The middle of this century will see a widely transformed globe – with newly structured economies, transformed energy grids, more and systemically competing grand political powers, evolved relationship between local and regional populations, nation-states and global institutions, more futuristic views on man-machine convergence and commercial uses of Space, newly composed demography, and profound cultural and religious shifts. One of the major players in looking ahead is the United Nation’s Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO. Based on its 2022-29 strategy to accomplish the goals of the UN Decade 2030, UNESCO proposes innovative approaches to re-imagining inter- and trans-disciplinary views on what the future might hold. The global lecture series “The World in 2050” connects UNESCO Chairs from different disciplines and continents to provide a comprehensive joint vision of possible futures.

The lecture series will be presided over by Roland Psenner, President of Eurac Research.