Erzsebet NOVAKY

Professor Erzsebet NOVAKY was elected as the President of the Committee on Future Research under the Section of Economics and Law of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences this September (where she has been a Vice-President for 15 years). The Hungarian Academy of Sciences is a scholarly public self-governing body, whose main tasks are the study of science, the promotion of scientific achievements, and support of research, particularly, help of the Hungarian participants in the world of science. The Academy, as a public body, is composed of academicians (corresponding members and full members) and consultant members (representatives of the sciences with academic degree), who work to carry out the tasks of Hungarian science.

Erzsebet has been invited to be a consultant member of the 9^th Section of Academy for 2005-2009 for the second time this December. She, beyond her main work in the Corvinus University of Budapest (where she is the Head of Futures Studies Department), has been the head of the Complex Futures Research Group supported by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences since 1999. Erzsebet has contributed to the work of the Academy in several Qualification Committees. This year she has been awarded by the Albert Szent-Györgyi Award for founding scientific school, from the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Hungary, and by one of the 13 annual Awards of the Academy for outstanding scientific achievements from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.

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WFSF World Conference, Budapest, August 2005 [Erzsebet NOVAKY]

In the beautiful neoclassic building of the Corvinus University of Budapest (CUB) the 19th Conference of WFSF and the Budapest Futures Course 2005 under the title of “Futures Generation for Future Generations” were held between 20^th and 27^th August 2005. The Organizing Committee was recruited from the Futures Studies Department of CUB, whose work was supported by the International Scientific Committee and also by UNESCO, WFSF and Hungarian sponsors, who provided financial support for the conference.

This event was a worthy continuation of the Hungarian traditions on FS, namely the 11^th WFSF World Conference organized by the Futures Research Committee of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences under the title “Linking Present Decisions to Long-range Visions”, and the Budapest Futures Courses had organized by Budapest University of Economic Sciences (today: CUB) under the title “Youth for a Less Selfish Future” in every second years since 1999.

The World Conference gathered futurists working at very different parts of the Globe in order to both work actively in FS and to enjoy common cultural programs. In the “community-building” work younger and older participants, women and men, researchers and teachers took part with great enthusiasm. We were glad to see the “Blue team” of Hungarian university students as they bustled lovingly around providing anything required, so that the participants could give their best at all sessions and forums, and at plenary sessions and panel discussions.

It was a Conference really for forging together the old pioneers of FS and the new learners of it! Thanks all the participants for experience!

Budapest Futures Course 2005 [Reka VARNAGY]

This August Budapest hosted the fourth Budapest Futures Course, the summer course of the World Futures Studies Federation aimed at collecting young futurists and to-be-futurists from all around the world. From 19^th to 26^th, around 50 participants representing 12 countries gathered together at the Corvinus University of Budapest to attend the BFC2005, which included the attendance at World Conference of the WFSF and the following BFC2005+ events.

During the first few days, these young fellows took the chance to meet up with some of the most respected futurists to learn from them and add some fresh insights. Here, young professionals had a chance to make themselves visible in the international futures community, as the sessions’ co-chairs were chosen from the BFC 2005 participants.

Young futurists were also actively involved in the launch of a youth initiative, an international self-organizing group of young futures-thinking professionals. The project was presented at a round-table discussion during the World Conference and was further developed at the BFC2005+, where participants draw up a Youth Initiative Action Plan after consulting Richard SLAUGHTER and Fabienne GOUX-BAUDIMENT on the matter.

Of course BFC2005+ also offered professional development for its participants where futurists like Bruce TONN, Wendy SCHULTZ, Fabienne GOUX-BAUDIMENT, Chris JONES and Peter BISHOP shared their knowledge and experience.

We are very proud to see that these activities had further influence on the futures community: lately, there was a ‘raid’ organized by Wendy SCHULTZ to add futures content to the famous Wikipedia site; while José RAMOS has set up a listserv for the Youth Initiative and launched a draft charter. In the future we hope to see more related activities - the future is ours to construct.