Anticipation, Agency and Complexity

This volume presents a selection of the Proceedings of the Workshop on Anticipation, Agency and Complexity held in Trento (Italy) on April 2017. The contributions contained in the book brilliantly revolve around three core concepts: agency, complexity and anticipation, giving precious insights to further define the discipline of anticipation. In a world that moves increasingly fast, constantly on the verge of disruptive events, more and more scholars and practitioners in any field feel in need of new approaches to make sense of the complexity and uncertainty that the future seems to bear. The theory of anticipation tries to describe how possible futures are intrinsically intertwined with the present.

Roberto Poli (PhD Utrecht), has been awarded the first UNESCO Chair in Anticipatory Systems. Poli is fellow of WAAS--World Academy of Art and Science and STIAS--Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study. Poli is editor-in-chief of Axiomathes (Springer), editor of the series Categories (De Gruyter) and Anticipation Science (Springer). Poli heads the Master programme in Social Foresight, leads the research group eVita (short for 'età della vita', i.e. ages of life), and the European Life Project FRANCA--Flood Risk Anticipation and Communication in the Alps. Poli has published six books, edited or co-edited more than 20 books or journal's special issues and published more than 250 scientific papers. His last publications include the volume Introduction to Anticipation Studies and the editorship of the Handbook of Anticipation, both by Springer. He teaches Social Foresight and Epistemology of the Social Sciences.

Marco Valerio (MSc Trento), is an independent researcher and consultant applying anticipation to organizational studies, international development and personal well-being. He blends his background in health and management to foster individuals and groups, taking into consideration how future expectations impact the present.