Innovation Week Day 4: Dr. Sanjay Nadkarni Delivers Futures Thinking Workshop
27 November 2025
Do you want to spot opportunities before everyone else does? To find practical, forward-looking solutions to challenges before they even arise? On Day 4 of Innovation Week at Plekhanov University in Dubai, participants explored these questions in a dynamic workshop with Dr. Sanjay Nadkarni titled “Beyond the Horizon: Discover What’s Next Through AI Powered Futures Thinking.” The session invited students and participants to shift from reactive to proactive, using tools that help shape the future rather than watch it happen.
What may once seem impossible can suddenly become attainable with the right mindset and tools. This idea set the foundation for Dr. Nadkarni’s fast-paced, interactive workshop designed to introduce participants to the power of Futures Thinking. Throughout the session, Dr. Nadkarni demonstrated how Futures Thinking can help people widen their perspective and imagine different versions of the future. He explained how AI can support this process by speeding up research, expanding creative possibilities, and helping users construct richer, more thoughtful scenarios. Dr. Nadkarni, an expert in data analytics and management with over 25 years of professional and academic experience, introduced participants to practical techniques, frameworks and approaches that can be applied across any field of study or career path. These included:
• Futures Thinking and how it expands your ability to anticipate and explore possible futures
• AI tools and how they can support creativity, research, and scenario development
• Sector-agnostic approaches that can be applied to various contexts
The workshop was also joined by Mahmoud R. Abu Al Tin, a young entrepreneur and Managing Director at Visibility Hero, who weighed in on AI applications and provided participants with practical tips on prompting AI tools correctly.
Plekhanov University in Dubai continues to strengthen its commitment to hands on, future-focused learning. Workshops like this demonstrate the university’s dedication to giving students opportunities to experiment with emerging tools, engage with industry voices, and develop skills that prepare them for an evolving professional landscape.
Participants left the workshop with a sharper sense of how to think ahead, make informed choices, and approach the future with confidence. As Innovation Week draws closer to its conclusion, sessions like this reinforce a key message: the future is not something to wait for, but something to actively design.
What may once seem impossible can suddenly become attainable with the right mindset and tools. This idea set the foundation for Dr. Nadkarni’s fast-paced, interactive workshop designed to introduce participants to the power of Futures Thinking. Throughout the session, Dr. Nadkarni demonstrated how Futures Thinking can help people widen their perspective and imagine different versions of the future. He explained how AI can support this process by speeding up research, expanding creative possibilities, and helping users construct richer, more thoughtful scenarios. Dr. Nadkarni, an expert in data analytics and management with over 25 years of professional and academic experience, introduced participants to practical techniques, frameworks and approaches that can be applied across any field of study or career path. These included:
• Futures Thinking and how it expands your ability to anticipate and explore possible futures
• AI tools and how they can support creativity, research, and scenario development
• Sector-agnostic approaches that can be applied to various contexts
The workshop was also joined by Mahmoud R. Abu Al Tin, a young entrepreneur and Managing Director at Visibility Hero, who weighed in on AI applications and provided participants with practical tips on prompting AI tools correctly.
Plekhanov University in Dubai continues to strengthen its commitment to hands on, future-focused learning. Workshops like this demonstrate the university’s dedication to giving students opportunities to experiment with emerging tools, engage with industry voices, and develop skills that prepare them for an evolving professional landscape.
Participants left the workshop with a sharper sense of how to think ahead, make informed choices, and approach the future with confidence. As Innovation Week draws closer to its conclusion, sessions like this reinforce a key message: the future is not something to wait for, but something to actively design.
