The program features over 60 events for like-minded professionals to share ideas about society’s future and ways to tackle today’s challenges The second ‘Inventing the Future’ International Symposium has opened in Moscow, bringing together more than 7,000 people from 85 countries.The event, held at the Russia National Center from October 7 to 8, was launched on the initiative of President Vladimir Putin to unite leading thinkers in designing and visualizing positive future scenarios.The symposium features over 200 speakers – scientists, architects, designers, writers, diplomats, and representatives of creative industries from Russia, as well as the US and SCO, BRICS, and European countries.“By promoting this kind of communication, this platform… helps people break out of routine, out of repetitive contexts, and look at long-standing problems and conventional solutions from a fresh perspective,” Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration Maksim Oreshkin said at the opening ceremony on Tuesday. He announced that the symposium is now part of the global Open Dialogue ecosystem – a platform where professionals can share ideas and develop new approaches to today’s challenges.The business program includes around 60 events divided into expert and educational sections. The expert segment features ‘society’, ‘technology’, and ‘global cooperation’ – covering topics from geopolitics and demography to AI.On the first day, participants discussed prospects for societal development, the future of international relations, urban planning, demography, culture, media, and AI. A key highlight was the ‘Scenarios of the Future: At the Intersection of Science and Creativity’ workshop, where science fiction writers, futurists, and researchers created a bank of ideas for possible futures. Another focal point was a panel on social design as a tool for creating innovative social practices. A new feature this year is the open educational program. On the first day, participants explored Russia’s cooperation with the Global South, 21st-century art, and concepts of future society. Adding a futuristic touch, robots in humanoid and animal form were showcased throughout the venue, symbolizing one of the event’s main themes.This is the second time the symposium has been held in Russia. Last year’s event drew over 6,000 people from 101 countries.