Successful Completion of Phase 1 of University Research Futures Thinking and Foresight Capacity Building Program
The Capacity Building on University Research Futures Thinking and Foresight Phase 1 took place from August 23 to 25, 2023, in response to the Senate’s call for State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) to engage in Futures Thinking. This Senate-funded initiative was advocated by Senator Pia Cayetano. In this program, participants engaged in seminars and workshops led by Aptissimi Development Innovations, Inc. (ADII) trainers and coaches, following the framework of Futures Thinking. The theme of NBSC Futures Thinking was “Meeting the Heart of Traditions and the Mind of Innovations.”
On Day 1, ADII introduced Futures Thinking and this Senate-funded program to the participants. They also introduced signals, drivers, and trends as methods for scanning the future. The workshop followed the discussion, with participants divided into four groups and assigned a commodity. The workshop was successful, and each group presented their output accordingly.
On Day 2, the Futures Triangle was introduced, examining the relationship between the weight of the past, the push of the present, and the pull of the future in identifying plausible futures for the commodity. Each group presented their findings in the subsequent workshop.
On Day 3, participants were guided in identifying scenarios and creatively crafting a story about the assigned commodity. Before concluding the three half-day workshops, Phase 2 of the Futures Thinking Capacity Training was introduced. The success of the Futures Thinking activity was made possible through the generosity and leadership of the College President, Dr. Catherine Roween C. Almaden, who is also a distinguished researcher, along with Dr. Helen E. Maasin, the Vice President for Administration and Finance, and Dr. Jovelyn G. Delosa, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, along with everyone else who contributed to the success of this activity. All our efforts are dedicated to our stakeholders, the local communities, and the glory of God the Almighty.
