About Us
Historyand Mission
The Azerbaijan Future Studies Society (AFSS) was established in January 2006 as a non-profit research center of such kind in Azerbaijan with the aim of studying the current trends and predicting the future ones Our organization brings together a group of professional experts and analysts who use international models of futures research and analyze trends in both global development and the development of Azerbaijan and the entire South Caucasus region.
Methodology
While analyzing the issues and forecasting future models of development, AFSSuses methodological tools that have been known to Western experts for manydecades. AFSS combines various interdisciplinary approaches to the study of thefuture, such as political, economic, social, cultural, geo-political analysisas well as the consideration of such factors as mentality, history, regionalconflicts, security issues and global trends. AFSS takes a careful view at allexiting variable and studies the risks and challenges to the predictedforecast. Finally, AFSS conduct various surveys, secondary data study,interviews, qualitative and quantitative researches for the purpose of full andcomplete study of the issue.
AFSS offers qualitative research studies and analysis on future trends andmodels of development in the sphere of politics, economics, security, conflictand social/religious problems, the future of the science and technology andother emerging problems. Such a broad frames of the research covers the mainspheres of the society and has not only scientific but also applied characterespecially in our country there rapid economic development and long-termKarabakh conflict, priority of the democratic values together with thetraditional Islamic way of life and etc. have become interwoven.
What do we offer?
The Azerbaijan Future Studies Society (AFSS) offers qualitative investigationand analysis of future trends, and development models for politics, economics,security issues, conflictology and social-religious issues.
International Links
AFSS has been in close contacts with the leading Western specialists andorganizations in the field of Future Studies.
Among them is Jerome C. Glenn, thefounder and the director of the Millennium Project – a leading universalresearch center and the publisher of the internationally recognized annualreport known as the State of the Future.
On October 5th 2006 Memorandum of Understanding was signed betweenAFSS and Millennium Project, a transinstitutional and transdisciplinary globalparticipatory think tank, which produces the internationally recognized Stateof the Future annual reports.
Azerbaijan became 29th country in the world to have the Node of MP. There are 40 Nodes of The “Millennium Project” all over theworld.
AFSS also cooperates with EleonoraBarbieri Massini, a member of the Rome Club, the World Futures StudiesFederation and the Scientific Council of Italian World Wildlife Fund (under theWorld Wide Fund for Nature). Mrs. Massini is the coordinator on behalf ofUNESCO’s project on the future of the cultures and is currently leading theUNESCO’s International Women Network project.
AFSS also cooperates with Mika Mannermaa,the author of more than 200 reports, books and articles in the field offuturology, and a member of the Board of the Finland Futures Academy, and the WorldFutures Studies Federation. He is the director of the courses of the WorldFederation of Futurists.
AFSS cooperates with Prof. Fabienne Goux-Baudiment,the president of the World Futures Studies Federation – the biggestinternational network of futurists and political technologists from more than80 countries.
She is the professor at the University of Angers (France), a leading expert inglobal issues (environmental, energy and space studies, the Mediterranean Sea,etc.) and a member of scientific committees for the implementation of seminarsand conferences. She heads a consultancy for futures studies.
AFSS also cooperates with Alexander I. Ageev,the Director General, Institute for Economic Strategies. D.Sc. (Economics);Professor; Academician, Russian Academy of Natural Sciences; MBA (UK Kingston University).President, Russian Division, International League of StrategicManagement/Editor-in-Chief, Economic Strategies magazine; Head, Economic andManagement Chair, Moscow Engineering Physics Institute (State University,MEPHI); President of Russian Academy for Future Studies.
With honors has graduated from the Lomonosov Moscow State University, the WorldEconomy and International Relations Institute, the USSR Academy of Sciences,the Kingston University (UK), the Academy of National Economy under GovernmentRF. Received training in the USA and the South Korea. Worked on governingpositions in the USSR Academy of Sciences, Ministry of Foreign EconomicAffairs, in aerospace and nuclear industries.
Conducts author’s strategic management courses. Author of more than 200research works. Member, International Journalists Union, Russian Writers Union.
AFSScooperates with Concepcion Olavarrieta. President of the Mexican Node of MP.
Studies: ForeignAffairs and Law.
Specializations:Economics, social evaluation, foreign affairs, foreign trade, strategicorganization of national and international conventions and conferences,economic and strategic planning, real state developments and foresight studies.
Languages:Spanish, English, French and Italian.
Charges in the public and private sectors: President, CEO and Director of different firms, trusts andgovernment institutions and agencies as the Foreign Affairs Secretary in Mexico(Chief of International Treaties), the National Productivity Center, the LabourInstitute, Cie in Chile, the Bahia de Banderas Trust, the Fondo Nacional deFomento Ejidal, the Treasury Secretary in Mexico, Grupo Seconsa, MexicanExhibits and Conventions “Expocom”, Codetur. Since 2004, I am the President ofthe Nodo Mexicano. El Proyecto del Milenio, A.C.В and Mexican Chair ofthe Millennium Project of the World Federation of United Nations Associations.
Measures
Since May 18th through 20th, 2006, AFSS organized the 1stInternational Futurology Colloquium for local specialists, with participationof leading experts from Western Europe. The purpose of the event was to presentfuturology, as the study or prediction of the future of mankind, to theAzerbaijani public, scientists and scholars and specialists, by means of media,including interviews, press conferences and articles.
In November 2006, AFSS ensured the participation of Azerbaijani students inGlobal Millennium Prize (www.globalmillenniumprize.org),a Mexico-hosted annual international contest on the topic of 15 GlobalChallenges. A student from Azerbaijan took part in the contest with an essay,Population and resources, and, after passing the local level (category 1),became the first candidate from Azerbaijan who was awarded the second place atthe international level (category 2) of the competition.
Since March through June 2007, AFSS successfully implemented – and continues sopresently – the first Republican Essay Contest on the topic Face to Face withFuture Generations, a national level of the Global Millennium Prize for 15Global Challenges, among all students in Azerbaijan, through the support fromthe Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Ministry ofEducation, and the State Committee on Family, Women’s and Children’s Issues.The winners were awarded valuable gifts, while their essays were qualified forthe international level of the Global Millennium Prize. Subsequently, thecontestants from Azerbaijan took part in the Mexico-hosted Global MillenniumPrize and 5 of them made great strides, having won first places in 4nominations.
In June 2007, AFSS invited Jerome C. Glenn, the director of the MillenniumProject, to Azerbaijan, through the support provided by the Ministry ofCommunication and Information Technologies of the Azerbaijan Republic, andorganized a four-day seminar for government officials and business leaders onthe topic entitled Concepts and Methods of Future Surveys for Management andDecision Making.
AFSS is currently implementing a project on the civil society and communitygroups education and capacity building for the protection of sexual andreproductive health of youth in Azerbaijan, co-financed by the European Unionand UNFPA, with the purpose of implementation of the Reproductive HealthInitiative for Youth in South Caucasus, as well as the improvement of the levelof sexual and reproductive health, and the protection of the rights of youth.