Najam Delivers UIK Keynote on The State of the Future
On September 2, 2022, Adil Najam, Dean Emeritus and Professor of International Relations and Earth and Environment at Boston University’s Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, delivered a keynote address at the Summer School of the University of the Basque Country in San Sebastian, Spain.
In his address, titled “The State of the Future,” Najam argued that there are at least five fundamental and structural shifts happening in global affairs that could potentially unleash a host of new challenges while also offering some important opportunities. The five major structural shifts that Najam identified include a global power shift amongst the major powers, a climate shift where we have already moved into the Age of Adaptation, a work shift that is changing the nature as well as structure of work and employment around the globe, an artificial intelligence shift that also triggers a rise of machines and their changed relationship to humans, and finally a Democracy shift that is the most dangerous trend of all that not only signifies a rise of populism but also an evolution in what citizens expect and demand from democracy.
UIK’s mission is to extend the scope of university life and training, particularly lifelong training, through the updating of professional knowledge, and the raising of awareness and debate around issues that are of importance to society, thus creating a space of encounter and sharing. The 41st edition of the Summer Courses explored front-line issues by prominent experts. Learn more about the University of the Basque Summer School on the UIK website.
Adil Najam is a global public policy expert who served as the Inaugural Dean of the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University and was the former Vice-Chancellor of the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). His research focuses on issues of global public policy, especially those related to global climate change, South Asia, Muslim countries, environment and development, and human development. Read more about Najam on his faculty profile.