Here are the headline results of what the world might look like in 2020 based upon a conversation with 130 people in a workshop in Dubai yesterday. Some information has been left out due to confidentiality, but what remains is still interesting I think. You’ll no doubt see that it’s a bit negative on one level, but I suspect that’s because people tend to project things forward from the present. Note that this was done in a couple of hours and was very much a top line of what the group thought.

More extreme political environment
Cyber-war a serious issue
Internet regulation in place or being rolled out
Further device convergence
Continuing shift to digital environments
Virtual teachers in use
Personalised learning programs
More women in leadership roles
Bring your own device the workplace/school
Role of teacher becoming that of mentor/life coach
More virtual workplaces
Increase in wealth disparity (rich getting richer, poor poorer)
Greater trade protectionism
Longer working week
Multiple careers standard
24/7 Workplaces
Increase in obesity/poor health
Much more everyday stress
Environmental change worse than expected
More global catastrophes (greater impacts and frequency)
Increase use of biofuels & alternative energy
Increase in distance/virtual learning
Further privatisation of schools
e-books have largely replaced text books