EDINBURGH FUTURES INSTITUTE
REINVENTING the economy, EDUCATION and societies
In my capacity of Dean of Special projects for the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, I have lead the activities to establish and develop the Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI).
This was a very exciting new initiative of the University of Edinburgh to address in novel ways some of the most pressing challenges that the world facestoday. There is a need for a ‘new alliance’ between the arts, the humanities and the social and data sciences. Wicked problems also require the establishment of new and long-lasting collaborations between the University and external partners (e.g. government, industry, communities) in order to understand the complexity of the world of practice with new theoretical insights that can be developed only if they benefit from pragmatic insights.
The Institute will spark new connections, internally and externally, to bring together people and organisations from across the University and beyond. It will assemble experts who can tackle issues from different and unconventional perspectives, gathering many hands to untangle the world’s knottiest problems.
The EFI, currently one of the largest capital projects at the University, will occupy the refurbished premises of the Old Royal Infirmary in Lauriston place. A magnificent site, originally designed to avoid the spread of infections and now being rethought to facilitate the cross-fertilization and contagion of new ideas.