International Winter School 2026
Future Foresight: Developing Applied Strategic Foresight Competencies
Winter School 2026
The Winter School 2026 - Developing Applied Strategic Foresight Competencies organized by the Faculty of Organizational Studies in Novo mesto, Slovenia through its International Transdisciplinary Research Centre LEAD (‘Leadership Excellence and Development’) and Academic Research Centre (‘ARC’) is offered to all students who wish to acquire knowledge in the field of strategic foresight and gain ECTS credits.
Volatility, AI acceleration, climate risk, and shifting demographics are changing skills required for future readiness. This intensive six session program equips participants to scan for change, build scenarios, test strategies, and lead future-ready initiatives aligned with global skills outlooks. This Winter School 2026 – Applied Strategic Foresight Competencies is delivered both by academics and industry experts.
Through advancing the faculty’s partnership with practitioners, we also extend our invitation to the Winter School 2026 – Developing Applied Strategic Foresight Competencies to future and current leaders from private and public sector. This intensive professional training provides participants with the mindset, tools, and applied methods to navigate uncertainty and design resilient, future-ready strategies. Drawing on global foresight practices and AI-powered analysis, the course combines futures thinking, systems analysis, and creative world-building to develop applied foresight competencies relevant to organizational strategy, policy design, and innovation.
The program blends theory with application through interactive simulations, trend exploration, and scenario development. Participants will use AI-enhanced foresight tools to identify emerging signals, interpret complex change drivers, and translate futures intelligence into actionable strategies. Unlike traditional foresight programs, Developing Applied Strategic Foresight Competencies integrates AI-enabled monitoring dashboards that transform reflection into measurable insight and as such bridging the gap between vision and execution.
The Winter School enables participants to:
• understand the frameworks and processes underpinning strategic foresight and futures thinking.
• identify and analyze trends, drivers, and weak signals using advanced AI-powered foresight tools.
• map and model divergent future scenarios that support strategic planning and innovation.
• design and test actionable strategies aligned with emerging futures based on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• collaborate and network with foresight professionals, innovators, and researchers across sectors.
• apply foresight tools to develop resilient, future-ready strategies within their organizational context.
Target groups: The program is designed for both Bachelor and Master students as well as for Early and Experienced Professionals.
Course leader: Dr Lana Hiasat and assistants.
Delivery method: Synchronous online.
Duration: 6 sessions in February and March of four (4) hours each: February 19th, 20th, March 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 10th from 4 PM to 8 PM CET.
Certificates/Credits:
• Digital certificate of attendance for all participants.
• 6 ECTS for participants completing final assignments (passed).
• Bachelor students' assessment includes a final paper with an analysis of a provided case study.
• Master students' assessment includes carrying out a small-scale study.
Programme
International Winter School 2026
Future Foresight: Developing Applied Strategic Foresight Competencies
Duration: 19 February 2026 – 12 March 2026
Format: On-line
Sessions take place between 16:00 and 20:00 (CET)
Course Leader: dr. Lana Hiasat
| Thursday, 19 February 2026 |
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Opening of the Winter School: Welcome & Vision for Applied Strategic Foresight Presenter: Dean of the Faculty Overview of the Winter School 2026 Presenter: Dr. Lana Hiasat Session 1: Foundations of Strategic Foresight Guest Interview: Dr Christine Coombe, Associate Professor & Past TESOL President (www.linkedin.com/in/christine-coombe-1a9a303) Foresight Project Tasks |
| Friday, 20 February 2026 |
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Session 2: Scanning the Horizon — Trends, Signals, and Drivers of Change Guest Interview: Dr. Jacinta Dsilva, Director of Research, Living Lab & International Partnerships, The Sustainable City Dubai (www.linkedin.com/in/dr-jacinta-dsilva-83615b20) Foresight Project Tasks |
| Tuesday, 3 March 2026 |
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Session 3: Mapping Alternative Futures Guest Interview: Tarek Naghaway, Managing Director and Certified Innovation trainer, The Learning Curve, Jordan (www.linkedin.com/in/tareknaghaway) Foresight Project tasks |
| Wednesday, 4 March 2026 |
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Session 4: Designing Strategic Responses Guest Interview: Yvette Montero Salvatico, Co-Founder and Managing Director of TFSX Futures School, USA (tfsx.com/about) Foresight Project Tasks |
| Thursday, 5 March 2026 |
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Session 5: Youth Futures-Emirati Applied Foresight in Practice Guest Panel: Emirati Students from Future Foresight program Foresight Project Tasks |
| Tuesday, 10 March 2026 |
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Session 6: Visioning, Backcasting, and Strategy Activation Guest speaker: Wahida Dastakeer, Sustainability expert and GenEdge Society Manager Foresight Project Tasks |
| Thursday, 12 March 2026 |
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Final Presentations & Foresight Strategy Showcase Participants present: Review Panel: Dr. Lana Hiasat and invited experts Closing of the Winter School 2026 |
Registration
We invite you to the FOŠ Winter School 2026 - Future Foresight: Developing Applied Strategic Foresight Competencies, which will take place online via MS Teams from 19 February to 12 March 2026. The application deadline is January 15, 2026.
Fee:
Early bird registration by December 2, 2025 fee: 399€ attendance for participants who wish to listen - audit.
Early bird registration by December 2, 2025 fee: 529€ for participants completing final assignments (passed).
Regular registration by January 15, 2026 fee: 549€ attendance for participants who wish to listen - audit.
Regular registration by January 15, 2026 fee: 679€ for participants completing final assignments (passed).
The price includes participation in the seminar, materials and a certificate.
Faculty of Organisation Studies in Novo mesto reserves the right to cancel a course. Students will be informed about the status of the course within one week after the application deadline.
Should a course be cancelled, the tuition fee will be refunded in full.
Presenters
Course Leader
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Dr. Lana Hiasat Dr. Lana Hiasat is a senior lecturer and has a doctoral degree in educational leadership with a specialization in educational technology. She is also a Senior Fellow HEA (SFHEA), certified trainer in future foresight, and a practitioner in Intercultural Intelligence, Emotional Intelligence, and Kaizen Creativity. She served as the department chair from 2017-2023. Lana has served as the co-chair for several international conferences and was an invited speaker for TESOL Conferences 2025 in Dubai. She was on the task force to develop the social sciences curriculum in the UAE and has developed a certification executive leadership training on emotional intelligence for educational leaders. She is currently working on two interdisciplinary research grants funded by HCT on classrooms of tomorrow and future citizen competencies. In addition, Lana is currently working on a UNEVOC funded project on a global citizenship program. She is the recipient of 2023-2024 Teacher Excellence Award and the Best Academic Research paper award recipient 2025 from SEE Global Sustainability Summit. |
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Guest Speakers, Panelist and Experts
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Dr. Christine Coombe
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Dr. Jacinta Dsilva
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Tarek Naghaway
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Yvette Montero Salvatico,
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Emirati Students from Future Foresight program |
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Wahida Dastakeer
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Participant Testimonials
Participant Testimonials
Participant testimonials will be published after the conclusion of the Winter School 2026.
