ISLAMABAD: The study of the future index is helpful for decision-makers to chart possibilities focusing on creating newer opportunities by strengthening institutions’ capacity, producing quality futures research and policy designs.
It was the main theme of discussion on Saturday at the consultative session on Pakistan – State Of Future Index (PK-SOFI) which engaged academia, media, think-tanks, and political parties in dialogue on the country’s past, present and future.
Academicians from leading universities Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU), National University of Modern Languages (NUML), International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), Institute of Management Sciences (IMS), COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Preston University, National Defence University (NDU), Air University, and Bahria University; representatives from think tanks, Strategic Vision Institute (SVI), Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), Mishal Pakistan and Centre for Global and Strategic Studies (CGSS) attended the dialogue.
The participants outlined key variables that the lab needs to pursue in developing the Pakistan State of Future Index.
Puruesh Chaudhary, AGAHI Founder and President said that foresight Lab in Pakistan was uniquely positioned at the crossroads of where academia contributes to thought experiment which connects to the country’s think tanks; a novelty in itself from which the decision-makers can benefit greatly.
He said that the Lab will publish the first annual Pakistan – State of Future Index later this year.
The day-long sessions included State of Future Index, historical patterns and trends, the importance of data, the dominating worldview of Pakistan, internet imperatives and tool-kits, creating alternate realities through gaming and design thinking, narrative trap.
Dr Shahid Mahmud, Chairman and Group CEO Interactive Group of Companies, while speaking on the occasion about the winning combination, said, “One of the gravest challenges we face today is the poor quality of human thinking in a society that is rapidly changing. The Foresight Lab is, therefore, an effort that connects the thinkers, the researchers, the professionals and the political leadership to contribute towards creating opportunities for the collective good which will help us navigate through uncertain times with a relative degree of clarity.”
The Millennium Project, a global futures studies and research participatory think tank, highlighted the importance of selecting the right variables and their role in making future related conversations more concrete to set realistic objectives.
The Pakistan – State Of Future Index (PK-SOFI) is set to measure the changing state of the future and showcase the conditions nationally promise to get better or worse.
The process to determine PK-SOFI is being applied for the very first time in Pakistan. The methodology used to study future index has been already applied by countries like South Africa, Korea, Turkey, and Venezuela.
Contemplating the future facilitates the process of institutionalised decisions amongst the leadership corridors as an on-going deliberative practice looking at both medium and long-term implications of a policy action.
This improves learning faculty and increases the quality of policy inputs and strategic outcomes ultimately reducing the chances of policy failures.
