also collaborate with Paul Epping’s SU Chapter in UAE. And just before I left for this trip, I had a good conversation with Ron Nail (the new head of Singularity University) who has agreed to work with MP to conduct the long-range work/tech workshop in Silicon Valley.

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Mini Trip report: Seoul, Korea

November 16-20, 2016

The Global Leaders Forum brought me to Seoul, Korea to speak about the future of work and the next economics. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hmg4ryTkdvA The founder of Atari and other leaders in IT, AI, and Singularity thought leaders gave really excellent talks. I assume all the talks will be available eventually on their website: http://glfchosun.com/en/main/main.php .

The Millennium Project Korean Node Chair Youngsook Park was the key shaper of the conference. Instead of the Korean President giving the welcoming address (due to the current political situation), Ben Goertzel (Artificial General Intelligence expert) brought an AI/Robot from Hong Kong to welcome all in Korean and conducted a little dialogue with the AI/Robot after the welcoming address – quite entertaining and we think it may have been the first time an AI/Robot gave the welcoming address to a conference – see https://www.facebook.com/ed.lantz/videos/10154674222973905/

And a first for me was to give different talks in three continents (Asia, Latin America, and Europe) within a 24 hour period (obviously via live video for two of them). In addition to the talk in Seoul, I talked about future ways of doing science for the 8th World Conference of Scientific Youth held in Lima, Peru http://www.slideshare.net/JeromeGlenn/future-ways-of-doing-science-science-world-conf-of-scientific-youth-peru-2016 and another talk on some global economic and technological trends affecting future of energy for the Azerbaijan 2025-Look into the Future Conference for SABAH groups in cooperation with Azerbaijan State Azerbaijan State Oil and Industrial University, Azerbaijan Future Studies Society and Youth Foundation under the President of Azerbaijan. https://www.facebook.com/reyhan.huseynova.5/videos/10154857296354887/

 

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Mini Trip report: Sao Paulo, Brazil

October 24, 2016

The Brazil Node Co-Chairs Rosa Alegria and Arnoldo Jose de Hoyos organized (on short notice) a Future Work/Tech mini Charrette Workshop in Sao Paolo (on UN Day October 24th) that opened with 170 people half of whom had read the Portuguese translation of the three global scenarios before coming to the workshop. There were five discussion groups. All agreed it was quite an exciting event.

Rosa organized press interviews and meetings with innovation and thought leaders who may help create the larger national workshop. There was a lot of interest in what other countries were coming up with for their long-range strategies.

The Graduate School of Engineering (COPPE) in Rio, along with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the SOFITEL hotels hosted my visit to Brazil to speak about the global situation and future prospects with climate change, epidemics, work/tech, and global challenges for the Graduate School of Engineering in Rio. https://ufrj.br/noticia/2016/10/21/jerome-glenn-profere-na-coppe-palestra-sobre-o-futuro. It seems they will make a video documentary and book based on the talk.

While in Rio, I visited the Museum of Tomorrow – quite dramatic and beautifully designed exhibits, yet there was very little on the future – mostly current scientific knowledge about sustainability and global warming problems but little on future opportunities. So, Rosa intends to get involved with the Museum to help its future evolution.

 

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Mini Trip report: Ljubljana, Slovenia

October 6-7, 2016

Blaz Golob, Millennium Project Chair of the Slovenian Node and South East European Node, and President of the Foresight European Network organized a very successful 6th annual Ljubljana Forum that explores the future of cities. See: http://www.ljubljanaforum.org/2016/. Both the Mayor and City Planner of Ljubljana acknowledged that these annual Forums contributed to the selection of Ljubljana as the Green Capitol of Europe for 2016 . I had the honor of keynoting the Forum for the third time. Cornelia Daheim (chair of the German Node of The Millennium Project) addressed the unique needs of increasing numbers of the elderly and disadvantaged in cities.

Petrol (the Slovenian oil company) sponsored my trip to help them explore post-oil futures at their senior management meeting. Blaz also organized several excellent meetings – we discussed implications of the work/tech 2050 global scenarios and other related global challenges with the Director of the Slovenian Government’s Strategy Group working on Vision 2050 of Slovenia, the CEO of BTC (Goods and Transport Centre – a city within a city for business development and commerce), and the head of city planning for Ljubljana. All expressed an interest in being part of a national steering committee to work with Blaz to create the national workshop on long-range strategies to address the issues in scenarios.

After the Forum, Blaz Golob convened the Foresight European Network’s Fall meeting that received reports from several MP Nodes and elected a new Vice President, Anna Sacio, from Poland. She begins as VP 1 January 2017 for 2 years. Cornelia Daheim is the current VP, who will rotate in as President 1 January 2017.

 

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Mini Trip report: Madrid, Bilbao, Spain

September 26-30, 2016

The Millennium Project’s Global Work/Technology 2050 Scenarios were explored in Madrid and Bilbao, Spain and the possibility of creating a national workshop on beginning to develop Spain’s long-range strategies to address the issues raised in the scenarios. A national steering committee to create the workshop is being formed by key representatives of BBVA, Telefonica, FIDE Foundation, Centre for Development of Industrial Technology, the Ministry of Labor, Ministry of Interior, and the newly elected Basque Parliament. Ibon Zugasti, Chair of the Millennium Project Node in Spain and Jose Cordeiro, President of RIBER (Red Iberoamericana de Prospectiva) will be leading this effort.

The Basque government sponsored my trip and funded a mini workshop on the Basque strategic implications of the 2050 Global scenarios. In both Bilbao and Madrid I gave several briefings on the project and the work/tech scenarios (see Spain Work Tech 2050 Scenarios and Workshops-Sept2016.pdf). You can see the status of national workshops on slide 29. Let me know if you would like to help develop the national workshop in your country.

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Mini Trip report: Seoul, South Korea

April 29-May 3, 2016

The Korea Testing Laboratory brought me to Korea to keynote their 50th anniversary celebration and talk with news media about future technolog requirements. http://www.edaily.co.kr/news/NewsRead.edy?SCD=JG21&newsid=01125046612644984&DCD=A00702&OutLnkChk=Y http://news1.kr/photos/details/?1906551 and http://news.mk.co.kr/newsRead.php?no=315531&year=2016

The following day, Youngsook Park, Chair of the Korean Node organized a workshop and mini half-day Charrette that developed elements for a national Korean strategy to address the issues in our Future Work/Technology 2050 RTDelphi’s and three alternative global scenarios. There were five Charrette discussion groups:

Education : How should education, training, and learning systems change? And what strategies will make that happen?
Government : Will a guaranteed income program become necessary? What kind? When? Cash flow projections to show what is possible?
S&T (AI/Robotics/synthetic biology/nanotech) changes affecting work by 2025, 2035, 2050?
Culture: What changes in culture will be needed? culture that says jobs/employment is the source of self-respect?
Business : What should be the roles of private business in a national long-range strategy? Reducing income gaps and concentration of wealth.
In a few weeks I will return to Korea along with Jose Cordeiro, Chair of the Venezuelan Node of The Millennium Project and Ben Goertzel a leader in Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) to hold larger conference and Charrette for a national strategy. Youngsook also organized media interviews, including with her new weekly TV show on a Buddhist network.

One reporter told me that the State of the Future reports adapted for the Korean audience are among the top ten best sellers every year for the past serval years.

Congratulations Youngsook!

All the best,

Jerry

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Mini Trip report: Baku, Azerbaijan

April 24-30 , 2016

Dear friends:

I was invited by Reyhan Huseynova from April 24th till April 30th to Baku, Azerbaijan, for participating at the Celebrations of the 10th anniversary of her Azerbaijan Futures Studies Society and the 6th Award Ceremony of the Global Millennium Prize. As a great hostess, Reyhan organized for me a wonderful program.

She asked me to give 3 talks:
1.DISCOVERING FUTURES at the Azerbaijan Foresight Club, on April 25th.
2. REGION FUTURES ROOM at the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, on April 28th
3. FUTURE STARS at the Award Ceremony of the Global Millennium Prize, on April 29th.

She arranged for me invitations to:
1. A private dinner organized by the Mexican Ambassador, with her sister Hijran Huseynova ( Chairperson of the State Committee on Family, Women and Children Affairs of Azerbaijan) her husband, Reyhan and her husband, the Azerbaijan former Ambassador to Mexico and me, on April 25th
2. The 7th Global Forum of the UNO Alliance of Civilizations, that was held on April 26th and 27th in Baku.

Special meeting with the Rector of the Azerbaijan State University of Economics, who showed great interest in organizing a new meeting with the MP.

I want to express in this email all my greatfullmess to Reyhan for the outstanding week, meeting many new people, enjoying her family, her friends, her students, her interns, her hospitality and learning about the great effort that she is doing for fostering MP Futures Studies, students interest in foresight and awakening new Ministers interest in Foresight benefits, etc.

Warm regards,

Concepcion Olavarrieta, Concepcion
Chair, Nodo Mexicano. El Proyecto Del Milenio, A.C.

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Mini Trip report: Paris

January 18-19 , 2016

Hi Everybody from soon to be buried Washington, DC in snow.

Joshua Polchar of OECD’s strategic foresight unit brought together the foresight or strategy (or related) officers for all the OECD divisions (for the first time in one room Joshua said) to introduce The Millennium Project. We focused mostly on the Global Futures Intelligence System and the State of the Future Index. OECD has its own index as an alternative to the GDP and will now explore the SOFI variables and approach.

Next I met with Sophia Richou, Chair of The Millennium Project’s French Node, Vincent Champain (former Deputy Minister of Foresight and not co-President of Observatoire du Long Term), Sophie Fay (Journalist), and the next day with Nathalie Cecutti (head of foresight for the Ministère de l’Écologie) and Riel Miller head of UNESCO’s foresight programs (and member of MP’s Planning Committee) to form a group to create the national planning workshop to begin the development of France’s long-range strategy to address future work/tech dynamics.

Hughes de Jouvenel brought Michael Godet, Riel Miller, and some other futurists in Paris together to introduce the 2015-16 State of the Future at Futuribles (the first think tank in Europe). And then I went on to lecture at ESCE and EBS private business schools arranged by Saphia. Afterwards I had a delightful dinner with the head of ESCE and EBS and Saphia about collaboration with their international system of higher education.

Now back to working on the Real-Time Delphi on the first of three alternative scenarios on future work/tech 2050.

Jetlagelly yours,

Jerry

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Mini Trip report: Finland

January 12-17 , 2016

Hi Everybody,

The Finnish International Studies Association brought me to keynote their conference to better integrate political science, international studies, and futures research. While in Finland I also addressed the Finnish Institute of International Affairs and the Finnish Futures Research Center’s Foresight Certificate Program at the University of Turku. I also meet with representatives of the Prime Minister’s Office, SITRA (Sustainable development think tank under Parliament), the Finish Future Society, and the Helsinki Node of the Millennium Project to form the group that will help create Finland’s work/technology national planning workshop to initiate Finland’s long-range strategy to address future work-tech dynamics. Sirkka Heinonen, chair of the Helsinki Node will call the first meeting of the group in a week or so to begin the planning for the workshop to be held – hopefully – sometime late spring.

Since the changes anticipated in economics and culture may take a generation or more to make according to the Future Work/Technology 2050 Real-Time Delphi and the alternative scenarios being prepared now, it is important to begin these national workshops as soon as possible and compare their initial results.

The full Future Work/Technology 2050 study has eight steps:
1. Literature and related research review
2. Real-Time Delphi international survey
3. Road maps and scenario drafts
4. Real-Time Delphi feedback on the draft road maps and scenarios
5. Final scenarios, policy implications, and production of an initial report
6. Initial report as input to national planning workshops
7. Collect results of the national planning workshops; analyze and synthesize results
8. Final report for public discussion

Next stop: Paris.

All the best,

Jerome C. Glenn, h.c. Dr. h.c. mult.
CEO, The Millennium Project www.millennium-project.org
Global Futures Intelligence System www.themp.org
2015-16 State of the Future millennium-project.org/millennium/201516SOF.html

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Mini Trip report: Beijing, China

September 18, 2015

The APEC China Business Council and APEC Business Advisory Council brought me to Beijing to give the opening address for the Global Innovator Conference and APEC Young Entrepreneurs Summit, which was covered by Xinhua news agency, CCTV, and others. I also had some short interviews with several local TV networks – so some good PR for The Millennium Project. The event also included the opening of a major new multi-purpose business incubator. All this is part of the government’s increasing focus on innovation and entrepreneurship – the theme repeated over and over in the major policy address by Premier Li Keqiang at the Global Economic Forum just held in China.

Zhouying Jin, Chair of the Beijing Node of The Millennium Project has gotten the Government of China to produce the annual State of the Future reports since the first edition in 1997. Since the government does not promote and advertise it, I held several discussions with those who were interested in having it produced commercially for the Chinese market. In addition, the Chinese Association of S&T is interested in producing the Chinese translation of Futures Research Methodology 3.0. They will be producing a series of books on the future of China 2045.

It is with great sadness that I learned that Rusong Wang, head of Urban Systems Ecology, Academy of Engineering and Academy of Natural Science who was active in the MP feasibility study 1992-95 and first Chair of the Beijing Node and then co-Chair passed away about two years ago – this is a great loss to both China and The Millennium Project.

On a happier note, please let your colleagues in Washington, D.C. know that the Washington launch of the 2015-16 State of the Future will be Friday October 2nd at 10:30 AM at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

All the best,

Jerome C. Glenn, h.c. Dr. h.c. mult.
CEO, The Millennium Project

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Mini Trip report: Mexico City, San Francisco, and Beijing

September 12, 2015

I am little behind in my mini Trip reports, but right on time with the 2015-16 State of the Future – hope you have read it and find it good enough to keep on your desk as a reference.

Mexico: Julio Millán, President of the World Future Society in Mexico brought me to Mexico City to speak about the next 100 years at a great conference on the future and on developing the Charter for the Obligations of Human Beings organized. Nice, the world has spent much time on human rights and should spend time too on obligations. Clem Bezold, José Cordeiro, and Bill Halal also spoke very well. Concepción Olavarrieta, chair of the Mexican Node of The Millennium Project organized excellent meetings with officials of government, universities, and the media.

San Francisco: The Millennium Project’s annual Planning Committee brought about 40 people from around the world to share their work and explore next steps on how we can collaborate and learn from each other to build a better future (many of ppts are available at millennium-pooject.org). Results of the Future Work/Technology 2050 Real-Time Delphi were reviewed and ideas for the construction of global work/tech 2050 scenarios and national planning workshops were explored. In addition to welcoming the New Node Chairs from Pakistan and Bulgaria, the Vice Chairman and President of the X-Prize presented ideas about collaborating with The Millennium Project on how to give a better international depth and futures analysis in developing and analyzing their roadmap on grand challenges. All in all an excellent meeting. The next two days many of us attended and spoke at the World Future Society Conference.

Beijing: The APEC China Business Council brought me to Beijing to give the opening address at the annual Global Innovator Conference http://www.y-int.com/speaker.html. I’ve just arrived so will let you know how it goes.

All the best,

Jerome C. Glenn, h.c. Dr. h.c. mult.
CEO, The Millennium Project

Mini Trip report: Turku, Finland

June 15, 2015

Turku is the old capital of Finland and now the home of the Finland Futures Research Center, which produced an excellent two-day conference of 260 participants from 33 countries.

The Prime Minister’s Office sponsored my trip to be the speaker for “Foresight Friday” organized by Sirkka Heinonen, the Co-Chair of the Helsinki Node. I shared the initial results of the Future of Work/Technology 2050 Real-Time Delphi study. The talk was live-streamed and may be archived by the PMO – if so, will let you know. It was a good talk and discussion. The Future of Work/Technology 2050 study has eight steps:

1. Literature and Related Research Review

2. Real-Time Delphi

3. Road Maps and Scenario Drafts

4. RTDelphi Feedback on the Scenarios

5. Final Scenarios, Policy Implications, and produce initial report

6. Initial Report as input to the National Planning Workshops

7. Collect results of the national planning workshops, analyze & synthesize results

8. Final report for public discussion

The PM’s representative thought a national planning workshop (step 6) would be a good idea for Finland and would report so to the Prime Minister. Sirkka and I also give a talk on Conscious-Technology (based on Future Mind, a book I wrote during the 1980s) as part of the main program of conference. Since there would be many of the European Node Chairs at the Turku conference, the Foresight European Network decided to hold a meeting after the conference to share current work, explore collaborations, and build synergies. Cornelia Daheim (Germany Node) and Ibon Zugasti (Spain Node) who co-chaired the meeting will send a note about the results. The new FEN website is: www.feneu.org. Now back to working on 2015-16 State of the Future. And then in a few days off to Mexico.

All the best,

Jerome C. Glenn, CEO

Mini Trip report: Astana, Kazakhstan

May 20-22, 2015

This was a quick two-day visit to Astana, Kazakhstan to speak on panel at the Astana Economic Forum about future of the world economy. Some of the others on the seven-person panel were Juha Kaskinen (rotating chair of the Millennium Project Node in Finland), John Naisbitt (futurist author), Richard Dobbs, Head of the McKinsey Global Institute, Kristel Van der Elst, Founder of the Global Foresight Group, the World Economic Forum. The Forum attracted about 3000 people, highlighted future potentials of Kazakhstan (the 9th largest country in the world) and its plans to become a member of OECD. A representative of the Prime Minister expressed interest in having Kazakhstan participate in the further development of the Global Futures System.

All the best,

Jerome C. Glenn, CEO
Mini Trip report: Paris (France), Bilbao (Spain)

February 13-15 , 2015
Six European Cities in Ten Days ending in Paris and Bilbao

Am finally back in Washington, DC after an intense run of through six European cities in 10 days ending with Paris and Bilbao.

In Paris, I spoke at Futuribles – probably the first think tank in Europe – to a mix of mostly business strategists at the invitation of Hugues de Jouvenel whose father wrote the great classic The Art of Conjecture. All professional futurists should know that book or at least his discussion of how the mind makes assertions about the future. Saphia Richou, the chair of The Millennium Project in France brought some of her students to the talk who conducted an interview with Hugues and me for their university work. Then – way too early in the morning – off to Bilbao, Spain.

Ibon Zugasti, Chair of The Millennium Project Node in Spain began the visit with a meeting with the head of the Basque Department of Labor. I made a presentation on the future of work and we discussed the proposed study of the future of work and technology and their department’s potential participation and support. The next day Ibon and I launched the 2013-14 State of the Future (downloadable in Spanish) and met with Mondragon University’s special unit on creative entrepreneurship with students creating new businesses.

For the historians in the group: February 14th was the 19th anniversary of The Millennium Project.

All the best,

Jerome C. Glenn, CEO

Mini Trip report: Sofia, Bulgaria

February 12 , 2015
The President of the Bulgarian Academy of Science and I signed a Memorandum of Understanding establishing the Bulgarian Node of The Millennium Project. Dr. Mariana Todorova is the Chair of the Node, who was the first in Bulgaria to receive a PhD in Futures Studies and is a Member of the Bulgarian Parliament. Her husband Dr. Boyan Ivantchev is the co-chair and pioneer in behavioral finance and neuroeconomics. Together they brought me to Sofia and organized the launch of the Millennium Project Node and the Bulgarian edition of the 2013-14 State of The Future (see cover below), plus several media interviews including appearance on leading night-time television show (see photos: http://www.slavishow.com/en/guests/#). Here is a link to another interview with some video clips: http://www.economy.bg/science/view/16786/Nad-50%25-ot-horata-po-sveta-shte-sa-genii-prez-2050-

Next stop, Paris and Futuribles.

Futuristically yours,

Jerome C. Glenn, CEO

Addition from Dr. Mariana Todorova, Chair of the Bulgarian Node:

Dear Jerry,

Your are a real ‘impact factor’ this week here in Bulgaria.

Here you can find some interviews/articles in which you and The Millennium Project were mentioned:

http://www.dnevnik.bg/tehnologii/2015/02/12/2470475_budeshteto_e_na_izkustveniia_intelekt_sintetichnata/

https://offnews.bg/news/Nauka_34/Shte-vzemat-li-robotite-rabotata-na-horata_459509.html

http://www.focus-news.net/news/2015/02/10/2023262/predstoyashti-sabitiya-v-stranata-za-10-fevruari-agentsiya-fokus.html

This is Slavi’s show:

http://www.btv.bg/video/shows/shouto-na-slavi/videos/dzheroum-glen-izkustvenijat-intelekt-shte-se-razvie-i-vsichki-shte-sme-angazhirani-v-po-inteligenten-svjat.html

http://www.economy.bg/science/view/16786/Nad-50%25-ot-horata-po-sveta-shte-sa-genii-prez-2050-

And the national TV broadcast: “Panorama”

http://bnt.bg/predavanyia/panorama/igra-na-geopolitika-v-panorama-13-02-2015

http://www.dnevnik.bg/tehnologii/2015/02/12/2470475_budeshteto_e_na_izkustveniia_intelekt_sintetichnata/

Best regards,

Mariana

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Mini Trip report: Warsaw, Poland

February 9-10 , 2015
The Polish Node of the Millennium Project organized a great visit. They brought me to Warsaw to help launch the State of the Future Indexes they created for the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia in cooperation which each of the Millennium Project Nodes of those countries. At the conference that shared the results of these SOFIs, I gave a talk on future-oriented governance. While in Warsaw I also gave a presentation about SIMAD (Single Individual Massively Destructive) and other future security issues to the National Intelligence Bureau of the Office of the President of Poland, was interviewed by the main monthly magazine, and reviewed plans for the future of the Node and gave a little training on GFIS. Next stop: Sofia, Bulgaria.

All the best,

Jerome C. Glenn, CEO

Addition from Norbert Kolos, Chair of the Polish Node:
It has been a great pleasure to host this very fruitful visit! Some quick additional points, which some of you might find interesting:

On the official website of the National Security Bureau there is a note summing up our visit (in their usual militarily succinct style) http://www.bbn.gov.pl/pl/wydarzenia/6414,Spotkanie-nt-roli-nowych-technologii-w-przewidywaniu-trendow-i-planowaniu-strate.html – only in Polish, but Google translate should give you a general idea. There is potential for projects for them, we’re working on that.
The papers describing SOFI results for V4 countries are underway and we will share them soon. The successful completion of this exercise may be a very good starting point for further work on a bigger SOFI Europe project, which could include not only a modified set of variables but also further improvements in the methodology. I know there is a big interest in that amongst other European nodes (as discussed at the recent meeting of the Foresight Europe Network). We’re looking for suitable funding sources for such a project – if anything comes to your mind, please share.
Jerry liked the “Future of Poland according to Google search results” infographic prepared by 4CF with the Polish Society for Futures Studies and inspired by this xkcd comic. Nothing serious, just a PR thing and loads of fun, but it was quickly picked up by major Polish media and as far as popularising futures studies goes, this was probably the most effective thing we’ve done so far (partly due to various info-boxes all around the timeline). So, if you would like to prepare something similar for your country – please go ahead! Lots of fun guaranteed. And if you need any hints, please let me know.
Thank you once again Jerry from the whole 4CF team and all the luck on the rest of you trip, Norbert

NORBERT KOŁOS / managing partner 4CF – Strategic Foresight / www.4CF.pl

Mini Trip report: Amsterdam, The Netherlands

February 8 , 2015
The Amsterdam University College brought me to Amsterdam to speak about the State of the Future. Several members of the Potential Dutch Node attended the talk including the former CEO of Royal Dutch Shell (retired in 2009). Shell was one of The Millennium Project sponsors back in 1997.

The next day I met with two of the organizers of the potential Dutch Node about various ways Nodes are structured and the range of their activities before running off to the Airport to the next step in this quick run around Europe: Warsaw, Poland.

All the best,

Jerome C. Glenn, CEO

Mini Trip report: Brussels, Belgium

February 6 , 2015
The European Commission’s KT (Knowledge Triangle of innovation, research, and higher education) 2050 scenarios project brought me back to Brussels for the fourth (and last) meeting of the team to review scenario drafts and suggest recommendations for EC priorities. A report is expected to be competed around the end of March, and then to layout and publishing in April. I will also serve on the review committee for the policy chapter of this report.

Next stop Amsterdam

All the best,

Jerome C. Glenn, CEO

Mini Trip report: Madrid, Spain

December 19 , 2014
Repsol Corporation brought me to Madrid to address their annual meeting of executive managers about future technologies with impactions for energy. In addition to an overview of tech, I also suggested that they create a State of the Future of Oil Index, create and update a full carbon sequence and reuse chart (Wikipedia-like), identify the Repsol “improvement system” … and then how to improve that with online software, consider “resilience” as well as efficiency – adaptation in nature but in civilization it is also anticipate, create, and adapt, and create a Repsol collective intelligence system. Following day I was asked to give more information about GFIS for the Technology R&D section of Repsol. Ibon Zugasti, Chairman of The Millennium Project Node in Spain also organized meeting at the National Intelligence Center where we gave background on MP, some future security issues, and GFIS to nearly 50 of their top analysts.

Happy Holidays!

Jerome C. Glenn, CEO

Mini Trip report: Seoul, Korea

December 12 , 2014
YTN (TV & Radio News Corporation) brought me to Seoul, Korea to keynote the YTN Future Strategy Forum about global foresight strategies for innovative future Korea. Youngsook Park, Chair of the Korean Node organized series of television interviews and meetings with two innovative start-up companies in low cost nanotech graphene production and the other in creating an education and intellectual property online platform that could promote MP materials and teaching. Youngsook arranged for me to speak about technologies that could reduce accidents at Aju University and to speak at SK Telcom’s special unit Singularity99 (accelerating tech for the 99% of the world). I also met with a senior representative of LS Group (a large Korean holding company) about MP relations. Youngsook sent a list of news media coverage of the visit listed below.

All the best,

Jerome C. Glenn, CEO

YTN broadcast live his keynote for 40 minutes on 10 December on channel 24.
http://www.ytn.co.kr/_ln/0102_201412110006063592
http://www.ytn.co.kr/_ln/0102_201412101701116988

YTN Science aired Jerry’s key note
http://science.ytn.co.kr/program/program_view.php?s_mcd=0082&s_hcd=&key=201412101057572547

YTN website printed Jerry’s visit and his speech
http://www.ytn.co.kr/_ln/0102_201412100006486809

News1 printed Jerry’s keynote at YTN.
http://news1.kr/articles/?1994600

Youngnam Daily printed Jerry’s visit and his speech
http://www.yeongnam.com/mnews/newsview.do?mode=newsView&newskey=20141209.010290825160001

Newsis printed Jerry’s keynote speech at Kyunggi Province and Aju University “Futures and Safety” Conference on 11 December
http://www.newsis.com/pict_detail/view.html?pict_id=NISI20141211_0010434878

Indaily printed Jerry’s visit
http://www.indaily.co.kr/client/news/newsView.asp?nBcate=F1002&nMcate=M1003&nScate=1&nIdx=26516&cpage=1&nType=1
Others
1. KBS TV1 “New Year Special 2045” interview will be aired on 1 January 2015.
2. EBS TV “Future Jobs and Young Generations” will be aired on 1 January 2015.
3. The Energy and Environment Daily interviewed Jerry and will soon be published.
4. Nabi Art Center TV interviewed Jerry and will soon be aired.
5. Korean Police Co-op interviewed Jerry.

Mini Trip report: Brussels

December 3, 2014
The EC brought me back to Brussels for the third meeting of the 2050 Scenarios group for the future of innovation, research, and higher education. I came a few days prior to this meeting to speak to Prof. Francis Heylighen’s PhD candidates in the Global Brain Institute of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel about collective intelligence systems, GFIS, and Conscious-Technology. At the same time the EC held its conference of Future Technology Assessment, so I had the opportunity to briefly attend a session and meet with MP Node Chairs and Members of Nodes from The Millennium Project at this conference (Geci from South Africa; Cornelia from Germany; Fernando from Peru; Norbert from Poland, Markku and Jaana from Finland; Roey from Israel; Ozcan from UK, Turkey, and Russia; Riel from UNESCO, and other friends of MP). I was very impressed with the conference; about 450 attended, showing great progress and interest in the EC and others in Foresight. For more info see https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/event/site/fta2014?ref=twitter

The EC’s 2050 Scenario group meeting discussed a rich array of issues; a short sample: increasing power of regions and cities, technologically driven long-term structural unemployment mostly from AI, self-employment important in both positive and negative scenarios, crowd sourcing, conscious-technology, aging and immigration demographics, but has not come to grips with how much change is really likely/possible by 2050, such as the possibility of a world full of technologically-augmented geniuses. One participant said, believe it or not that “3-D printing is so last year.” The final meeting of this group will be February 2015 with a report in March or April giving recommendations for EC research, innovation, and higher education, hopefully, including a collective intelligence system for Europe.

The visit ended with a delightful lunch with MP Board Member Philippe Destatte who is also the chair of the Brussels Area Node of MP to review our work and explore next steps. Am now en route back to Washington for a few days, than on to Seoul, Korea.

Futuristically yours,

Jerome C. Glenn, CEO

Mini Trip report: Lima, Peru

November 2 , 2014
The National Center for Strategic Planning (CEPLAN) of the Government of Peru, the National Council of Science and Technology, and the National Society of Industries brought me to Lima to speak at their 11th annual conference “Prospecta Forum,” and then meet informally with the CEPLAN staff the following day. Suggestions during the informal meeting ranged from creating Tele-Peru to connect Peruvians overseas with the deployment process back home to working with song writers to help future-orient the consciousness of the country.

That evening the Peru Node was re-launched by the former President of Peru, Alan Garcia (who many expect will become President again in the next election) and Fernando Ortega, Node chair and head of the Peruvian Association of Foresight and Future Studies (APROEF). Currently President Garcia is the Chairman of the Government and Public Management Institute, San Martin de Porres University that is the institutional host of the new Peru Node along with APROEF. Photos of the signing ceremony with the President are below. We also introduced the Spanish edition of the 2013-14 State of the Future (I never saw so many Tweets and on my talks before). In addition to an overview of the global future situation with emphasis on technology, I recommended that Peru create: 1) a future strategy unit in the Office in the President with an informal network of futurists that could rapidly respond to Presidential foresight requests; 2) a Peru State of the Future Index; 3) an annual or semiannual State of the Future of Peru report; 4) a national collective intelligence system open to the public; 5) Establish a permanent Committee for the Future in the national legislature and 6) a public situation cart on leapfrog strategies and opportunities as a wiki.

Fernando also recommended that a futurist training center should be created that would offer on-line foresight training for Latin America with assistance of The Millennium Project.

All the best,

Jerome C. Glenn, CEO

Mini Trip report: Brussels

October 29 , 2014
The European Commission’s KT (Knowledge Triangle: Innovation, Research, and Higher Education) 2050 Scenarios project brought me back to Brussels for the second group meeting. Three presentations were given as input to the scenario process: Demographics, Technology, and Globalization. I gave the talk on technology. Much of the discussions focused on the potential of the acceleration and integration of technological change that could lead to long-term structural unemployment, and if so, what should the group recommend in March 2015 to the current restructuring and prioritization of the European Commission. I could not stay for the second day of the meeting, since I had to travel to Lima, Peru the next day.

Prior to the EU meeting I meet with Tony Judge (a leading futurist, editor of the world encyclopedia of world problems, former head of the Union of International Associations) and Cadell Last (MP Tele-Intern working on his PhD at the Global Brain Institute, who I hope will bridge their theoretical work and our applied work on GFIS). We talked for 6 hours non-stop (well, we did stop at three different bars/ restaurants throughout the day and evening). Tony is part of the group on the Big Picture project with Dennis Bushnell that The Millennium Project is getting organized. Tony stressed that we should ask those questions not usually asked in such mega studies and address why they are not asked so that the work has more fundamental impact then previous related projects. The following evening I meet with Blaz Golob, MP South Eastern Europa Chair and head of the new European Foresight (European Nodes and other Futurist organizations and individuals) and Barbara Haering, participant in several MP studies – both were in Brussels for another EC meeting.

Jerome C. Glenn, CEO

Mini Trip report: Paris

October 26 , 2014
This was an excellent joint meeting of the European Nodes of the Millennium Project and the European Regional Foresight College (ERFC), which joined forces to create “Foresight Europe.” Blaz Golob, Chair of The Millennium Project’s South East European Node was acclaimed by the group as its President and Cornelia Daheim, Chair of the German Node of the Millennium Project as its Vice President. ERFC will be disbanded and its members will be part of Foresight Europe. Ibon Zugasti will continue as chair of the European Union Millennium Project Nodes Initiative, but seems it would become part of Foresight Europe. This new TransInstitutional network would part of The Millennium Project, but independent at the same time, just as RIBER for Ibibio American Network formed during Millennium Project Planning Committee Meeting in the Dominican Republic last July.

The first day was held at UNESCO: Ambassador Hector Casanueva, member of the Chilean Node and now Chilean Ambassador to the WTO and others Geneva, Switzerland gave talk about European-Latin American relations and potentials for collaboration. I gave an update on my relations with the European Commission’s Innovation, Research and Higher Education 2050 Scenarios group and the presentation on Future technology I will give there in a couple of days. MP Node chairs give updates on their work and plans for the coming year. The second day focused more on EFRC and creating Foresight Europe.

Next stop Brussels

Jerome C. Glenn, CEO

Mini Trip report: Santiago, Brussels

October 2, 2014
The EC Horizon 2020 program plans to create European scenarios to 2050 on innovation, research, and higher education and produce a set of recommendations for the new leadership of the EC by next March. The EC brought me to Brussels to participate in the group that will create these scenarios and recommendations.

The day before this meeting I gave a two-hour introduction to the on-line Global Futures System www.themp.org to about 15 members of the EC’s Horizon 2020 staff. We also discussed the work we are doing in Egypt and the possibilities of creating a European Collective Intelligence System for the EC. I am told the EC will purchase a subscription to explore possible applications for the EC.

The 2050 Scenarios group will meet four times in Brussels. The second meeting will be October 27th this month, at which special briefings will be given on globalization, demographics, and technology. I was asked to give the on the future of technology. I will also use this trip to jump over to Paris to participate in the European MP Nodes meeting.

All the best,

Jerome C. Glenn, CEO

Mini Trip report: Santiago, Chile

September 28 , 2014
The UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean brought me to Santiago to address the global future and implications for the region sponsored in part by the South Korean government. Youngsook Park, Chair of The Millennium Project Korean Node also gave an excellent plenary address. Other participants in MP who spoke were Bill Halal, Barry Hughes, and Catarina Tully. Miguel Gutiérrez (Argentine Node) and Luis Lira (Chile Node Chair) also participated in the UN ECLAC conference. One article about this: http://www.estrategia.cl/detalle_noticia.php?cod=102730.

All the presentations will be available http://www.cepal.org/cgi-bin/getprod.asp?xml=/ilpes/noticias/paginas/6/53556/P53556.xml&base=/tpl/blanco.xsl

The Chilean Council of Prospective and Strategy has just been created by former Minister Sergio Bitar and Héctor Casanueva (former MP Chilean Node Chair who is now the Chilean Ambassador to the WTO) that is together with the MP Chilean Node now chaired by Luis Lira who also participated in these meetings. I suggested the that Council should produce an annual State of the Future Chile report, calculate and use a Chile State of the Future Index, and create the Chile Collective Intelligence System. Some press about this: http://www.subdere.cl/sala-de-prensa/directivo-de-la-subdere-forma-parte-del-consejo-chileno-de-prospectiva-estrat%C3%A9gica

Next stop… Brussels to participate in the EC team to help create the innovation, research, and higher education scenarios for 2050.

All the best,

Jerome C. Glenn, CEO

Mini Trip report: London

June 6, 2014
En route from Athens to Washington I stopped off in London to welcome the new Chair of the UK Node of the Millennium Project – Rohit Talwar, CEO of FastFutures and launch the 2013-14 State of the Future with the London Futurists Meet-up lead by David Wood. Martin Rhisiart, will stay on as Co-chair with special attention to Whales and John Francis, will co-chair for Scotland. While in London, I also met with Terrence Jagger, head of Crown Agents about adding futures concepts and methods to their international leadership training programs and potential collaboration on creating national collective intelligence systems similar to the work The Millennium Project is doing in Egypt (based on the Global Futures System at www.themp.org). I also meet with Catherine (Cat) Tully of the School of International Futures, Tony Diggle (who reviewed a previous State of the Future for Long-Range Planning), and Shirin Elahi of Scenarios Architecture Ltd. who will also help develop the UK Node.

Now to complete the round-the-world promotional tour for the 2013-14 State of the Future, I am heading back to Washington, D.C. Feedback from Silicon Valley, Korea (Seoul and Daegu), Greece (Thessaloniki and Athens), and London is that the smaller book size is better, the info graphics are a great addition, the text is the best so far, and we have to get it out to the attention of general readers beyond the usual futurists. Reviews of the 2013-14 State of the Future will be coming out in Technological Forecasting & Social Change, Futures, Foresight, The Futurist, and some other articles have been done by Jose Cordeiro in Venezuela and Fernando Ortega in Peru. If you do write something, please let me know.

All the best,

Jerome C. Glenn, CEO

Mini Trip report: Greece

June 4, 2014
The Secretary-General of Research and Technology for Greece has asked for short proposals for: 1) Tele-Greece to connect Greek investors living overseas with Greek businesses back home; 2) Greek State of the Future of S&T Innovation Index; and 3) a Collective Intelligence System for Greek S&T Innovation. The trip was hosted by the Greek Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs, the General Secretariat for Research and Technology Hellenic Presidency of the Council of the EU, and PRAXI (the Greek contact point for the EC’s Horizon2020). Stavros Mantzanakis (Chair of the Greek Node) and Nondas Christofilopoulos (Executive Director of the Greek Node) are wonderful additions to The Millennium Project.

In addition to the three items above, we also discussed other ideas that the Greek Node might initiate such as alternative future scenarios for Greece 2025, Democracy 2.0 future governance systems, and coaching or training for the Prime Minister’s future strategy unit working on the Greece 2010 project. I gave the opening Keynote at conference in Thessaloniki on international cooperation in EC research with Horizon 2020 program http://rines.gr/node/10 RInES www.rines.gr and another conference for more international participation on innovation and cooperation on research with the EC held in Athens. http://www.ncp-incontact.eu/nkswiki/index.php?title=5th_INCO_Conference,_Athens,_2-3_June_2014

Stavros and Nondas were fabulous hosts and a great team to develop the Greek Node.

Next stop: London – if you are in town or have colleagues in London, please invite them to the London

All the best,

Jerome C. Glenn, CEO

Mini Trip Report: South Korea

May 27, 2014
The Korean Future Science and ICT Forum brought me Korea to keynote their conference, which was well received and resulted with a meeting with Samsung’s Strategic Planning Team to explore relations. https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6XotYXGsVbcQ2tvZl82dkMyV00/edit https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6XotYXGsVbcOXhoTDdDd0UycnM/edit

This visit began with a meeting of the Word Futures Studies Association organized by Youngsook Park, Korea Node chair to discuss:

1. the need for a national disaster early warning system for situational awareness and collective intelligence in response to the national outcry about ferry sinking disaster;

2. security and reunification issue with North Korea;

3. need for a national roadmap for the develop the creative economy; and

4. how to improve personal and business ethics.

Youngsook may be putting together the press coverage of this, but assume it will all be in Korean. The need for a future strategy unit and supported by a national collective intelligence was the key theme among the four members of the panel. I also gave several other talks and interviews, one of which was at the Seoul National University where Juha Kaskinen, rotating Chair of the Helsinki Node of The Millennium Project attended as he was finishing up his work at that university. As usual Youngsook did brilliant translations and liaison work for MP throughout the short, but intense visit.

Next stop Thessaloniki, Greece

All the best,

Jerome C. Glenn, CEO

Mini Trip Report: Silicon Valley

May 25, 2014
En route to South Korea, I stopped off in Silicon Valley to launch the 2013-14 State of the Future and for an informal meeting of the Silicon Valley Node members and friends. The initial conclusion was the formation of a council to explore support for the creation of the Silicon Valley State of the Future Index and a second longer-term objective to lead an effort to produce a new kind of whole earth catalogue built with the Global Futures Intelligence System.

Next stop Seoul, South Korea.

All the best,

Jerome C. Glenn, CEO

Mini Trip Report: Paris

November 11, 2013
Saphia Richou, Chair of the French Node organized a series of meetings highlighted by the presentation of the Global Futures Intelligence System at Magellis Consultants (who had produced the French version of the 2010 State of the Future). One participant at this Paris launch said: “This is a fabulous tool to simplify the complexity; you don’t have to go all over the Internet to understand something; GFIS gets it all together.”

Michel Godet also attended the event saying we will work with MP on updating his methods in the Global Futures Methodology section under “Research” in GFIS. Saphia and I had dinner with Hughes de Jouvenel of Futuribles and his son – third generation futurist – saying they will like to help expand the French Node and collaborate more closely with The Millennium Project.

The day and a half visit ended with a lunch with Riel Miller, head of the Foresight Program at UNESCO and member of the MP Planning Committee who repeated that he welcomes joint projects from MP and any of its Nodes around the world.

Next stop: Washington, D.C. to finish work on the 2013-2014 State of the Future report.

All the best,

Jerome C. Glenn, CEO

Mini Trip Report: Brussels

November 8, 2013
The European Union Chapter of the Club of Rome invited me to speak at the 87th Aurelio Peccei Lecture & Dialogue-Enquiries on the Challenges of the 21st Century http://www.clubofrome.eu/spip.php?page=courrier&id_courrier=49 initiated by Philippe Destatte, Chairman of the Millennium Project ‘s European Millennium Project Nodes Initiative (EuMPI). The Brussels Launch of the Global Futures Intelligence System http://millennium-project.org/millennium/GFIS.html was so well received that the chairman of the EU Chapter of the Club of Rome has asked to collaborate closer with The Millennium Project and become a member of the EuMPI Node.

The following morning I had a delightful breakfast and conversation with Tony Judge, one of the early founders of the World Futures Studies Federation, and leading author of the world encyclopedia of world problems. Among many things, we discussed the difficulties, if not impossibilities, of peoples’ (and especially leaders’) understanding of complex interdependent issues.

Next stop Paris.

Futuristically yours,

Jerome C. Glenn, CEO

Mini Trip Report: Bilbao

November 7, 2013
Ibon Zugasti (Chair of the MP Spanish Node http://www.proyectomilenio.org/web/guest/home put together an excellent program of talks and meetings in Bilbao beginning with a training program in how to use the Global Futures Intelligence System (GFIS) for the staff of Prospektiker (the host of the Node Spain that Ibon heads). The director of Cabinet of the Basque Government and head of research are considering creating a State of the Future Index for the Basque region and the Aguirre Foundation expressed interest in participating in creating that SOFI.

Other meetings: 1) How the Basque Energy Cluster www.clusterenergia.com can use GFIS to keep track of global change; 2) How the Social Development Office can help “retired” people make a living using the Internet; 3) How Bizkais Talent www.bizkaiatalent.org could create a tele-Basque to connect people outside of the country with the development processes back home; 4) How the Novia Salcedo Foundation ( www.noviasalcedo.es ) could help change the work paradigm from looking for non-existent jobs to finding markets for one’s talents and interests as one-person businesses on the Internet; and 5) Bilbao launch of GFIS at the Strategic Intelligence Conference www.asepic.com.es .

Next stop: Brussels

Futuristically yours,

Jerome C. Glenn, CEO

Mini Trip Report: Baku

November 4, 2013
The Baku International Humanitarian Futures Forum brought together 13 Nobel Prize Winners, 6 former Presidents, and over 600 leaders in their fields from more than 70 countries to explore “Converging Technologies and Outlines of the Future: Landmark Challenges of the 21st Century.” Among the participants sponsored by the Government of Azerbaijan from The Millennium Project were Concepción Olavarrieta, Elizabeth Florescu, Nadezhda Gaponenko, Reyhan Huseynova, and myself.

It was quite an event and provided the opportunity for additional meetings with the Central Bank of Azerbaijan, the Center for Strategic Studies under the President, and Elizabeth and I taught the weekly futures class for the Azerbaijan State Economic University in person, while Hayato came in via video from Jakarta to talk about the first three of the 15 Global Challenges.

Two of the initial results from the visit are draft agreements to create a State of the Future Index (SOFI) for the Human Capacity of Azerbaijan with the Central Bank, and a senior executive seminar about think thanks and the use of futures concepts and methods. Concepción and Elizabeth will stay on in Baku for the Monday Awards Ceremony for the Millennium Awards for Azerbaijan high school and college students; more about that soon.

Next stop for me: Bilbao, Spain

All the best,

Jerome C. Glenn, CEO

Mini Trip Report: Cartagena, Colombia: New Caribbean Node Initiative

September 26, 2013
Five Millennium Project Node chairs (Colombia, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela) and I were brought to Cartagena, Colombia by the Colombian Caribbean Observatory for the “Caribe 2013” conference on the future of the greater Caribbean basin. The conference was excellent; videos and ppt presentations of the 14 speakers will eventually be made available by the Observatory at www.ocaribe.org.

During an impromptu regional MP Nodes meeting, Yarima Sosa, Chairwoman of The Millennium Project Node in the Dominican Republic and Beatriz Bechara de Borge, Executive Director of the Observatory agreed to create the Caribbean Node of The Millennium Project. Suggested research for the new regional Node included alternative scenarios for the future of Caribbean culture, a regional collective intelligence system, “Caribbean State of the Future Index,” and initial futures studies on food security, organized crime, and environmental and food security. Speakers from Jamaica, Panama, and Trinidad also volunteered to join with the other MP Node chairs in establishing the new Caribbean Node. A press release on all this will go out tomorrow morning.

All the best,

Jerome C. Glenn, CEO

Mini Trip Report: South Korea

June 26, 2013
The former head of Information Technology at the UN in New York with whom I discussed creating a collective intelligence for the Secretary-General of the UN several years ago (the idea got lost in politics), is now the head of future strategy for the new President of Korea. I met with him at the Blue House (Office of the President) about future collaboration with MP.

http://www.indaily.co.kr/client/news/newsView.asp?Bcate=F1002&nMcate=M1005&nScate=&nIdx=17047&cpage=1&nType=1

MoneyToday Media and its K.E.Y Platform conference brought me to Korea to give the closing planetary address on the next big technologies.

http://www.mt.co.kr/view/mtview.php?type=1&no=2013061912511200827&outlink=1 I also keynoted a special session of the new Ministry of Science, ICT, and Future Planning on emerging technologies and the “Creative Economy” (the new thrust of Korean policy). Television coverage – I start about 2 minutes into the TV reporting at: http://www.channelit.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=361791

Youngsook Park, Chairwoman of The Millennium Project Korean Node put together an excellent series of meetings, and talks with universities in Busan http://news20.busan.com/controller/newsController.jsp?newsId=20130622000062 and Daejun http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=101&oid=003&aid=000521984 as well as a workshop with the Korean Node and its Social Network Services Forum with its new outreach with twitterians, youth programs, and friendship ambassadors to the media word.

http://www.indaily.co.kr/client/news/newsView.asp?nBcate=F1002&nMcate=M1003&nScate=&nIdx=17098&cpage=1&nType=1 Youngsook said there were some 30 articles appeared about the visit to South Korea. The Millennium Project continues a high profile in South Korea.

Mini-trip: The Millennium Project Week in Baku, Azerbaijan

June 10, 2013
About 40 people from The Millennium Project gathered in Baku, Azerbaijan for an extraordinary week of meetings organized by Professor Reyhan Huseynova, Chairwoman of the Azerbaijan Node. There was extensive media coverage.* Some photos at: http://millennium-project.org/millennium/gallery.html.

May 29 – 31st
MP participants were guests of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan Republic for the Second Intercultural Dialogue in cooperation with UNESCO http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/single-view/news/unesco_director_general_in_azerbaijan_for_the_2nd_world_forum_on_intercultural_dialogue/ held in a spectacularly futuristic conference hall http://wordlesstech.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/heydar-aliyev-cultural-centre-1.jpg.

June 1
Riel Miller, Head of the Foresight Program at UNESCO conducted a workshop with The Millennium Project staff and Node chairs on the future of foresight as part of a UNESCO effort to document the phenomena of futures studies partially supported by the Rockefeller Foundation, hosted by the State Economic University of Azerbaijan.

June 2
First day of the two-day Millennium Project Planning Committee (MPPC) Meeting http://millennium-project.org/millennium/mppc-0713.html#Attendees reviewed recent accomplishments, such as the two RTDs (hidden hunger and vulnerable natural infrastructure on urban coastal regions), and improvements of Global Futures Intelligence System www.themp.org. See attached.

June 3
Baku Futures Forum was a spectacular concentration of future possibilities for the post-oil dependent economies given by Amory Lovins, Eric Drexler, and others from the Millennium Project. The keynotes, panels, ppts, video messages will be packaged and made available. http://www.futurestudies.az/2011/index.php?id=245. There were three firsts at the Forum: first Holographic video message demonstration (with the MP Turkish Node Chair), first public 3D printing demo (given by the Silicon Valley Chair Brock Hinzmann), the first display of an individual gene sequenced on a chip (shown by Jose Cordeiro, chair Venezuela Node).

June 4
On the second day of the MPPC Meeting, the main TV station came into the meeting, videotaped some of the Node reports, and then we saw it broadcast a couple of hours later as we were having lunch. The Node reports showed an increasing quality and impact around the world. You can see their reports at: http://millennium-project.org/millennium/mppc-0713.html#nodes.
June 5
The faculty of the Diplomatic Academy and MP participants met to discuss the future and why accelerating global change should be added to their curriculum. Then they met with senior analysts of the Central Bank and discussed a broad range of issues from their ten-year plan for education to the concept of a Tele-Nation as being developed in Tele-Montenegro and up-dating the Azerbaijan State of the Future Index.

The week was sponsored by the Azerbaijan Future Studies Society, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Communications, Azerbaijan State Economic University, and the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of Azerbaijan.

* Some media coverage:

http://www.1news.az/politics/20130529061644053.html В Баку пройдет
первый Международный бакинский форум будущего

http://www.1news.az/politics/20130603100355042.html В Баку стартует
первый Международный бакинский форум будущего

http://www.1news.az/politics/20130603122025707.html Международный
бакинский форум будущего продолжает свою работу

http://www.1news.az/multimedia/20130603010924639.html Фоторепортаж с Форума

http://www.1news.az/politics/20130603113634043.html Эльнур Асланов:
«Форум будущего – важная веха в процессе трансформации Азербайджана»

http://echo.az/article.php?aid=42198 Международный бакинский форум будущего

http://news.az/articles/politics/80200 First International Baku
Forum for the Future launches

http://novosti.az/tech/20130603/298931591.html выступление Али
Аббасова на Форуме

http://novosti.az/economic/20130603/298931917.html Выступление
Эльнура Асланова на
Форуме

http://sia.az/ru/news/economy/350708-baki-gelecek-forumu-oz-isine-baslayib
Bakı Gələcək Forumu öz işinə başlayıb

http://tv.sia.az/az/reporting/350773 Bakı Gələcək Forumu öz işinə
başlayıb (Video report Ses TV)

http://www.anspress.com/index.php?a=2&lng=az&nid=205386 Bakıda
Beynəlxalq Gələcək Forumu keçiriləcək

http://www.azpress.az/index.php?sectionid=news&id=16548 Bakı Gələcək
Forumu keçirilmişdir

http://www.qafqazinfo.az/xeber-bakda-i-beynlxalq-bak-glck-forumu-kecirilir-t44205.html
Bakıda I Beynəlxalq Bakı Gələcək Forumu keçirilir

http://www.mincom.gov.az/media/xeberler/details/1691 Bakı Gələcək
Forumu keçirilir

http://www.nota.az/index.php?action=static_detail&static_id=15167
Bakı Gələcək Forumu keçirilir

http://aznews.az/news.php?id=25845#.Ua2FEdKLiZh Bakıda Beynəlxalq
Gələcək Forumu keçiriləcək

http://www.ictnews.az/read-24315-news-1.html Bakı Gələcək Forumu keçirilir

http://ucnoqta.az/?p=1658 Beynəlxalq Bakı Gələcək Forumu keçirilir

http://az.azvision.az/news.php?id=6297#.Ua2HB9KLiZg Gələcək Forum Bakıda başladı

http://az.trend.az/capital/business/2157169.html Azərbaycanın neft
sonrası iqtisadiyyatı mövzusu müzakirə edilib (FOTO)

http://www.azadinform.az/news/a-45655.html Bakı Gələcək Forumu keçirilir

http://m.apa.az/?c=show&id=301204&l=az “Azərbaycanın gələcəyi üçün
növbəti böyük addımlar: Azərbaycanın neft sonrası iqtisadiyyatı”
mövzusunda Bakı Gələcək Forumu keçirilir – APA TV

http://dak.org.az/index.php?type=xebergoster&id=3516
Bakıda Beynəlxalq Gələcək Forumu keçiriləcək / 02.06.2013

http://www.milli.az/news/economy/192764.html Azərbaycanın neft
sonrası iqtisadiyyatı mövzusu müzakirə edilib
03 İYUN 2013 [15:48] – MİLLİ.AZ

http://www.yurd.tv/yurdxeber/20130603022028022.html YURD XƏBƏR
Xəbər 03.06.13 14:00 buraxılışı 4.Bakıda “Azərbaycanın gələcəyi üçün
növbəti böyük addımlar: Azərbaycanın neft sonrası iqtisadiyyatı”
mövzusunda Bakı Gələcək Forumu keçirilir

http://az.itv.az/iqtisadiyyat/40775.html
Neftdən sonra Azərbaycanın iqtisadiyyatı necə olacaq? Azərbaycanın
gələcəyi üçün növbəti böyük addımlar: Azərbaycanın neft sonrası
iqtisadiyyatı, Bakı Gələcək Forumunda

http://www.aztv.az/readnews.php?lang=az&id=10094
Bakıda Futuroloqların Beynəlxalq Forumu keçirilib

http://gun.az/featured/74287 Beynəlxalq Bakı Gələcək Forumu keçirilir

http://www.gun.az/photos/74288 Фото репортаж

Washington, D.C. Mini Trip Report

April 15, 2013
Dear MP PC friends,

Since Jerry always sends us his mini trip reports when he is traveling outside Washington, I wanted to send my own mini trip report now that I came to Washington.

Jerry and I have had a very hectic agenda, with many meetings and presentations, Jerry explaining the MP, SOFI, 2012 SOF and GFIS, while I concentrated in our latest report “Latin America 2030”. On Friday April 5, we were at the Inter-American Dialogue (http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/4/prweb10599954.htmand http://www.thedialogue.org/page.cfm?pageID=32&pubID=3279&s=), on Tuesday April 9 at the World Bank (http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/4/prweb10611049.htm) and on Friday April 12 at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/4/prweb10611450.htm and https://sites.google.com/site/foresightcareers2013/home/CSISfriday). On Saturday April 13 we also had more informal presentations (https://sites.google.com/site/foresightcareers2013/home/FERNsaturday) and on Sunday April 14 we visited the Venezuelan Embassy in Washington, where elections were being held, and then we celebrated the Cherry Blossoms next to the Jefferson Memorial along the Tidal Basin south of the White House and the Washington Mall.

I also taped a CNN program with famous Argentinean journalist Andres Oppenheimer that will be aired across Latin America and the USA on Sunday May 19 at 9:00 pm. This was a very good program about the future of Latin America, where I showed our “Latin America 2030” book, and Donald Trump was interviewed just before me, from New York, so please remember to watch this important program if you are anywhere in the Americas on Sunday May 19.
Jerry and I also met with the planning director at the Inter-American Development Bank last week, the lawyer of the Millennium Project, and Jose Miguel Insulza (General Secretary of the Organization of American States) yesterday. I had additional meetings with some people at the US Treasury, Cato Institute (where a film about North Korea was “premiered” last week, and I will be visiting Pyongyang next October) and the Heritage Foundation, and visited some personal friends here, particularly concerning the Venezuelan elections. As you might imagine, there is now a lot of follow up while I continue my trips.

Next stop is Margarita Island to keynote a Venezuelan Engineering Congress in the Caribbean, the following week in Lima to talk about “Latin America 2030” at the World Economic Forum (Davos) first held in Peru, and then one week later in Mexico City for a press gathering concerning the launching of a new TV documentary called “Eternal Life” (“La Vida Eterna” in Spanish, and I was the main scientific advisor and interviewee:-) with History Channel that will be aired across Latin America on May 4, so please don’t miss it if you want to live forever…

Futuristically yours,
José Cordeiro, MBA, PhD (www.cordeiro.org)

Cairo, Egypt Mini Trip Report

February 13, 2013
Hello Everyone,

Your heart has to go out to Egypt as it goes through the birth pains of a new nation. Dr. Kamal Zaki Mahmoud Shaeer, Chairman of The Millennium Project Cairo Node organized a great series of meetings and talks that has culminated in the request to create a collective intelligence system for Egypt with public access and participation. One of the Members of the Cairo Node has named it ISIS (Integrated Synergistic Information System). It was universally acknowledged that Egypt needs an online public system that can help organize all the thoughts on the future of the revolution, priorities for the country, strategies, etc.

The Academy of Scientific Research and Technology, which sponsored my trip, would like to enter into a long-term agreement with The Millennium Project to create ISIS and continue with its future development to make it effective as a national platform to improve the national coherence and future planning and decisionmaking (Attached photo Acad of S&T – the director is to my right, and Kamal is to my left). ISIS is planned to be a 100% free public system. The director of the Academy, Kamal, and I met with the Minister of Education along with representatives from the cabinet and other ministries to share the concept of ISIS (attached two photos of Min of Education); the meeting went well and ISIS was accepted.

The visit began with an address to the Coptic conference on “The Future of Social Justice in Egypt,” that brought together a range of national thought leaders, politicians, Christians, Moslems, and the Moslem Brotherhood. There was a suggestion that we re-name GFIS to be the Global Futures Integrated System, as the term intelligence can be misunderstood. There is also interest in MP’s helping to develop several university futures courses, and possibly executive training sessions. I also addressed the annual meeting of the Arab Egyptian Future Studies Association – the host of the Egyptian Node – about relation of futures research and strategy at the University of Cairo.

Yes, I went to Tahrir Square twice and it was perfectly safe (attached photo Martyr’s murals), although there are many mini “Berlin Walls”(Attached photo of wall) and barbed wire barricades on the streets making Tahrir Square less accessible.
All the best,
Jerry

MPlogo MPlogo MPlogo
Academy of S&T – the director is to
my right, and Kamal is to my left Meeting with Minister of Education Minister of Education

MPlogo MPlogo
Wall blocking access to Tahrir Square Martyr’s murals in Tahrir Square

Spain Mini Trip Report

December 01, 2012
Ibon Ibon Zugasti (Chairman of the Spanish Node of The Millennium Project http://www.proyectomilenio.org/web/guest;jsessionid=127DD04797751CC4E25C23BD882FC881 and CEO of Prospektiker) packed a wonderful set of events organized around the 25 anniversary Prospektiker the futures consultancy in San Sebastian and Bilbao. My trip was sponsored by REPSOL, the oil company. I went straight to REPSOL from the airport to observe a strategic planning workshop lead by Ibon and Prospektiker at REPSOL and then later that afternoon gave a talk on: the 15 Global Challenges; the Millennium Project energy scenarios (MP produced for the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation that we did several years ago, that are available on line at….); and the forthcoming Global Futures Collective Intelligence System (MP’s CIS) at www.themp.org).

Ibon and I then drove to Barcelona, where we gave a talk at ESADE the leading Business School in Barcelona http://www.esadealumni.net/ea/activities/forums_conferences/description_future_events?id_evento=255101 (seems only the first video is available; the second one for the full talk requires a password it seems), where I talked about the MP study on future elements of the next economic system (available in the 2012 State of the Future), the 15 Global Challenges, and MP’s CIS. We then drove to San Sebastian for the 25th Anniversary Celebration of Prospektiker – a delightful event with previous directors and clients of this futures consultancy. The next morning was a press conference focusing on the future of cooperatives and business 2030 study in the 2012 State of the Future report. http://www.tulankide.com/es/el-estudio-internacional-delphi-sobre-el-futuro-de-las-organizaciones-destaca-la-vigencia-del-cooperativismo.

Then we finished the trip back in Madrid with a presentation focusing on the global water situation at the Botin Foundation http://www.fundacionbotin.org/nuevo-coloquio-del-observatorio-del-agua-el-30-de-noviembre-de-2012_fundacion-botin-sala-de-prens-795804581318687.htm in Madrid.

All the best,

Jerry

South Korea Mini Trip Report

November 25, 2012
The Millennium Project continues its growth of activities in Korea lead by Youngsook Park, Chair of the Korean Node who now has purchased an online newspaper that publishes (among many other things) much of Millennium Project research and activities. With the Korean presidential election a few weeks away, there were much interest finding applications for the next Office of the President in Korea from the report to the US White House (lead by Leon Fuerth with Evan Faber for MP Intern, in which I participated in its development over two years) about upgrading the US government’s foresight capacity. My trip was hosted by Hanyang Cyber University for their 10th anniversary where I gave the keynote address on collective intelligence as the next big thing in university education. I also gave talks at: the Posco corporation for the Global Futures Studies Association (future of ICT); Korean Educational Development Institute (future of education); Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (15 Global Challenges); and Chungbuk National University (increasing individual and collective intelligence).

Meanwhile in Cairo, Kamal Zaki Mahmoud Shaeer, Chair of the Egyptian Node organized a conference of Egypt Arab Futures Research Association, where I gave video address while in Seoul about MP and the CIS. The Egyptian Academy of Science will be exploring applications of the CIS for its work and suggested using the term “integrated intelligence” rather than collective intelligence. Just as the term “state” of the future report is translated differently in different countries, I assume collective or integrated intelligence will also be translated differently in different countries too.

Next stop Spain (Madrid, Barcelona, and San Sebastian)

All the best,

Jerry

Azerbaijan Mini Trip Report

November 12, 2012

The Minister of Communications hosted Blaz Golob (South East European Node Chairman of The Millennium Project) and me to participate in BakuTel (leading telecom expo of the region) and the UN Internet Governance Forum in Baku.

Reyhan Huseynova, Chairwoman of the MP Azerbaijan Node and the Minister made it possible for us to brief talk with the President of Azerbaijan, who said he remembered my mini briefing on the Azerbaijan State of the Future Index (AZ-SOFI) last year and that he saw that the Millennium Project has expanded very well over the past year. Subsequently we met with senior government and university officials about: 1) organizing the first (and maybe annual) Baku Futures Forum; 2) an up-dated AZ-SOFI; 3) Collective Intelligence System to provide input the national futures planning; and 4) Peace Scenarios for the Caucus Region (similar to the Middle East Peace Scenarios we wrote several years ago. If the Baku Futures Forum goes forward (June 2013), we might hold the MP Planning Committee Meeting just before the Baku Futures Forum, as we did with conferences in Brazil and Belgium several years ago.

I gave a demonstration of the construction site for the Global Future Collective Intelligence S ystem www.themp.org at the Strategic Studies Center under the Office of the President and Blaz talked about eGovernmence. I also taught The Millennium Project’s tele-course on futures concepts, global challenges, and methods in person rather than on ooVoo video conferencing. This is the fourth year this one-year two-semester tele-video course has been offered at the Azerbaijan State Economic University. The first semester covers futures concepts plus the 15 Global Challenges , and the second semester covers futures research methods.

All the best,

Jerry

Slovenia Mini Trip Report

September 25, 2012
Blaz Golob, chairman of the Millennium Project’s South East European Node (lead from Ljubljana, Slovenia) organized the excellent second annual Ljubljana Forum on the Future of Cities www.ljubljanaforum.org along with Miran Gajsek, head of City Planning of Ljubljana and Member of the MP Node there. Nine Mayors or Vice Mayors participated along with Ambassadors to Slovenia, business leaders, academic leaders, and MP Node chairs from South Africa, Azerbaijan, Montenegro, Spain, and the forthcoming Node in Kosovo (coverage of this from Azerbaijan: http://www.1news.az/society/20120924120656655.html). This one was bigger and better than the first, Blaz will make a report available and possibly the ppts as well. You can contact him at (blaz.golob@goforesight.eu).

The day before this two-day conference held in the Ljubljana Castle, I attended the joint meeting of the MP Nodes of Europe and the European Foresight College, chaired by Ibon Zugasti, who will be sending the results of the meeting http://gun.az/photos/photo/1348470624/87421.jpg. You can contact him at i.zugasti@prospektiker.es. I also addressed the joint meeting of the International Investment Summit and the Chamber of Commerce

Next stop Montenegro.

Jerome C. Glenn

South Korea Mini Trip Report

September 15, 2012

Digital Media City in Seoul brought me to South Korea to keynote their 10th anniversary conference. The following day of the conference, Youngsook Park, Chairwoman of The Millennium Project Korean Node and I conducted a workshop on futures methods for Humanities and Technology Convergence Institute (Environmental Scanning including the forthcoming Global Futures Collective Intelligence System, the Futures Wheel, Cross-Impacts, Scenarios, State of the Future Index, and Real-Time Delphi)

Youngsook Park and I also met with government and business leaders who were interested in the possibilities of creating Collective Intelligence Systems and State of the Future Indexes for both South Korea and for Seoul, as well as Futures Research Training programs.

This two-day visit ended with a delightful dinner with Joonmo Kwon co-Chair of the Arts/Media Node and several others from the academic community one of which asked that her university would be the first to buy an annual subscription to the Global Futures CIS when it is ready.

All the best,

Jerry

Mini Trip report on Toronto

July 30, 2012

July 25th Frank Catanzaro, Chairman of the Cyber Node conducted an orientation to the Node collaboration systems and Wes Boyer, MP CIO conducted an orientation on the Global Futures Collective Intelligence System. Both were webcast and will be linked to each other.

July 26th and 27th The Millennium Project Planning Committee reviewed accomplishments over the past year, reviewed the status and future developments for the Global Futures CIS and received the Node reports, and discussed next steps. When the Global Futures is ready it will integrate our previous website and then change its address to our regular url: millennium-project.org.

July 28 Ted and I presented the 2012 State of the Future and the Global Futures CIS at the World Future Society conference. The 2012 SOF will be available in 6 formats:

USB drive (available now – all 10,000 pages)
Downloadable from our website
Print on demand as a book
CD-ROM
Kindle
In the Global Futures CIS
We got good feedback from the World Future Society bookstore that people liked buying the UBS memory stick instead of the printed report with CD of the full 10,000 pages. The UBS has the 10,000 pages in both PDF and DOC.

Right after Ted’s and my panel, the next session was the Futurist Views from around the World panel with Node chairs from Mexico, Spain, Egypt, Eastern Europe, Germany, and the Dominican Republic. This was excellent!

Here is some press coverage in Baku, Azerbaijan:

http://www.1news.az/society/20120730013759164.html

http://gun.az/social/45895

Next stop Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

All the best,

Jerry

Silicon Valley Mini Trip report

July 3, 2012

Singularity University http://singularityu.org/ brought me out to their summer graduate program held at NASA/Ames in Silicon Valley to talk about high impact directions that address several of S.U.’s “grand challenges” that could affect one billion people. I selected seawater agriculture, collective intelligence, orbital solar power satellites, meat without animals, and increasing individual intelligence. Jose Cordeiro, Chairman of The Millennium Project Node in Venezuela and leader of Singularity University’s Grand Challenge Program was the brilliant master of ceremonies and producer for the TED-like set of talks for the 80 or so students from 30 or so countries.

Jose and Paul Saffo, MP Planning Committee Member and Singularity University’s Futures Studies & Forecasting Chair arranged for the MP Silicon Valley Node Meeting led by Jack Gottsman, Chair of the Silicon Valley Node. Among the 20 attendees was Theva Nithy, chair of the Malaysian Node (who lead the collective intelligence project at the University of Science Malaysia, but now works with the Innovations Unit for the Prime Minister’s Office to coordinate among educational innovators in Silicon Valley). He presented his new curriculum for Malaysia that will be available to the world that includes the 15 Global Challenges among other many resources. Some members of The SV Node expressed interest in collaborating with Theva on the project. Another possible collaboration for the Node initiated by Brock Hinzmann (recently retired from SRI) is the feasibility of applying some futuristic agricultural technologies in developing countries. Charles Ostman’s new work in hydroponics and vertical agriculture are possibilities. Bojana Fazarinc (co-author of the MP financial sustainability study) is also exploring long-term funding possibilities.

It was a short but great visit among the creative energies that have made Silicon Valley a world leader of innovations. Nice to be back in the area where there is no speed limit for the brain.

All the best,

Jerry

Finland Mini Trip report

June 10, 2012

The Finland Futures Research Center celebrated its 20th anniversary by bringing together 14 Futurists from around the world and 11 Futurists from Finland to explore the future of futures research (the participants are listed below – which included 5 Millennium Project Node chairs).

The key themes of the all-day workshop included broadening participation in futures research, collective intelligence systems, and making Futures Research a normal function in organizations (like accounting is a normal function in organizations).

A report will be forthcoming. During the workshop Professor Erzsébet Nováky of Cornivus University of Budapest asked about creating the Hungarian Node. She will explore this with Professor Mihaly Simai (former chairman of UNU and participant in The Millennium Project from the beginning).

After the workshop the Helsinki Node held a meeting to share its plans for the coming year and then I demonstrated the current status of MP’s Global Futures Collective Intelligence System (Global Futures CIS). The next day I joined other Futurists in talking to a youth conference on the future and then took the train from Turku to Helsisnki to have lunch with Paula Tiihonen, Director of the Committee for the Future in the Parliament and Osmo Kuusi with the Government’s Institute for Economic Research (his PhD was on the Delphi method). We talked about: 1) the future of governance and democracy issues that might be addressed in a Parliamentary conference this Fall, 2) the forthcoming Global Futures CIS, and 3) improving the selection of expert Delphi panels (Osmo will be pleased to collaborate with Ted Gordon in his interest in identifying experts – this discussion could be a special group in the Global Futures CIS – if you are interested in participating in this group, send me an email).

Next stop Amsterdam.

Here are the participants in the future of futures research workshop:

Leena Ilmola, Intl. Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Finland
PaulaTiihonen, Parliament of Finland, Finland
Elina Kiiski, Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, Finland
Cornelia Daheim, Z-punkt, Germany
Toni Ahlqvist, Technical Research Centre of Finland, Finland
Sirkka Heinonen, Finland Futures Research Centre, Finland
Sari Söderlund, Finland Futures Research Centre, Finland
Osmo Kuusi, Government Institute for Economic Research, Finland
Markku Wilenius, Finland Futures Research Centre, Finland
Burkhard Auffermann, Finland Futures Research Centre, Finland
Jyrki Luukkanen, Finland Futures Research Centre, Finland
Olli Hietanen, Finland Futures Research Centre, Finland
Istavan Kappeter, Cornivus University of Budapest, Hungary
Jerome C. Glenn, Millennium Development Project, U.S.A.
Jennifer Cassingena Harper, Malta Council for Science and Technology, Malta
Philippe Destatte, The Destree Institute, Brussels
Geci Karuri, SA Cities Network, South Africa
Martin Rhisiart, University of Glamorgan, U.K.
Peter Bishop, University of Houston, U.S.A
Enric Bas, University of Alicante, Spain
Susanne Giesecke, Austrian Institute of Technology, Austria
Erzsébet Nováky, Cornivus University of Budapest, Hungary
John Casti, Technical University of Vienna, Austria
Rakesh Kapoor, World Futures Studies Federation, India
Jennifer Gidley, World Futures Studies Federation, Australia

All the best,

Jerome

New York City Mini Trip report

March 22, 2012
The reason for the trip was to give a talk at the InfoPoverty Conference at the UN. The day before the conference I stopped in the Rockefeller Foundation to give an update to Claudia and Evan about progress on MP fundraising and information systems. Claudia confirmed she will coordinate with Nancy on a meeting of 5-10 foundations to be held at their Foundation in September. We discussed some potential next steps.

One was the idea of having the MPPC meeting with Node updates separate from an update on the future of the global situation, with implications for actions that corporations, foundations, and others could act on. The Rockefeller Foundation is going to hold a 48-hour game in a couple of weeks or so designed by Jane McGonigal of the Institute for the Future who also worked with the World Bank to create EVOKE. It is called: Catalysts for Change: Paths out of Poverty. Evan will send us an invitation soon.

The InfoPovery conference held at the UN’s temporary building next to the main Secretariat building (which is being rebuilt from the inside out and will hopefully be completed this Nov). I talked on the first panel about tele-nations, self-employment finding markets rather than jobs via the Internet, collective intelligence, TransInstitutions with MP as an example. It was very well received, and many wanted copies of the ppt. The conference decided to have all ppts available on their 2012 Infopovery world conference website. The whole thing was recorded and will eventually be available at http://www.unmultimedia.org/tv/webcast/index.html then select

VIDEO ON-DEMAND

Use search terms: Twelfth Infopoverty World Conference.

All the best,

Jerry

Vienna Mini Trip Report

March 14, 2012

(ok, maybe not so mini this time)

On the way back home from visits to Slovenia and Montenegro, I stopped off in Vienna to give a talk for Club of Rome’s European Support Office and explore potentials for creating the Austrian Node of The Millennium Project.

One of the members of the steering committee to create the Austrian Node of The Millennium Project is Johannes Seybold. He was one of the first six interns in 1991-92 that led to the pre-feasibility study for Millennium Project, which led to the three-year feasibility study, which led to the establishment of the MP in 1996. So, now 20 years later, he works for the IAEA in Vienna, and delighted to have him help MP once again. Nice.

The focus of the new Node (not yet fully formed yet) is to raise science and technology on the international development agenda, with the short-term objective of getting S&T more prominently addressed in the Rio+20 UN conference. Their first initiative is to create a new MP Listserv to discuss how to do that. So, those interested in getting S&T more seriously discussed in preparation for Rio+20 – send an email to kawthar@millennium-project.org to be added. Walter Lichem, a retired senior Austrian and UN diplomat pointed out during the meeting about the Austrian Node that only 9½ lines mention S&T in the 19-page working draft for Rio+20. He suggested the proposed MP Austrian Node help address the challenges of the relations between knowledge production (the sciences) and global policy processes.

A more long-run goal of the MP Austrian Node will be to provide a focus for the MP on Societal Development (as opposed to social development), in order to address the primordial issue of creating the necessary societal cohesion in contemporary societies around the globe to facilitate change at aggregate levels of human organization (communities, nation states, supranationally, and globally). Austria hosts several think tanks working intensely on various aspects of this question including the development of progressive analytical models. A transinstitutional approach of sharing results globally therefore appears very effective.

A second preparatory meeting of the Austrian MP Node will be scheduled to expand the membership and discuss strategy.

And last but not least, I met with a publisher in Vienna who is exploring financial support to produce a book with The Millennium Project on how nanotech can help address the 15 Global Challenges. The Foresight Institute – at Jack Gottsman’s initiative (MP Silicon Valley Node) – did some initial work on this, but not in the form of a book.

Next trip, next week, to the UN in New York to address the InfoPoverty conference March 22nd.

All the best,

Jerome C. Glenn