International Center University of Florida

How will political and cultural life will be transformed over the coming decades as it becomes impacted by global threats such as climate change, political responses to these threats, and the deployment of emerging technologies such as genetic modification, synthetic biology, nanotechnology, robotics, cyborg technology, information technology, augmented and virtual reality, and artificial intelligence?

Politics and Culture of the Global Future prepares students to grapple with the political, cultural, and technological developments that will increasingly impact their lives and careers.  It is interdisciplinary, integrative and practical.  Students will practice forecasting techniques to develop reasonable expectations about the challenges and opportunities they will face and explore the historical and contemporary data that ground these expectations.  Being prepared for the future entails building the skill sets that allow for productive collaboration.  The development of teamwork skills accordingly will be emphasized.

Notwithstanding the merits and benefits of the best forecasting efforts, we should remember Master Yoda’s wise counsel: “Impossible to see, the future is!” (from Attack of the Clones) and ”Careful you must be when sensing the future….The fear of loss is a path to the Dark Side” (from Revenge of the Sith).