More than 20 events will feature on the first day of the III International Symposium "Inventing the Future" at the National Centre RUSSIA
What values shape humanity's development? Where does the courage to be yourself come from? What are families built on in the 21st century, and how can anxiety about the future inspire creativity? These and other topics will be discussed on the first day of the III International Symposium "Inventing the Future" at the National Centre RUSSIA. The event, which will bring together more than 8,000 participants from 109 countries and all regions of the Russian Federation, is being held on 12–13 November with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.
The III International Symposium "Inventing the Future" will officially open at 13:00 in the Congress Hall of the National Centre RUSSIA. Maxim Oreshkin, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office of Russia, will launch the event.
The installation "Visionaries on One Map" will bring together visionaries from different countries taking part in the "Inventing the Future" Symposium. Anyone who wants to share their views on the future and their ideas for positive change can find their country on the map and attach a photo of themselves.
The National Centre RUSSIA has also prepared a special column featuring Alice — Alice from the future — who was created by the KROLIKI team at the "First Neurocontent Cup" and became a symbol of the "Inventing the Future" project. The LED column is a single work of art designed in the Symposium's signature style and incorporates traditional Russian decorative motifs. At a certain point, the surface appears to open up, revealing Alice. She welcomes guests, introduces them to the Symposium's central idea and mission, and briefly outlines the programme's thematic tracks and the key questions they address.
The Symposium features three thematic tracks — "Human and Values", "Culture and the Arts" and "Progress" — alongside special formats and a youth programme.
The presentation session "Values of the Future: From Definition to Actualisation" will be held on 12 November as part of the "Human and Values" track. Experts will discuss the universal human values that give people something to rely on in turbulent and uncertain times and help them keep faith in the future. Speakers will include Alexander Kharichev, Head of the Presidential Directorate for Monitoring and Analysis of Social Processes, Andrei Betin, Director General of the presidential platform "Russia — Land of Opportunity", Sergei Volodenkov, Director of the Institute of Social Architecture of the presidential platform "Russia — Land of Opportunity" and Professor at the Faculty of Political Science at Lomonosov Moscow State University, and other participants.
The conversation about values will continue with the family talk show "Trust Without a Password". Guests sharing their own experiences of building relationships will include Svetlana Bondarchuk, entrepreneur, creator of the programme "Sveta Around the World" and founder of the "Action!" charitable foundation, the duo NANSI & SIDOROV, and Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor (Malaysia), who took part in the Soyuz TMA-11 mission to the International Space Station and is an orthopaedic surgeon and a member of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia.
A major event in the "Culture and the Arts" track will be the II Museum Congress "The Museum — A Place Where the Future Is Shaped". Representatives of 75 Russian and eight international museums will discuss how museums are moving from preserving the past to shaping the future. The congress programme will include the sessions "A Place of Power: The Role and Mission of the Museum in the Modern World" and "Museums of Progress: A Shared Future for Technology", as well as the workshops "Museums Are in Fashion: How to Create and Implement Bold PR Ideas" and "Museum-Laboratory: How Technologies Attract New Visitors".
The "Culture and the Arts" track will also feature the International Film Project Pitching session "Film as a Tool for Combating Future Shock". Young filmmakers from around the world will present work that turns anxiety about the future into positive scenarios for how it might unfold. Those attending the screening "Hard to Be Human: The Future as a Personal Choice" will be able to discuss cinema in the context of the future. The audience will watch an episode of "Hard to Be a God", with commentary from a film industry expert and a psychologist.
The "Progress" track will provide an opportunity to discuss scientific advances and their impact on society. The cross-interview "Progress in First Person: Women Who Are Inventing the Future" will bring together women from different countries who play a prominent role in science and technological development. The discussion will be moderated by Veronika Levenets, Russia's first cybermodel, a public figure, an ambassador for "Motorica", and a presenter and moderator at federal forums. The case-study session "Life 120+: Biomedical Technologies for a New Era of Longevity" will explore the prospects for a long and active life, while the catwalk-style technology show "Devices of the Future" will present the latest innovations.
The first day of the Symposium will give particular attention to events for young people. Young audiences will find inspiration in the training sessions "Back to the Future: Habits for the Brain" and "The Art of Presence: How to Develop Empathy and Intuition, and Manage Anxiety", the public talks "Big Questions: Why Explore the Depths of the Ocean?" and "Love for Russia That Unites Us", and the visionary session "Reviving Extinct Species: The Future of Nature in the Age of De-Extinction".
The main event in the special programme will be the Open Lecture Hall "The Boldness to Create: What Drives a Person Towards a Dream?" It will bring together performers, athletes, writers and opinion leaders who have made their dreams their life's work and are ready to share their experiences. Irina Khakamada, a business speaker, life coach and author, will talk about the courage to be yourself. Chinese couturier Guo Pei, founder of Rose Studio and the Guo Pei haute couture fashion house, will help audiences see the poetry in everyday life. Pavel Derevyanko, a stage and screen actor and winner of the "Golden Eagle" and "Kinotavr" awards, and Alexander Tsypkin, a writer, screenwriter, columnist and strategic communications expert, will share their experience of drawing people in with compelling stories in an age of short attention spans. Maria Kiselyova, a three-time Olympic champion in synchronised swimming, head of the Russian Theatre on Water and member of the Moscow City Duma, and Ferdinand Omanyala (Kenya), African record holder and champion, Diamond League silver medallist and the tenth-fastest man in history, will discuss how sport builds character and discipline. The Lecture Hall will conclude with a session on the value of tradition, featuring AY YOLA, a musical trio from Bashkortostan.
Most Symposium events are open to visitors who register at future.russia.ru.
People from different continents will work together to develop positive scenarios for the future.
