Utrecht, Netherlands

Futuring for Sustainability: Anxiety, Backlash, and the Political

What we do in the present is profoundly influenced by our expectations of our futures. The annual Sustainable Futures Summer School (formerly known as 'Futuring for Sustainability' is an interactive course, held from 3 - 7 July 2023. During this one-week course we teach students to appreciate different pathways to sustainability. How can we realize societal transformations towards sustainability, to living well equitably within ecological means? What does a sustainable world look like? In what type of sustainable future would you want to live? How can we prepare and collaboratively create a sustainable world? How to navigate the inevitable political and social conflicts such transformations inevitably bring? In the Sustainable Futures summer school, these are central questions. We will address them using futuring, a novel approach to future-making pioneered by the Urban Futures Studio.

Course leader

Dr. Jeroen Oomen & Prof. Dr. Maarten Hajer

Target group

Designed for graduate students from all disciplinary backgrounds, particularly advanced Masters and Doctoral students. We also consider Masters students, Postdoctoral students, and select practitioners who are interested in futuring and sustainability.

Course aim

The course aims to provide participants with an overview of techniques of futuring as tools and processes for catalyzing the transformation to sustainability through increased democratic participation and expanded imagination. Participants are equipped with the knowledge to understand and apply these techniques for further independent study and for addressing societal challenges.

Fee info

EUR 1000: Course + course materials
EUR 250: Housing fee (optional)