Invitation to FutureX Summit 2026
What does it mean to be future-ready?
We live in a time marked by rapid technological change, artificial intelligence, emerging professions, uncertainty and challenges we cannot fully anticipate. In this context, one question becomes particularly important: How can we prepare young people today for a future we cannot fully predict?
The Institute of Communication Studies (ICS) invites you to FutureX Summit 2026, dedicated to the knowledge, skills and approaches that help us navigate uncertainty and actively shape the future. The summit will take place on 19 November 2026, from 11:00 to 13:30, at Europe House Skopje, with the option to participate online.
The summit will focus on competencies for the future and preparedness for uncertainty, the role of education in a rapidly changing world, career development and the future of work. Discussions will also explore business innovation and leadership, as well as the role of artificial intelligence and information in digital society.
Speakers will include Ramila Kafaji Zadeh, a Futures Literacy expert from Hanze University of Applied Sciences, the Netherlands; Prof. Kiril Barbareev, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Goce Delčev University; Dancho Dimkov, consultant, author and entrepreneur; Tomaž Pavlica, an expert in business innovation, strategy and organisational transformation from Slovenia; and Aleksandra Dedinec, a member of the VEZILKA project team.
The summit will also feature presentations of projects developed by participants in the Future Readiness Academy, an international educational programme delivered as part of the Erasmus+ project FutureLit.
The working languages of the event are Macedonian and English.
Please find attached the event agenda: FutureX Summit Programme (PDF)
Participation is free of charge. Please confirm your participation by 18 November using the appropriate form, depending on whether you will follow the event online or in person at Europe House Skopje:
We look forward to discussing how we can prepare for the future together.
Contact person: Jordanka Cherepnalkova-Trajkoska,
FutureX Summit Programme
What does it mean to be future-ready?
19 November 2026
Europe House Skopje, St. Cyril and Methodius 32-b, Skopje
| Time | Session |
| 11:00–11:15 | Welcome and Opening Welcome remarks and a brief introduction to the FutureLit project, the Future Readiness Academy, and the purpose of the Summit. Zaneta Trajkoska, Director of the Institute of Communication Studies Prof. Vesna Janevska, Minister of Education and Science Prof. Tatjana Horvat, Dean, Faculty of Management, University of Primorska (Slovenia) |
| 11:15–11:35 | Future talk How can we navigate futures we cannot predict? Ramila Kafaji Zadeh, Futures Literacy expert, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen, the Netherlands |
| 11:35–12:35 | FutureX dialogue Panel discussion: How can future-ready competencies help us make better decisions today when the future cannot be fully predicted? Moderator: Jordanka Cherepnalkova-Trajkoska (ICS) What should education prepare young people for if we do not know what kind of world they will live and work in? Panellist: Prof. Kiril Barbareev, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Goce Delčev University, Štip Is it better to have a clear career plan or to remain open to opportunities we cannot yet foresee? Panellist: Dancho Dimkov, BizzBee solutions, Skopje Which assumptions about the future most often limit organisations and make it difficult for them to change? Panellist: Tomaž Pavlica, Director and Consultant, Palok d.o.o., Slovenia What capabilities should young people begin developing today in order to remain active and responsible participants in the digital society of the future? Panellist: Dr Aleksandra Dedinec, FCSE / the Vezilka Project Team |
| 12:35–12:55 | Future Readiness Academy Showcase Ideas from the Next Generation Selected participants from North Macedonia, Slovenia and Austria will present projects, ideas and perspectives developed through the Future Readiness Academy. |
| 12:55–13:10 | Students’ Voice Panel discussion: What would we change today? Moderator: Monika Aksentievska (ICS) Brief reactions to the Summit discussions: What would you say to the panellists and why? Panellists: Future Readiness Academy students Reflections: What is one thing we should start doing differently today in order to be better prepared for tomorrow? Panellists: Future Readiness Academy students |
| 13:10–13:20 | From project to practice FutureLit beyond the project: Resources for students, educators, universities and organisations |
| 13:20–13:25 | Closing Looking ahead: Key messages from the Summit and closing remarks |