Antonine University (UA), in collaboration with the Mujtama Center for Cultural and Historical Studies, concluded the two-day symposium “Future Narratives: A Study of Realities, Fears, and Alternatives.” The event took place at the Hadat–Baabda Campus and brought together a distinguished group of thinkers and researchers from Lebanon and across the Arab world. Among the participants were poet Adonis, former Minister of Culture Gaby Layoun, and members of the Mujtama Center’s Board of Trustees: Dr. Abdelmajid Charfi, Dr. Abdou Filali-Ansary, and Dr. Bassam Al-Jammal.

Opening Session: A Critical Vision of the Present and Future

The symposium opened with a speech by Fr. Michel Saghbiny, Rector of UA, who affirmed the University’s commitment to supporting critical thought across diverse narratives, highlighting the dangers of textual distortions and their imposition on reality. Fr. Saghbiny stressed: “The importance of this symposium lies in its call to look toward the future and to reflect on building a just and meaningful one for generations to come.”

This was followed by an opening address by Dr. Pascale Lahoud, Conference Organizer and Chair of the Mujtama Center’s Board of Trustees. Dr. Lahoud offered a philosophical framing of the concept of “future narratives,” emphasizing that the future has become a symbolic and economic resource contested by political and economic powers. She noted that the narratives constructed around it shape collective decisions and consciousness, and she called for deeper interrogation of these narratives and the interests operating within, and between them.

Day One: Planet, Technology, and Culture

In the first session, Dr. Al-Hassan Al-Mousaddaq (Morocco) examined the Anthropocene, underscoring the inseparability of environmental crises from demographic, political, and economic upheavals. He called for rewriting modern history in light of humanity’s geological impact and advocated for integrating natural history into the social sciences.

The second session featured Dr. Habib Abdulrab Sarori (Yemen), who presented a provocative perspective on artificial intelligence. He described AI as a “new god” that threatens to surpass human capacities, warning of the dangers of algorithmic black boxes and generative AI biases, and highlighting the radical transformation of the world’s technological infrastructure.

In the third session, focusing on culture, Dr. Zahida Darwish Jabbour (Lebanon) discussed the role of literature in imagining the future, stressing that literature is not merely reflective of reality, but a laboratory for shaping scenarios. She called for the articulation of a humanistic Arab narrative capable of restoring balance to humanity’s relationship with the world.

Day Two: Economy and Politics in an Age of Uncertainty

The day began with a session on the future of the economy led by Dr. Kamal Hamdan (Lebanon). He questioned whether dominant ideological schools, such as capitalism, retain the ability to offer new models, and he explored the potential emergence of more just and sustainable alternatives.

The closing session featured Dr. Wissam Saade (Lebanon), who offered a philosophical reading of the temporality of contemporary politics within the emerging bio-data-political paradigm. He cautioned against the dissolution of politics into technocratic rationality and called for reclaiming politics as a foundational act transcending algorithmic logic through the tension between utopia and eschatology.

A Platform for Dialogue and Future Research

The symposium was marked by vibrant discussions among participants and attendees, raising essential questions about the future of humanity, the Arab world’s role in global narratives, and the power of critical thought in confronting manufactured inevitabilities.

Future Narratives proved to be a unique platform for intellectual exchange and laid the groundwork for an ambitious Arab research initiative aimed at reclaiming the future as a space for imagination — not as a predetermined inevitability.

By fostering critical dialogue and interdisciplinary engagement, UA reaffirms its role as a hub for intellectual exchange, committed to shaping futures rooted in knowledge, ethics, and human dignity.

Read the press release in Arabic