Course Code: BDES 3501
Academic Year: 2024-2025
This course consists of student-led seminars on a range of topics. Students engage students in evidence-based near-future forecasting in social, business and cultural arenas, with the goal of applying design process to meet both individual human needs and technosocial trends. Topics will vary based on student interests, however examples of possible topics could include: biomedical advances, machine learning and AI (artificial intelligence), future entertainment modes, trends and possibilities in micro-finance, shifts in recreation, travel and tourism, re-imagining formal education and schooling, trends in transportation and cities, the future of employment and work, geopolitical upheaval, or the effects of and responses to climate change. Students are challenged to research their chosen topic not only from a technological perspective, but incorporating a variety of angles and sources. The course will help students detect signals of change, analyze insights to map out possible alternative futures, and prepare students to respond strategically to our rapidly-changing technological world.