Living Futures is a long-term initiative to build awareness of the most important challenges affecting humanity, and our personal roles in shaping the societies of the future.
We see human activity, especially within the areas of business and finance, design, media, art and computing, as being interconnected and not separate from each other or the natural world. It is our responsibility as a university to examine our own activities and inspire action that supports future generations to build a society that is socially just, ecologically sustainable and culturally rich.
The activities and initiatives carried out by Living Futures draw inspiration from the university’s core values, and find ways to make them a living presence in the lives of our staff and students.
Annual themes allow us to focus on particular aspects, and think about how to overcome some of the world’s critical challenges together. The PCU community engages with the annual theme through projects, events, conferences and more, in order to illustrate, change current practice and inspire future action.
Students are encouraged to be creative, and come up with innovative ideas, to connect with those from other fields of study, local community and external experts. The annual theme culminates in a presentation at the end of the year with awards given for the best work in engaging with the theme.
You can read about last year's theme Media Post-Truth and Reality here.
PCU faculty and staff selected a one-word theme “Adapt” for the upcoming academic year of 2023-24. "Adapt" will be incorporated into activities and events, both in and outside of the curriculum, exploring topics such as technological progress, global issues, evolving work dynamics, and mental strength. The word embodies a spirit of resilience, flexibility, and forward thinking. It also recognises that change is not only inevitable but also an opportunity for growth, innovation and success.
We look forward to seeing the results!
2018/2019: No Time to Waste - overcoming the challenges of waste, and creating imaginative solution for a cleaner world, as we look towards a more sustainable future.
2019/2020 Facing Change - considered not just environmental challenges, but also political and social changes that impact long-term well-being. Read about our Graphic Design student's illustration challenge that tackled some of the hard-hitting events in 2019.
2020/2021 Coming Together - building resilience and creating a sense of community regardless of location, in order to support each other and initiate positive action.
2021/2022 - Be the Change - personal growth, development and reflection after two years of immense change.
2022/2023 - Media, Post-Truth and Reality - personal growth, development and reflection after two years of immense change.
