The National Centre RUSSIA invites everyone to the future

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The open educational programme of the II International Symposium "Inventing the Future" has been published.

What does society expect from science, should we fear progress, what is the role of art in uniting humanity — the first topics of the open educational programme of the II International Symposium "Inventing the Future", which will take place on 7–8 October 2025 in Moscow at the National Centre RUSSIA, have been announced. The new space for discussions will allow everyone to contribute to designing the future. Participants will be able to discover the best innovations, join debates and voting sessions, and meet scientists, artists and futurists from different countries. Registration for the open educational programme started on 3 September at future.russia.ru.

The rich open educational programme will demonstrate the synthesis of science, technology, and art in the space of ideas about the future, explaining complex and important issues in simple language. Participants will enjoy inspiring presentations on space, quantum breakthroughs, technological innovations, and visions of the future in culture and art.

Among the most prominent activities is the session "Case Study: Projects and Innovations Transforming the World", which will present the achievements of young scientists responding to the challenges of the future. Experts will showcase advanced technological developments and projects from various fields — from medicine and rehabilitation to urban studies and technologies aimed at improving quality of life and addressing pressing issues.

The Symposium will also host a true battle of ideas: techno-optimists, who believe in the boundless potential of progress, will enter an intellectual duel with techno-pessimists, who fear that technological development is a new challenge for humanity. The moderator of the session "Debates: Techno-Optimism VS Techno-Pessimism" will be Valery Fadeyev, Director General of VCIOM. The audience will act as a full-fledged arbiter and determine the winner through open voting. In the finale, each participant will receive a key to further exploration of the topic — an exclusive list of books from the speakers, which will serve as a reliable guide in the world of forecasts and scenarios of the future.

The session "How Design Envisions the Future" will focus on the issues of shaping the design code of the future. Designers, entrepreneurs, managers and cultural figures will share their vision of the society of the future, where design in a broad sense and aesthetic intelligence define approaches to shaping the environment. The topic is extremely important for creating the image of the future, since everyday faceless reality fills life with anxiety, while a thoughtful, meaningful visual environment can create a sense of confidence and hope.

The session "Art and Global Challenges" will bring together representatives of two mainstream trends among 21st-century artists — science art and rewilding (rethinking human-nature relationships). Complementing each other, supporters of these movements seek answers to questions about the future, its scenarios and the challenges facing humanity. During the discussion, participants will present their works and explain which meanings significant for the future they sought to convey. A separate topic for discussion will be the use of modern technologies in the framework of science art.

Another important event of the open educational programme will be the round table "Through the Eyes of the Global South: Creative Professionals on a Shared Future with Russia". It will feature representatives of the creative industries from Russia, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Benin, Uganda, and other countries. Experts will discuss opportunities for a joint future in the international context, try to find themes, techniques and images that unite the Global South and Russia, and share their views on preserving their own culture and local narratives in the context of global platformisation. As part of the session, a roadmap for developing cooperation through creative industries will be created.

The annual Symposium, organised by order of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin under the Decade of Science and Technology in our country, will bring together more than 7,000 representatives from the SCO and BRICS countries, the Asia-Pacific region and Europe to develop positive scenarios for the future. This year, the global event will involve not only experts but also a wide audience, for whom a rich open educational programme is being prepared.

The outcome of the Symposium will be futuristic forecasts that can be monitored, discussed and adjusted. The exchange of experience and the development of positive scenarios for the future will involve government officials, scientists and researchers, representatives of the technology sector, futurists, forecasters and representatives of the creative industries. Special attention will be paid to the involvement of young specialists to increase their engagement in promising projects.