We offer open and participatory events that showcase interdisciplinary work and impact and spark ideas, inspiration and debate.
Get event updates from Edinburgh Futures Institute.
The Binks Hub and the Ripple Project warmly invite you to an exhibition of co-created art that challenges the status quo and offers an alternative view of what communities need to flourish.
A panel event featuring author Jeanette Winterson, robotics expert Ingo Keller, and advanced humanoid robot Ameca.
A project deep dive by James Baker, Director of Digital Humanities at the University of Southampton.
A conversation with award-winning novelist Bernardine Evaristo about arts provision in the education system, the importance of creativity in young people, and how creativity positively impacts society as a whole.
As part of Black History Month, this event will engage with Black presence and Black Studies in relation to education.
A new performance from Studio Wayne McGregor and composer Chris Lyons.
Join this Centre for Technomoral Futures Flagship Lecture event with award-winning author and philosopher, Professor C. Thi Nguyen, on technology’s role in shaping human values.
The intersecting, planetary-scale crises we face bring new urgency to the debate about the purpose of education. Climate catastrophe, widening inequalities, conflict, pathogen spillovers, new diseases, failures of governance and technology acceleration all challenge us to ask again what education might be, and what we need it to do.
Join us for the inaugural lecture of Professor Shannon Vallor.
Join this weekly reading group hosted by The Binks Hub and led by Dr Autumn Roesch-Marsh.
The Critical Data Studies Cluster at the Futures Institute invites you to join a morning coffee and natter about datafication and data-driven systems.
Part of the University of Edinburgh's Edinburgh Futures Conversations series.
Dr Kevin Guyan shares his work on queer approaches to the collection, analysis and presentation of data.
This event brings Gaza Sky Geeks in conversation with researchers at the University of Edinburgh to discuss how Palestine's digital economy can remain resilient in the current crisis.
Join this weekly reading group hosted by The Binks Hub and led by Dr Autumn Roesch-Marsh.
This workshop is for people who want to learn about how poetry might be used to support processes of change and activism.
This event will discuss topics such as the role of video games in shaping our world and human development, and the gamification of education.
This talk with Arturo Arriagada will analyse the daily routines and economic pressures faced by today's digital workers.
This workshop will generate material which will be collectively sung by the workshop participants at the event Entanglements: Studies in flowing, following, falling.
This 3-hour workshop will generate material which will be performed by the workshop participants at the event Entanglements: Studies in falling, flowing, following.
Join this weekly reading group hosted by The Binks Hub and led by Dr Autumn Roesch-Marsh.
This workshop is for people who want to learn about how poetry might be used to support processes of change and activism.
This event will entangle human and aquatic worlds, moving between freshwater and the deep ocean, learning through performance, video, music, poetry and song.
This discussion considers the role education has played in developing our technological landscape and how it can help work towards a fairer future.
Join this weekly reading group hosted by The Binks Hub and led by Dr Autumn Roesch-Marsh.
This workshop is for people who want to learn about how poetry might be used to support processes of change and activism.
Our Autumn 2024 programme of events explored the future of education through panel discussions, poetry readings, live music and performance, and deep intellectual debate and discussion.
Watch recordings
Our Autumn 2023 programme of events explored leadership in all its forms – from the seats of power to the front lines of activist movements and even in our own workplaces.
Watch recordings
Our Spring 2023 programme of events explored the interconnections of AI and data with humanity through conversations, performances, and workshops.
Watch recordings
Our Autumn 2022 programme featured more than 20 events exploring crisis, migration, displacement and equality coalescing around the theme of Climate Justice.
Watch recordings"The production and intellectual content of your recent events has been fantastic! Thank you for the opportunity to attend and learn. This is probably the best event I have been to all year."
Event attendee, Love Machine Spring 2023
"Really, really impressed with Futures Institute events. Properly impressive speakers, and seamless technical management. Thank you for keeping them hybrid/online – it's a really nice way to keep in touch!"
Event attendee, Love Machine Spring 2023
"Amazing! I hope that Utopia Lab can ring in every event season, the dream space that you curate and allow to flourish is an important and novel lens that Edinburgh Futures Institute offers partners, students, staff, researchers and anyone with an interest in collaborative thinking and doing."
Event attendee, Love Machine Spring 2023
Our public events seasons are co-created with people from across the University of Edinburgh. If you'd like to contribute ideas for the programme please contact the events team.
Call for proposals
Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI) building, The University of Edinburgh, 1 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh, EH3 9EF
*Deliveries via West Entrance on Nightingale Way.
Email: efi@ed.ac.uk
The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC005336, VAT Registration Number GB 592 9507 00, and is acknowledged by the UK authorities as a “Recognised body” which has been granted degree awarding powers.
Unless explicitly stated otherwise, all material is copyright © The University of Edinburgh 2021.
