“Foresight isn’t (just) about getting a team and budget together, it’s about organisational culture and building futures thinking and foresight as capabilities rather than just top-down exercises”
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Futurist Patrick Henry Gallen keynote speaker at SURF Futures Day 2026
SURF Futures Day on Wednesday, April 22 is specifically aimed at executives, directors, and policy advisors who are strategically involved in the future of research, education, and digital transformation. The day offers inspiration and practical insights into the digital transformation of research and education in the Netherlands, both now and in the future.
Navigating uncertainty
Futurist Patrick Henry Gallen from the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies will open the day at TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht. With a background in political science and law from The New School in New York and a master’s degree in international public governance from Roskilde University, he focuses on the intersection of the public and private sectors.
Gallen advises organisations on strategic foresight, with specific expertise in geopolitics and the European welfare state. He regularly takes the stage to explain how strategic foresight can help navigate uncertain developments. This makes his keynote a strong fit for SURF Futures Day 2026.
Preparing for the future
The Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies is an independent, non-profit think tank, founded in Denmark in 1969. The organization helps people and organizations prepare for a rapidly changing world. By developing the right skills today, society can solve future challenges and seize new opportunities. The institute conducts research on the future, drawing on more than 50 years of global experience.
Disclaimer: given the specific target audience for this event and the desired event size, the organisation reserves the right to select participants.