Research Institute for Future Design
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The challenge of designing the future
No ideal without a dream
No plan without an ideal
No action without a plan
No success without action
Therefore, no success without a dream
by Yoshida Shōin
『吉田松陰木像』京都大学付属図書館所蔵
Research that captures change from the perspectives of past, present and future generations. Towards a social system that is self-sufficient while expanding sustainability and future possibilities.
Research that captures change from the perspectives of past, present and future generations. Towards a social system that is self-sufficient while expanding sustainability and future possibilities.
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The best way to predict the future is to invent it.
by Alan Kay, a computer scientist
Research that captures change from the perspectives of past, present and future generations. Towards a social system that is self-sufficient while expanding sustainability and future possibilities.
Do you want to designyour own future?
What kind of society can be considered sustainable and future-oriented?
It is one in which the possibilities of future generations surpass those of the current generation, built upon a foundation of guaranteed sustainability. In other words, it is a society that acknowledges differences and diversity and allows human potential to flourish. A society where sustainability and future potential evolve over time—isn’t that a wonderful vision? FD (Future Design) is the exploration, design, and practical implementation of ideas and social systems that expand sustainability and future possibilities, aiming to imagine and create a new society.
Our research institute holds the vision of creating a society where more people can expand their sustainability and future potential while achieving self-fulfillment. The exploration and establishment of pathways and methodologies to achieve this vision is our mission. To this end, we propose an approach called Future Design. Future Design is an academic discipline that explores whether people living in the present can become more empathetic toward future generations by consciously thinking about the future or adopting the perspectives and positions of future generations, and how such awareness transforms thought and behavior.
Previous research suggests that taking a Future Design approach enables people to express empathy toward future generations, and as a result, enhances their own self-fulfillment, sustainability, and future potential. Our institute engages in academic research, education, practical application, and outreach in Future Design from diverse perspectives—including economics as the core, along with political science, psychology, neuro-social sciences, and biology.
Various FD mechanisms have also been proposed, such as systems for present generations to be held accountable to future generations, or decision-making systems grounded in the perspectives of future generations. The introduction of such FD mechanisms has been academically recognized as fostering an awareness of sustainability and future possibilities among people, prompting behavioral transformation aimed at expanding them.
FD is also considered an academic discipline that investigates whether humans can extend their inherent capacity for empathy to benefit future generations—and it suggests that they indeed can.
Our institute is home to a diverse group of researchers with expertise spanning economics, biology, environmental science, psychology, political science, and neuroscience. This unique interdisciplinary research group tackles Future Design through experimentation, theoretical development, and community-based practices.
Research Institute for Future Design (RIFD) Director Prof. Koji Kotani