Qatar University, like all institutions of higher education in the Middle East and around the world, are being bombarded by tumultuous forces for change in the political, technological, social, economic, and environmental sectors, locally and globally. The impact of globalization, shifting demographics, increasing competition from traditional and emerging educational providers, the need for more educated workers, and new technologies will fundamentally modify the structure and function of colleges and universities in the coming decades. In order to plan effectively in this environment, institutional leaders must be able to anticipate the direction and implications of these forces. This requires foresight capability.

Objectives

The objective of this workshop is to assist us to enhance the competency of institutional leaders to systematically factor the external environment into their planning activities. The expected outcomes are that workshop participants will gain experience in:

• identifying and operationally defining critical trends that define the context within which Qatar University will function in the coming decade;
• identifying and operationally defining potential events that could affect Qatar University in the future;
• drafting implications and recommended actions for selected trends and events;
• using strategic foresight tools to analyze and interpret potential events that could affect Qatar University.

Preparation 

Participants are requested to review the following publications prior to this conference:

1. Mack, T. "An Interview with a Futurist." Futures Research Quarterly, 2003, 19 (1), 61-69.
2. Morrison, J. L. (1996). "Anticipating the Future." On the Horizon, 4(3), 2-3.
3. Morrison, J. L. (1997). "Transforming Educational Organizations" On the Horizon, 5(1), 2-3.
4. Morrison, J. L. (2005). "Experiencing the Online Revolution." In G. Kearsley (ed.),Online learning: Personal Reflections on the Transformation of Education. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications.

Agenda