Introduction to International Futures (Course 1)

This course introduces the International Futures (IFs) platform developed by the Frederick S. Pardee Institute for International Futures at the University of Denver. IFs is an open-source, integrated forecasting model used by researchers, policymakers, and analysts to examine long-term patterns and explore how changes across demographic, economic, governance, environmental, and other systems may shape future outcomes.

By the end of the course, you will be able to install and navigate IFs, analyze historical trends, display and interpret a Current Path forecast, build a basic alternative scenario, compare results, and communicate their implications for long-term planning and strategy.

The course follows a four-part analytical workflow:

1. Analyze the past.
2. Display the future.
3. Change the future through scenario analysis.
4. Compare and interpret results.

You will begin by examining historical patterns and relationships. You will then explore the IFs Current Path, which provides a structured forecast based on the model’s current data, assumptions, and relationships. Next, you will adjust selected parameters to create an alternative scenario and compare its results with the Current Path. Throughout the process, you will consider what the model can clarify, what remains uncertain, and how scenario analysis can support better strategic questions.

Completing this course earns the "Introduction to Strategic Forecasting with International Futures" badge, the first credential in the five-course Strategic Forecasting Professional Certificate.

This course is fully asynchronous and self-paced. No prior experience with IFs, statistics, or advanced modeling is required. 

Estimated learning hours: 12-15 hours