I may be getting ahead of myself, but I thought I would mention an idea that's been floating around in my head: perhaps we should look into the possibility of creating a futures studies textbook (or curriculum) that could be put under a Creative Commons license so that they could be disseminated, reused, and translated without concern over copyright issues. One candidate project to either become engaged with, or model such a project after, would be the Global Text Project (http://www.globaltext.org). They seem to be focused on business text books and creating some texts on scenario planning, strategic planning, or visionary leadership could help the futures community assist in the Global Text Project and also increase our visibility in developing countries (and get them exposed to futures concepts more quickly).

Another possibility is http://cxn.org, where educators can create education "modules" that can be pieced together to create an entire course. This could be a more granular way of getting futures thinking in front of educators by creating a "Futures of [insert academic subject here]" that could be promoted as a good final module for courses. It would also allow futurists to create "modules" that could later be pieced together for an entire course, instead of trying to create an entire course wholesale.

Basically I think that putting more futures content under Creative Commons licenses could make it easier for futures thinking to creep its way into education organically as the futures community organizes to play a greater role in academia/primary education.

Thoughts?

Simeon Spearman

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Dean Tom Campbell of Berkeley's Haas business school may be open to hearing about the program and a potential partnering. I will be looking into this in Jan.; creating a concise pitch for a meeting and obtaining a meeting. Please contact me or post a note here if you would like to participate in creating the proposal.

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I would love to see a potential PhD program partnered with or affiliated with a US University if possible, for example UC Berkeley.

Leeds Met's Second Life sim: http://slurl.com/secondlife/LeedsMet%20FAS/147/155/30/
could be used to facilitate the distance learning.

I am definitely interested in being a potential enrollee.

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This concept is an excellent one. It is important to make it as inviting as possible initially in regard to required residency and relevant rigor in order to build up momentum the first few years. It takes a while for something like this to take root and grow, and it has to be carefully nurtured. The time commitments and price are the first two things people will address when making a decision.
I completed my master's degree through an online program in which I only spent time on campus to defend my thesis. The program was demanding; I learned a great deal; it advanced me, providing a launching pad for a new career. It was something I could never have done if I hadn't had the flexibility offered by online components.
If the Leeds program is developed and launched, it will make a significant difference in the world. We need more professionals with a depth of knowledge in futures studies; we can't get enough of them!

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Hi guys. This is Jen Watkins. I was invited by John Smart to join this wiki.

This project sounds very exciting. The enumeration of things that students would get from the program in the overview section are all worthy, but I suggest also focusing on the need for futurism in the world. Futurism is a boon to businesses, policy, and global-sized problems. It can no longer be relegated to merely support of other disciplines but encompasses a toolset and philosophy that is worthy of academic pursuit in and of itself.

The eLearning aspect is a perfect complement to the program. Many schools are jumping of the eLearning boat because it is a good way to up enrollment and for a program like this that may initially have low interest within a single geographic location it is great for linking practitioners around the world. In addition, eLearning is certainly a good way to practice what you preach in terms of fully utilizing the available technology. I am in a "low-residency" course right now and find the practice what you preach aspect one of the most appealing.

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