Ana Rold, CEO and Founder of the Diplomatic Courier and World in 2050 presents a vision of what the world may look like in 2050
As navigating post-pandemic life takes shape, examples from history provide a blueprint for how transformative and enlightening change can come about; Ancient Greek history and the Renaissance illustrate how moments of darkness can give birth to illuminating moments of light. Considering the idea of “The Next Normal” means acknowledging these broader phenomena, their interconnectedness, and evaluating what their trickle-down effects are on a number of sectors of society – including education.
“Massive change and great uncertainty produced diverging schools of thought: those who wanted to reverse time and return to normal and those who got busy building the future. We are in the Next Normal school of thought,” explains World in 2050.
In her presentation Mega Trends: Forces shaping our societies, Ana Rold described the five key trends that will be transformative for our long-term future.
1. Exponential technologies radically reshaping the world
Just as the Industrial Revolution heralded changes that shape how the world works now, more than 200 years on, technology and its constant advancement is changing the world by the day.
2. Climate change disrupting our lives
Evaluating new forms of energy sources and making moves to live more sustainably is taking rise, as we grapple with the effects of global warming on the planet.
3. The future workplace cares less about education, more about skills
The world of work is changing; employers want skilled workers, regardless of the qualifications that they hold. This change is slow, however; there is a dissonance between what employers say and their approaches in going after people.
4. Societal distrust and fragmentation are surging
We are living in the age of misinformation and distrust. With an abundance of information out there, it has never been more challenging to ensure accuracy, and this breakdown in trust begets suspicion and inaccuracy. As Ana Rold said, “education is the vaccine to these issues.”
5. Democratic and governance institutions are under pressure
The scourge of misinformation is causing a weakening of institutions, as people develop growing mistrust and changing views of their leaders and governments.
World in 2050 convenes stakeholders from the private and public sectors through their signature innovation challenge - the Olympics of Innovation - a series of public global summits and private forums, innovation labs, research papers and reports, and digital and print media. To find out more, click here.
