Futurological sessions, workshops and discussions about the philosophy and economics of the future took place on the second day of the School of Young Futurologists (SYF). SYF participants presented their reports and presentations on cultural models of the future and the fundamental social and technological changes currently occurring in the world.

Valery Fadeyev, Advisor to the President of the Russian Federation took part in the workshop of the Institute of Heritage and Modern Society at the Russian State University for the Humanities. In his speech, he drew attention to the relatively small number of scientific discoveries in the 21st century, despite the fact that technological progress is not slowing down and humanity has already entered the era of artificial intelligence. According to Valery Fadeyev, this phenomenon can be described as “kitsch-progress”, when a significant portion of the economic resources of civilizations and societies is directed toward the spheres of consumption and entertainment: “New data centers are sprouting up like mushrooms, new power stations are being built to supply them, but the share of useful information they produce is often negligible. We cannot turn the world into one giant Disneyland. Science must not be reduced to merely serving the consumer.” Valery Fadeyev noted that one of the challenges of the future will be the return in science and philosophy to the idea of the priority of spiritual principles over material ones.

A report on the role of Russia–Brazil cooperation in ensuring global food security was presented during the futurological session on the economics of the future by Laura Ludovico, an expert from the “BRICS+ Tech Forum.” She highlighted the mutually beneficial nature of the economic relations between Russia and Brazil and called for more active partnership projects within BRICS: “When we talk about partnership with Russia, we are talking about real infrastructure that supports exports, production, and logistics. We usually think about how to help the whole world. But first, we must help each other”.

Alexander Kotov, Leading Research Fellow at the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences, initiated a discussion on the concept of BRICS futurology. According to Alexander Kotov, classical Western futurology places particular emphasis on technologies, whereas BRICS futurology has a more pronounced interdisciplinary character: “Integration and futurology in BRICS are developing not so much around technologies as around spaces. It is very important for us to understand what new opportunities technological progress provides for the development of interstate relations and what specific results it will bring to our national and country-specific spaces”.

The work of the SYF will continue tomorrow with expert discussions and practical workshops. The participants will share their ideas on the humanitarian dimension of space, international relations, diplomacy, and the social spaces of the future.

Broadcast link: Workshop 3.Institute of Heritage and Contemporary Society, RGGU