Scotland’s Futures Forum
Scotland’s Futures Forum is the Scottish Parliament’s futures think-tank. It works on a non-party basis to promote research and to stimulate debate on the long-term challenges and opportunities that Scotland faces. It works to inform MSPs and others and enable them to consider the effects of decisions taken today on Scotland’s long-term future.
Scotland’s Futures Forum is the Scottish Parliament’s futures think-tank. It works on a non-party basis to promote research and to stimulate debate on the long-term challenges and opportunities that Scotland faces. It works to inform MSPs and others and enable them to consider the effects of decisions taken today on Scotland’s long-term future.
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How do we counter the influence of the far-right manosphere in Scotland?
Opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author, and not of Scotland’s Futures Forum, members of its staff, or the Scottish Parliament. Last year, my colleague (Dr Callum McGregor) and I conducted a series of focus groups with teachers in three regions of Scotland as part of a research project on political literacy. Because the study involved a self-selecting sample of…
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Event recap: The Future of Food in Scotland
On 8 December 2025, Scotland’s Futures Forum and the Living Good Food Nation Lab brought together a range of stakeholders from across Scotland’s food system to explore the future of food. The event took place against a background of increasing pressures on the food system. Climate disruption, geopolitical shocks and increased calls for fairness and sustainability make it increasingly important to think not only about how…
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What foresight is, and why Parliament should care
At Scotland’s Futures Forum, we help Parliament look past today’s pressures and into the possibilities ahead. If you’ve ever wondered what that means in practice, this short read is a gentle introduction. Public policy is made in the present, but its consequences play out over decades. Decisions taken today shape the lives of future generations…
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20 Years of Scotland’s Futures Forum: A Timeline
In 2025 Scotland’s Futures Forum turned 20. We ended our anniversary year celebrations with a three-day exhibition at the Scottish Parliament, which allowed visitors to find out more about the work we do and to try out some fun, interactive futures thinking tools. The exhibition also included a timeline, which showcases some highlights from the…
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Short Horizons: How Political Incentives Skew the Future
Societies face multiple long-term policy challenges that range from the existential, such as climate change, to the more rudimentary like infrastructure management. No doubt, we are surrounded by policy decisions about the future. In such a world, are our democratic institutions well set up to deal with these decisions? The Problem of Short-Termism in Policy Making Short-termism in public policy refers…
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Scotland’s Futures Forum: 2025 in Review
20 Years of Impact 2025 marked a significant milestone for Scotland’s Futures Forum. Over two decades, the Forum has served as a space for long-term thinking, encouraging discussion on Scotland’s possible futures. This anniversary provided an opportunity not only to celebrate past achievements but also to imagine what the next 20 years might hold. Readers…
