Marianna Birmoser Ferreira-Aulu, Project Researcher
Finland Futures Research Centre, University of Turku
“Future, Digital Transformation and Innovation” seminar
Brazilian university UniCEUB held on 16 April 2019, a seminar on Future, Digital Transformation and Innovation called “I Seminário Internacional Brasil Finlândia: Futuro, Transformação digital e inovação”. This seminar was organized as a joined effort between UniCEUB, Finland University and Finland Futures Research Centre, and it marked the launching event of a course post-graduation lato sensu course organized by these organizations.
Manufacturing 4.0-project Project Researcher Marianna Birmoser Ferreira-Aulu was a keynote speaker in this event. In her talks, Ferreira-Aulu provided the audience with an overview of what Futures Studies is, and why it is an important emerging academic field. She explored how digital transformations are just one aspect of complex futures, and that not only individuals, but also societies should be futures literate in order to make better decisions on business, academia, government and personal lives. Basic concepts of Futures Studies were presented: megatrends, trends, emerging issues, black swans and
extreme events.
High-profile audience and keynote speakers
The audience present in the event included important decision-makers. In addition to students and teaching staff of the university, also members of government (as some staff of the presidential office and members of ministries) and CEOs were also present.
Finnish Ambassador Jouko Leinonen presented his thoughts of education as a driver of social change. He explained in his speech how Finnish education system is based on rational choices. According to him there was not any education revolution in Finland, but a slow evolution.
Leinonen mentioned in his speech, that Finland has made a mutual decision between all political parties that education must be a priority of the state, and that the most qualified persons to make decisions on how the budget for education will be spent are the professionals of that specific area, not politicians.
The videos of the event are available (in Portuguese) on YouTube:
Opening session
Closing session
