ICESCO official: Future success depends on anticipating challenges PHOTO / UPDATED

Societies that build a successful future are those capable of anticipating challenges before they become reality, Head of the ICESCO Regional Office in Baku, Azerbaijan, Abdulhakim Alsenan, has stated during an event focused on preparing the Islamic world for future challenges.

Titled Global Futures Studies Coordinators Initiative: Preparing the Islamic World for the Future – Presentation and Adaptation of the Strategic Foresight Guide, the event was jointly organised by the Baku Regional Office of ICESCO and the ICESCO Centre for Future Studies and Artificial Intelligence (CFAI), Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

Alsenan said strategic foresight is no longer a choice but an integral part of governance and decision-making.

“As a platform where the experience of different countries converges, Baku plays an important role in shaping future-oriented initiatives. By strengthening the culture of strategic foresight, ICESCO seeks to enhance the preparedness of its member states for evolving global challenges," he noted.

In a video message, ICESCO Director-General Salim bin Mohammed AlMalik remarked that if knowledge is the main driver of progress, strategic foresight transforms that knowledge into preparedness and purposeful action.

According to him, the Strategic Futures Studies Guide is intended to help shape a shared vision for the future among ICESCO member states.

He stressed that structural changes in the global economy by 2030 would create millions of new jobs.

Nouzha Chekrouni, Senior Fellow at the Policy Centre for the New South, said evidence-based futures studies have yet to be fully integrated into governance systems across many ICESCO member states.

"The guide is not only a methodological document but also a practical tool for policymakers and public institutions. The newly established network of coordinators will expand knowledge-sharing among countries and facilitate the application of its methodology in real governance processes. Successful strategic foresight depends not only on methodology but also on investment in human capital and leadership," she added.

Aqtoty Raimkulova, President of the Turkic Culture and Heritage Foundation, emphasised that strategic foresight is essential for sustainable development and building resilient institutions in an era of global transformation.

She described the guide as an important contribution to these efforts and highlighted the foundation's projects in cultural heritage preservation, digitalisation, scientific research and education, adding that cooperation with ICESCO is particularly valuable for knowledge exchange and capacity building.

Presenting the initiative, Kais Hammami, Director of the ICESCO Centre for Future Studies and Artificial Intelligence (CFAI), confirmed that the project's main objective is to transform the Islamic world's rich intellectual and civilizational heritage into an institutional capability that supports strategic foresight and preparedness for change.

Thanking Azerbaijan for hosting the event, Hammami said the newly established global network of coordinators would strengthen cooperation among ICESCO member states and promote a culture of strategic foresight.

12:15

The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ICESCO) has launched the collaborative process of preparing the Strategic Foresight Guide in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The event, focused on preparing the Islamic world for future challenges, was jointly organised by the Baku Regional Office of ICESCO and the ICESCO Centre for Future Studies and Artificial Intelligence (CFAI), Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

The institutional reference document is designed to support the development of national futures studies capacities across ICESCO member states and to promote the integration of forward-looking approaches into public policy, strategic planning, governance and decision-making.

The meeting, which runs through July 28, aims to foster cooperation in jointly and inclusively refining the guide's framework by drawing on the experience, expertise and priorities of ICESCO member states.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov