Futures Thinking Series: orienting and relating amid uncertainty What you'll do We live in times of tremendous change and uncertainty, with competing challenges and dynamics that affect our ability to act and create change. This workshop will provide you with approaches to map these dynamics in ways that surface underlying tensions and structure possible pathways. What we'll cover The workshop includes: Introduction to the Polak game to understand different orientations the future and how they shape present perspectives The futures triangle as a practical tool to map the competing demands of the past, present and future Working with peers to explore and navigate tensions in research cultures Futures methods as a develop collective understanding among teams After this session, you'll be able to: We can’t predict change, but we can orient ourselves amidst it. Attendees will take away insights and actions for current work, and methods to repeat with colleagues Important to know This workshop is part of the future thinking series of workshops. These workshops explore futures thinking as a creative and strategic tool for shaping research, career direction and academic practice. They use futures methods to support insight, vision creation, creativity, agency and strategic thinking. Each of the workshops are standalone but there will be themes which build across the workshops for participants who attend all the sessions. This session is facilitated by Emily Shipp. Book a place (UoE staff only) Tags Principal Investigators Research Staff Sep 29 2026 09.30 - 13.00 Futures Thinking Series: orienting and relating amid uncertainty This half day workshop explores how today’s shifting and uncertain context influences our ability to respond and create meaningful change. Room 3.2 Lister Learning & Teaching Centre The University of Edinburgh 5 Roxburgh Place Edinburgh EH8 9SU Campus Map booking link test This article was published on Monday 8 June 2026
Futures Thinking Series: orienting and relating amid uncertainty What you'll do We live in times of tremendous change and uncertainty, with competing challenges and dynamics that affect our ability to act and create change. This workshop will provide you with approaches to map these dynamics in ways that surface underlying tensions and structure possible pathways. What we'll cover The workshop includes: Introduction to the Polak game to understand different orientations the future and how they shape present perspectives The futures triangle as a practical tool to map the competing demands of the past, present and future Working with peers to explore and navigate tensions in research cultures Futures methods as a develop collective understanding among teams After this session, you'll be able to: We can’t predict change, but we can orient ourselves amidst it. Attendees will take away insights and actions for current work, and methods to repeat with colleagues Important to know This workshop is part of the future thinking series of workshops. These workshops explore futures thinking as a creative and strategic tool for shaping research, career direction and academic practice. They use futures methods to support insight, vision creation, creativity, agency and strategic thinking. Each of the workshops are standalone but there will be themes which build across the workshops for participants who attend all the sessions. This session is facilitated by Emily Shipp. Book a place (UoE staff only) Tags Principal Investigators Research Staff Sep 29 2026 09.30 - 13.00 Futures Thinking Series: orienting and relating amid uncertainty This half day workshop explores how today’s shifting and uncertain context influences our ability to respond and create meaningful change. Room 3.2 Lister Learning & Teaching Centre The University of Edinburgh 5 Roxburgh Place Edinburgh EH8 9SU Campus Map booking link test This article was published on Monday 8 June 2026
Sep 29 2026 09.30 - 13.00 Futures Thinking Series: orienting and relating amid uncertainty This half day workshop explores how today’s shifting and uncertain context influences our ability to respond and create meaningful change.
