School of Social and Political Science

The Futureproof Collective

The Futureproof Collective is a research cluster dedicated to asking the big questions facing the futures of our societies.

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Asking the big questions...

The Futureproof Collective is a research cluster dedicated to asking the big questions facing the futures of our societies. What is the future of care in aging populations? What is the future of work in the digital age? How can data-driven innovation be harnessed for social good? How do hot new energy technologies promise to keep our planet cool? We engage with policy makers, industry leaders, and practitioners across sectors and disciplines to co-develop research agendas that lead to tangible societal benefits.

More about the Collective

Latest blog posts

Blog posts content

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17/02/2020

Futureproofing Energy

Fossil-based fuels are increasingly untenable in the context of the climate and ecological emergencies that we and the planet are currently facing.  Fortunately, Scotland has established itself as something of a leader in more sustainable energy industries.
Wordel showing key terms such as anthropology, energy, ethnography, migration, value and economy.
12/02/2020

Futureproofing Anthropology Flips the Seminar

On 4th October 2019, the Futureproofing Anthropology seminar series flipped the format and learned a little more about the research expertise and interests among the group.

Group photo of staff at the workshop
23/01/2020

Teaching Development

How can we translate ethically sound practice in development-focused research into good teaching?

by Dr Rama Dieng and Dr Ann Wagner
Sonny, a tour guide for Invisible Edinburgh
03/10/2019

Futureproofing against Homelessness

Counting George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio and Prince Harry among its visitors the Edinburgh-based social enterprise Social Bite is something of a celebrity in the city’s response to a persistent homeless population.
Large hexagonal industrial panels
02/10/2019

Edinburgh – The Data Capital of Europe

Get to grips with the city’s data scene with this short video introducing the work being done on date at the council, in universities and by social enterprises around the city.
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04/08/2019

Managing Suspicion, Making ‘The Everyman’

Reflections on “Under the Tinfoil Hat: Understanding Conspiracy in the Age of Populism”, a Futureproofing Anthropology Seminar Event, 20 September 2019 with Mathijs Pelkmans and Paolo Heywood.
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29/07/2019

Reconceptualizing Edinburgh’s community development as a fine-grained system

When I first arrived in Edinburgh, one of the first social issues my then still foreign eyes caught was how pervasive homelessness seemed to be. It timidly stuck out among the tourists and the beautiful gothic buildings in Old Town, wrapped up in blankets stained with water so black it looked like tar from another time.
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01/07/2019

EdTech Education/ Inclusive Education

EdTech sector is by far one of the most growing sectors in the UK. If we consider that 97% of the young people aged 15-24 have basic digital skills in the UK and that Schools may invest 900 million pounds a year on this then there is a big opportunity for EdTech Social Enterprises (SEs) in Edinburgh to innovate and connect with the funding available.