Sohail Inayatullah is a Pakistani-born Australian academic,
futures studies
Futures studies, futures research, futurism or futurology is the systematic, interdisciplinary and holistic study of social and technological advancement, and other environmental trends, often for the purpose of exploring how people will li ...
researcher and a professor at the Graduate Institute of Futures Studies at
Tamkang University
Tamkang University (TKU; ) is a private university in Tamsui District, New Taipei City, Taiwan. It was founded in 1950 as a junior college of English literature. Today it is a comprehensive university with 11 colleges that serves nearly 25,000 ...
in
Taipei
Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the n ...
,
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
.
Biography
Born in 1958 in
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...
, Pakistan, to a father who worked as a researcher for the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
and a
Sufi
Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...
mother, he grew up in numerous countries including the United States, Switzerland and Malaysia. His main influences include James Dator, Johan Galtung, William Irwin Thompson and in particular
P. R. Sarkar
Prabhat Ranjan Sarkar (21 May 1921 – 21 October 1990), also known by his spiritual name Shrii Shrii Ánandamúrti (Ánanda Múrti="Bliss Embodiment"), and known as Bábá ("Father") to his disciples, was a spiritual Guru, philosopher, so ...
.
Academic contributions
Inayatullah is most famous for introducing and pioneering the
futures technique of
causal layered analysis
Causal layered analysis (CLA) is a technique used in strategic planning, futures studies and foresight to more effectively shape the future. The technique was pioneered by Sohail Inayatullah, a Pakistani-Australian futures studies researcher.
...
, that uses a four-layered approach to bring about transformative change.
He introduced the idea in a widely cited paper for
''Futures''.
He also edited and wrote the introductory chapter for the Causal Layered Analysis (CLA) Reader. He has described the idea for a popular audience in an article for ''The Futurist''
and a
TEDx
TED Conferences, LLC (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an American-Canadian non-profit media organization that posts international talks online for free distribution under the slogan "ideas worth spreading". TED was founded by Richard Sau ...
talk.
Inayatullah's work on CLA was examined in a book by Jose W. Ramos in 2003. He also invented the method the Futures Triangle and with the Integrated Scenario Method and with Ivana Milojevic, the Change Progression Scenario Method.
Academic positions
In addition to his role at Tamkang University, Inayatullah is the UNESCO Chair in Futures Studies at the Sejahtera Centre for Sustainability and Humanity, IIUM, Malaysia From 2016 to 2021, he was the UNESCO Chair in Futures Studies at USIM, Malaysia. He was also an adjunct professor at the Centre for Policing, Intelligence and Counter-Terrorism,
Macquarie University
Macquarie University ( ) is a public research university based in Sydney, Australia, in the suburb of Macquarie Park. Founded in 1964 by the New South Wales Government, it was the third university to be established in the metropolitan area of S ...
, Sydney, from 2011 to 2014 and adjunct professor at the
University of the Sunshine Coast
The University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) is a public university based on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. After opening with 524 students in 1996 as the Sunshine Coast University College, it was later renamed the University of the ...
(Faculty of Social Sciences and the Arts) from 2001 to 2020.
[
]
Role in journals and web publications
Inayatullah is co-editor (along with Jian-Bang Deng) of the ''Journal of Futures Studies
The ''Journal of Futures Studies'' (JFS) is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal in the discipline of futures studies. It is published by Tamkang University Press on behalf of the Graduate Institute of Futures Studies at Tamkang University i ...
'', one of the top journals in futures studies
Futures studies, futures research, futurism or futurology is the systematic, interdisciplinary and holistic study of social and technological advancement, and other environmental trends, often for the purpose of exploring how people will li ...
. He is also associated editor of ''New Renaissance'' and is on the editorial boards of ''Futures
Futures may mean:
Finance
*Futures contract, a tradable financial derivatives contract
*Futures exchange, a financial market where futures contracts are traded
* ''Futures'' (magazine), an American finance magazine
Music
* ''Futures'' (album), a ...
'', Journal of Foresight and Thought Leadership, World Futures, Futures and Foresight Science, World Futures Review and ''foresight''
Inayatullah is also the co-founder of educational think tank Metafuture.org along with Dr. Ivana Milojević.
Other affiliations
Inayatullah is a member of the World Future Society
The World Future Society (WFS), founded in 1966, is an international community of futurists and future thinkers.
History
Prominent members and contributors have included Ray Kurzweil, Peter Drucker, Carl Sagan, and Neil deGrasse Tyson.
Leader ...
and has a blog there. He is also a Fellow of the World Futures Studies Federation The World Futures Studies Federation is a global non-governmental organization that was founded in 1973 to promote the development of futures studies as an academic discipline. Its current president is Dr. Erik F. Øverland, Norway.
History
The ...
. He has also voiced his support for the , an organisation which campaigns for democratic reform in the United Nations.
References
External links
Metafuture: Futures Studies
by Sohail Inayatullah and Ivana Milojević
Futures Studies: Theories and Methods
Sohail Inayatullah's blog
World Future Society
The World Future Society (WFS), founded in 1966, is an international community of futurists and future thinkers.
History
Prominent members and contributors have included Ray Kurzweil, Peter Drucker, Carl Sagan, and Neil deGrasse Tyson.
Leader ...
(archived in 2016)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Inayatullah, Sohail
Futurologists
Pakistani emigrants to Australia
People from Lahore
Punjabi people
Australian people of Punjabi descent
University of the Sunshine Coast faculty
Macquarie University faculty
Tamkang University faculty
Australian expatriates in Taiwan
Living people
Australian academics of Pakistani descent
1958 births