How do universities need to evolve to meet the needs of a rapidly changing world? The current financial challenges within the sector are currently dominating the public debate about universities, but what if we look beyond this present moment — beyond sustaining the current model — to reimagine the university of the future? Across 2026 we are running a bold programme of exploration, inviting in a variety of stakeholders to consider what’s needed from our university sector for the future.
– Marion Thain, Director of Edinburgh Futures Institute
Future University
17–18 September 2026
| Day 1: Disruption (AI, Knowledge, Public Purpose) | |
| 10am – 11am | The Future of Research in an Age of AI |
| 11:30am – 12:30pm | Teaching, Learning, and the AI University |
| 6pm – 7:30pm | Universities and the Future of Truth: AI, Free Speech, and Power |
| Day 2: Response (Leadership, Global Design, Institutional Futures) | |
| 10am – 11:30am | Una Europa: Transnational Futures Workshop |
| 2pm – 3:30pm | Building the University of 2050: Leadership, Structure, and Strategy |
| 6pm – 7:30pm | Future University: Work and the Next Economy of Knowledge |
*Full session details, speaker information, and booking links will be announced in mid-June. Please check back soon for updates.
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Image credit: Elise Racine & The Bigger Picture / https://betterimagesofai.org / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
