HSE Presented Panoramic Picture of Global Technology Trends at SPIEF-2017
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) was held on 1—3 June 2017. This year the Higher School of Economics took part in the business, discussion, and exhibition programmes. HSE had its own stand featuring an interactive presentation “What’s going to happen to humankind in 25 years’ time?”, based on the results of the HSE ISSEK “Monitoring Global Technology Trends” study.
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum’s programme traditionally focuses on relevant to Russia economic trends and challenges the global economy is facing. This year the programme’s architecture was based on four major pillars: “Dynamics of the global economy” covered issues related to global agendas and economic development; the second pillar was devoted to drafting the current Russian economic agenda; the third one included sessions on emerging technologies already changing the customary ways of life; and the fourth was centred on the human factor as the key development vector. HSE was traditionally represented by a large number of participants.
Leonid Gokhberg, HSE First Vice Rector and ISSEK Director, took part in the panel session “New Frontiers In Scientific Advancement”. Major science trends emerging in recent decades prompt one to speak about the science of the future as a knowledge environment, which on the one hand would actively use and develop all existing disciplines while on the other erode the borders between these disciplines by applying common research and design methodologies and techniques. Since such science promises even more grandiose, revolutionary discoveries which would affect practically all areas of people’s lives and activities, it should attract even more customers – in turn promoting further development of science.
Technologies of the future and virtual lectures at the HSE stand
In its anniversary year, the Higher School of Economics participated not just in the SPIEF expert sessions but also in its exhibition programme. The university had its own stand at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum (probably it was a first for Russian higher education institutes).
The HSE stand displayed an interactive presentation “What’s going to happen to humankind in 25 years’ time?”, based on the results of the ongoing global technology trends monitoring study being conducted by the HSE Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge. A brief description of each technology and specific features of their evolution was provided, from emergence to potential prospects, including expected effects, development drivers, barriers, and estimated market prospects.
The SPIEF guests were able not just to learn about technologies expected to shape the not-so-distant future, but also to find out how to acquire at HSE the competences which soon will be in demand. Relevant information was provided by Konstantin Vishnevskiy, Head of the ISSEK Unit for Public-Private Partnership in the Innovation Sphere, and Yulia Milshina, Leading Expert at the ISSEK Foresight Centre responsible for coordinating the global technology trends monitoring project.
The Forum participants could make sure that the forecasted future was not that far ahead by visiting HSE’s virtual lecture hall. 11 mini-lectures were delivered there by the university's scientists, or rather by their 3D projections. One of the lecturers filmed for the 3D presentations was Ozcan Saritas, Deputy Head of the ISSEK International Research and Educational Foresight Laboratory.
Alexander Chulok, Deputy Director of the ISSEK Foresight Centre, published a paper “Stop worrying and start learning” in the special issue of the BRICS Business Magazine devoted to the SPIEF 2017, explaining how being aware of trends helps to build an adequate competences portfolio for the future.
Pavel Rudnik, Director of the ISSEK Centre for Strategies and Programmes, also took part in the Forum.