IFR 50th celebrations | Beyond the scan series | ||
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| Welcome to '50things,' a podcast series celebrating our 50th anniversary. In each episode, we dive deep into the milestones, innovations, and people that have shaped our journey and the world around us | Environmental Scanning is an essential skill in Futures Thinking and has been the catalyst for our next podcast series, "Beyond the Scan". Each month, we dive into key trends from the SCAN@IFR report. | ||
Episode 1 | In this episode, Dr Doris Viljoen, Director at the IFR, in conversation with Prof Andre Roux, former Director of the IFR and current head of Teaching and learning at the Stellenbosch Business School, shares pivotal moments and ideas that define our institute. Listen | Episode 1 | In this episode, member of the IFR Scan team – futurist and writer Mich Herbst shares more about two of his thought-provoking pieces from the SCAN@IFR: Eating Slowly in a Fast Future and No Buy 2025. Listen |
Episode 2 | In the 2nd episode, Doris Viljoen, Director at the IFR, is in conversation with Prof Phillip Spies, one of the founding Directors of the IFR. In this episode, Prof Spies shares more about the successes as well as the challenges of the early years and how futures thinking and futures research came to be at Stellenbosch University. Listen | Episode 2 | In this episode, member of the IFR Scan team – futurist and journalist Cara Bouwer discussed two of her thought-provoking pieces: Digital Identities, Deepfakes and Disillusionment, how AI driven identity fraud is reshaping our relationship with digital trust and Militarising Dolphin AI, exploring how AI could open up new frontiers and risks in human animal communication. Listen |
Episode 3 | How futures thinking can be truly transformative? In the 3rd episode, Doris Viljoen, Director at the IFR, speaks to Sohail Inayatullah, UNESCO Chair in Futures Studies at the Sejahtera Centre for Sustainability and Humanity and Professor, Tamkang University, Department of Education and Futures Design. Listen | Episode 3 | In this episode, Claude Hamman, a member of the IFR Scan team and Head of Risk and Advisory at Simah Risk Advisors, discusses two of his insightful articles featured in the latest SCAN@IFR. The pieces are titled "Insuring the Algorithm: The Rise of AI-Driven Loss Coverage" and "Going Ten Rounds with Uncertainty. Listen |
Episode 4 | Alternative futures for South African Dark Tourism 2032. In the 4th episode, Doris Viljoen, Director at the IFR, speaks to Alison McKie, MPhil Futures Studies student about her article about Dark Tourism for which she received a special nomination in the Association for Professional Futurists annual student awards. Listen | Episode 4 | In this episode, Alison McKie a member of the IFR Scan team, Tourism Strategist and Change Architect with deep foresight expertise and Caroline Halton, a member of the IFR Scan Team and a strategist and writer with over 30 years of experience in corporate and agency communications, who now consults primarily in the food and education sectors, share more about their thought provoking pieces from the latest SCAN@IFR: From Venice Canals to Global Governance and The Rise of Social Media Influencers as a Future of Authority. Listen |
Episode 5 | SHE Futures…gender equality and equity… In the 5th episode, Doris Viljoen, Director at the IFR, speaks to Ivana Milojević, Director and Instructor at MetafutuerShool, about her work in the Futures of Feminism and her latest monograph “The Hesitant Feminist’s Guide to the Future” Listen | Episode 5 | In this episode, Natasha Alexander, member of the IFR Scan team and Chief Product Owner responsible for delivering on Finance Transformation Initiatives at Santam Insurance and Rianne van Vuuren, member of the IFR Scan team and futurist specialising in global security futures as well as African Futures at Aquilo Forecasting, share more about their about two urgent, intersecting trends that are reshaping the future of work. “The Newest Addition to the Gig Economy: The Fractional Executive” examines the rise of experienced professionals who are rejecting traditional full-time roles in favour of flexible, high-impact positions across multiple companies and “The Coming White-Collar Bloodbath”, which confronts the rapid ascent of AI agents. Listen |
Episode 6 | Ethics, futures studies and futures thinking for children… In the 6th episode, Doris Viljoen, Director at the IFR, speaks to Zanne Horrell, Academic Designer at Milpark Education and Director at Teach the Future SA. Listen | ||
Episode 7 | The value that good foresight brings. In the 7th episode, Doris Viljoen, Director at the IFR, speaks to Prof Luke van der Laan, Professor (Leadership and Foresight), University of Southern Queensland, Australia and IFR governing body member. Listen | ||
Episode 8 | Learnings from transformative futures and complex systems. In the 8th episode, Doris Viljoen, Director at the IFR, speaks to Tanja Hichert, Foresight practitioner and Co-Chair of UNESCO Chair in Complex Systems and Transformative African Futures. Listen | ||
Episode 9 | What an exciting time to be part of the field of Futures Studies! In the 9th episode of our 50th-anniversary podcast series ‘50things’, Doris Viljoen, Director at the IFR, speaks to Dr Jay Gary, Professional Futurist and Associate Professor of Strategic Leadership at Oral Roberts University, about the field of Futures Studies and being a professional futurist. Listen | ||
Episode 10 | Reflections of what was and is to come! In the final episode of our 50th-anniversary podcast series ‘50things’, Nicola Bergsteedt and Dr Doris Viljoen, Director reflect on the past the present and the future of the Institute and the lessons learnt from the last 9 episodes. Listen | ||