Rethinking Fictional Futures

This international learning program develops students' future literacy by analyzing canonical dystopian and utopian works in literature and film. Students use critical thinking to examine fictional scenarios and reverse-engineer sustainable urban futures. The curriculum integrates traditional literary analysis with contemporary AI tools, enabling students to visualize and conceptualize alternative future possibilities. The focus centers on sustainable city development through the lens of speculative fiction and artistic expression.

Reimagining Tomorrow: Art, Literature & AI for Sustainable Futures

Embark on a transformative learning journey where classic dystopian and utopian masterworks become your gateway to envisioning alternative tomorrows. This innovative program harnesses the power of canonical literature, visual arts, and cutting-edge AI tools to cultivate your future literacy and critical thinking skills.

Through immersive exploration of fictional narratives, from groundbreaking novels to thought-provoking film, you'll develop the unique ability to reverse-engineer sustainable urban futures. By analyzing the cautionary tales and hopeful visions of renowned authors and filmmakers, you'll learn to physically manifest and visualize transformative possibilities for our cities and communities.

This interdisciplinary experience bridges the timeless wisdom of literature with contemporary technology, empowering you to become an architect of positive change. You'll emerge with enhanced critical thinking abilities, a deeper understanding of sustainability challenges, and the creative tools to imagine—and help build—a better world.

Where imagination meets innovation, and storytelling becomes a blueprint for tomorrow.

Date:

16th of February 2026 to 23rd of March 2026

Language of instruction:

English

3 ECTS credits
Academic recognition:

To be defined by each higher education institution. Generally, most students will have this BIP certified in their diploma supplement as a minimal condition.

Eligible participants:

BA to PHD students, lecturers, researchers, related to communications & business, social, politics, engineering or humanities.

How to apply:

Application for this product is closed.

Programme at a glance

Welcome & Module 1: Introducing fictional futures (online)
16 Feb 2026 :
Online Online Belgium
Get to know the lecturers & the students – learn all you need to know about this project and select 2 favorite books/movies to read or watch. Get to know the basics of dystopian and utopian story telling.
Module 2: Our tainted look (online)
17 Feb 2026 :
Biases taint our view of the world. What are these biases and how can we avoid the pitfalls related to them?
Self-study: Read a book or watch a movie portraying a positive or negative future ()
17 Feb - 27 Feb 2026 :
Follow an online learning path in your own time to prepare yourself for your group project. You will write a personal reflection on your explored future and take an online quiz to demonstrate you have read or watched your chosen story. The online test will also be used to form groups based on the choices you made, ready for the live sessions.
Module 3: Opening up the future (online)
02 Mar 2026 :
Learn what future literacy is all about and how critical thinking helps you see that the complexity of the world gives you possibilities to navigate towards a chosen future.
Module 4: Building an ethical compass (online)
03 Mar 2026 :
Learn about the different ethical schools and how they try to build a better world. What choices do you have to choose between 'good' and 'bad' and what are the consequences of these choices? A theoretical and practical introduction to ethics.
Face-to-face (F2F) week (in person)
09 Mar - 13 Mar 2026 :
Howest - The Penta Kortrijk Belgium
Cultural acclimatization: strength in diversity - The campus in a city with its culture: an intercultural bath
AI in Design - A workshop learning the AI in Design methodology for creative projects
Designing a brand new future: Prepare, Discover, Define and Synthesize - The first diamond of the double diamond process designing an alternative future
A (museal) visit to the future - Another look at a dystopian future
Designing a brand new future: Prepare, Develop, Deliver and Synthesize - The second diamond of the double diamond process designing an alternative future
The future of jobs - A keynote lecture on the future of jobs
Designing a brand new future: Presentations, demonstration and exhibition - The final public market and exhibition with sessions presenting the end results of the developed futures.
Final reflection ()
13 Mar - 23 Mar 2026 :
Write a personal reflection on your experience, share it with you group and turn in final result of your personal reflection in combination with the final group conclusion. This can be done using several media.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme, learners will be able to:

  • Develop enhanced futures literacy, enabling them to see and physically imagine alternative, sustainable futures by using art and literature as a foundation.
  • Apply futures-oriented methodologies, including scenario planning, backcasting, and forecasting, to complex challenges related to urban development.
  • Utilize the AI-enhanced Double Diamond framework for design thinking and apply contemporary AI tools to visualize and develop innovative concepts.
  • Analyze complex systems by applying complexity theory through the Cynefin framework.
  • Employ critical thinking to reverse engineer a sustainable urban future by deconstructing fictional stories and art.
  • Evaluate and apply sustainability frameworks in the specific context of cities.
  • Articulate the importance of the humanities (art, literature, philosophy) as a vital source of inspiration and critical perspective for technology and the hard sciences.
  • Critically analyze and discuss dystopian and utopian themes in literature and film within a coached, collaborative group setting.

Selection criteria

Bachelor students from the participating partner organisations (HAMK, Howest, NHLS, TUS, UBU) will have priority. Further selection criteria will be based on order of submission, motivation and a balanced representation of the RUN-EU member institutions. 

Involved organisations and persons

Howest University of Applied Sciences

Lead Organisation, Host Organisation
  • Geert Hofman (Lead Instructor)
  • Lieselot Vandamme (Instructor)

Häme University of Applied Sciences

Partner Organisation
  • Anu-Maria Laitinen (Instructor)

NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences

Partner Organisation
  • Sam Lahtinen (Instructor)

TUA West

Partner Organisation
  • Lisa Busschaert (Regional Stakeholder)

Technological University of the Shannon

Partner Organisation
  • Patricia Quigley (Instructor)

University of Burgos

Partner Organisation
  • Chema Cámara (Instructor)

Other persons involved

  • Giliam Anthonie Ganzevles (Regional Stakeholder)
Product label: BIP-RETHINKS-01

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them. Grant Agreement Number: 101124674