The Institute for Futures Studies (IFFS, ''Institutet för framtidsstudier'') is a Swedish

research institute A research institute, research centre, or research organization is an establishment founded for doing research. Research institutes may specialize in basic research or may be oriented to applied research. Although the term often implies natural ...

founded in 1973 as a

Swedish government The Government of the Kingdom of Sweden () is the national cabinet of Sweden, and the country's executive authority. The Government consists of the Prime Minister and their cabinet ministers (). The Government is responsible for its actions ...

secretariat, and made independent in 1987. The institute conducts policy-relevant,

inter-disciplinary Interdisciplinarity or interdisciplinary studies involves the combination of multiple academic disciplines into one activity (e.g., a research project). It draws knowledge from several fields such as sociology, anthropology, psychology, economi ...

research on critical future-related issues and contributes to the public policy discourse through its seminars and publications. The core mission of the institute is futures research, the promotion of long term perspectives in

scientific research The scientific method is an empirical method for acquiring knowledge that has been referred to while doing science since at least the 17th century. Historically, it was developed through the centuries from the ancient and medieval world. The ...

and the management and development of

theory A theory is a systematic and rational form of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the conclusions derived from such thinking. It involves contemplative and logical reasoning, often supported by processes such as observation, experimentation, ...

and

methodology In its most common sense, methodology is the study of research methods. However, the term can also refer to the methods themselves or to the philosophical discussion of associated background assumptions. A method is a structured procedure for bri ...

within the field of futures studies. In addition, the Institute promotes and stimulates public discussion on future possibilities and risks in the development of society, and informs decision makers on the same topic. The IFFS is partly financially supported by a direct grant from the Swedish

Department of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

, but mostly by external research funding.

Research

The research at the institute is conducted under overarching research programs that are proposed by the director and approved of by the board. The current research program is called "Humanity's Path Forward - Democracy, Technology, Society and Future Generations" and is the creation of

Gustaf Arrhenius Gustaf Svante Henning Arrhenius (born 28 June 1966) is a Swedish philosopher. He is a professor of practical philosophy at Stockholm University, holding a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Toronto and a Ph.D. in practical philosophy fr ...

. This research program is structured around four overlapping themes: #

Population ethics Population ethics is the philosophical study of the ethical problems arising when our actions affect ''who'' is born and ''how many'' people are born in the future. An important area within population ethics is population axiology, which is "the s ...

relating to future generations # The impact of new technologies on society # The

problems A problem is a difficulty which may be resolved by problem solving. Problem(s) or The Problem may also refer to: People * Problem (rapper), (born 1985) American rapper Books * ''Problems'' (Aristotle), an Aristotelian (or pseudo-Aristotelian) co ...

and opportunities of democracy # The

socially sustainable Sustainability is a social goal for people to co-exist on Earth over a long period of time. Definitions of this term are disputed and have varied with literature, context, and time. Sustainability usually has three dimensions (or pillars): env ...

society All themes are interdisciplinary and involve researchers from a range of disciplines in the social sciences and humanities, including

philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...

sociology Sociology is the scientific study of human society that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. The term sociol ...

economics Economics () is a behavioral science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interac ...

business administration Business administration is the administration of a commercial enterprise. It includes all aspects of overseeing and supervising the business operations of an organization. Overview The administration of a business includes the performance o ...

demography Demography () is the statistical study of human populations: their size, composition (e.g., ethnic group, age), and how they change through the interplay of fertility (births), mortality (deaths), and migration. Demographic analysis examine ...

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...

law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...

history History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...

mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...

, environmental science,

computer science Computer science is the study of computation, information, and automation. Computer science spans Theoretical computer science, theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, and information theory) to Applied science, ...

developmental biology Developmental biology is the study of the process by which animals and plants grow and develop. Developmental biology also encompasses the biology of Regeneration (biology), regeneration, asexual reproduction, metamorphosis, and the growth and di ...

and artistic research. The aim is to use both theory and empirically oriented research to produce results that are relevant to policy making.

Organization

The Institute for Futures Studies is based in

Stockholm, Sweden Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

. The number of people working at the institute has fluctuated over the years. In 2023 there were 96 employees, out of which 81 were researchers. Many of the researchers are recruited from abroad and are also often linked to Swedish and foreign universities. The global research network

World Values Survey The World Values Survey (WVS) is a global research project that explores people's values and beliefs, how they change over time, and what social and political impact they have. Since 1981 a worldwide network of social scientists have conducted ...

has its legal seat at the Institute for Futures Studies.

Board and management

The institute's nine

board members A board of directors is a governing body that supervises the activities of a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government agency. The powers, duties, and responsibilities of a board of directors are determined by government regulatio ...

are appointed by the Swedish government, and are recruited from different sectors of Swedish society. As of November 1, 2014, professor of Practical Philosophy

is the executive director of the institute.

History and previous research programs

In the 1960s, an increased awareness of environmental degradation and overpopulation led to a surging interest in the field of futures studies in Sweden. In 1972 the

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive (government), execu ...

's working group for futures research, headed by

Alva Myrdal Alva Myrdal ( , ; née Reimer; 31 January 1902 – 1 February 1986) was a Swedish sociologist, diplomat and politician. She was a prominent leader of the disarmament movement. She, along with Alfonso García Robles, received the Nobel Peace ...

, published the official report ''Att välja framtid: ett underlag för diskussion och överväganden om framtidsstudier i Sverige'' ("To choose a future: a basis for discussion and deliberations on futures studies in Sweden"). As a result of this work the government chose to set up the Secretariat for Futures Studies, which was initially directly subordinate to the ministerial cabinet. This secretariat's studies were to function as a foundation for strategic planning and public debate. The first head of the organization was the mathematician Lars Ingelstam. In 1980 the Secretariat for Futures Studies was reconstituted as a unit within the Swedish Research Council, and in 1982 the Secretariat launched the journal ''Framtider''. In 1987 the government decided to reorganize the Secretariat as an independent foundation, which became the Institute for Futures Studies.

Leadership

Heads of the Secretariat for Futures Studies

* 1973–1980: Lars Ingelstam * 1980–1987:

Olof Eriksson Olov (or Olof) is a Swedish form of Olav/Olaf, meaning "ancestor's descendant". A common short form of the name is ''Olle''. The name may refer to: * Olle Åberg (1925–2013), Swedish middle-distance runner * Olle Åhlund (1920–1996), Swed ...

Directors of the Institute for Futures Studies

* 1987–1999: Åke E. Andersson * 1999–2002: Lena Sommestad * 2002–2012:

Joakim Palme Per Joakim Palme (born 18 May 1958) is a Swedish political scientist and sociologist. He is the eldest son of Olof Palme, who was Prime Minister of Sweden until his assassination in 1986, and his wife Lisbeth Palme. Career Since 2009, Palm ...

* 2012–2014: Peter Hedström * 2014–:

References

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External links

Official website

World Values Survey (WVS)

History of the Institute for Futures Studies
Research institutes in Sweden Futures studies organizations 1973 establishments in Sweden