where can you find a futurist?

In a university, he will work as a teacher-researcher to advance knowledge in this field and to transmit it to next generations. But in France only the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers (The CNAM is a Public Scientific, Cultural and Professional Institution, classed as a grand établissement, among France's top higher education establishments, and supervised by the Minister for Higher Education) recognizes Futures Studies as a discipline per se with its own degrees. In a increasing number of French universities, one can find lecture and courses of foresight but not professors … (lectures and courses are given by non-academic lecturers).

In an organization, public or private, like a firm or an administration for example. In this case, we will name the futurist “futures-oriented practitioner” because it is not very likely that he/she will make all his/her career in this field. Sooner or later, the practitioner will move to another department or even organization where he/she might not use his/her futures-oriented skills. However, some organizations can afford to hire professional futurists.

What solution remains then to make of its skill a true job, the vocation of a life? In France, only two choices are left: expatriation or consulting. This explains why the majority of the French futurists are consultants. But it is necessary to make a real difference between futurist and consultant, from the point of view of the job.

The consultant in foresight exerts firstly a trade of consultant. Tomorrow, according to the most profitable market, he/she could switch from foresight to economy or strategy or whatever.

The futurist, on the other hand, systematically carries on several simultaneous activities:

• He/she advises, achieves studies, and moderates working groups: this is the heart of his/her trade of consultant.

• He/she does also research and publishes his/her results because futures studies are a discipline in perpetual evolution just like its material: the ingredients of the future. This is his/her job of futurist-researcher.

• Last but not least, he/she teaches, because he/she needs to confront his/her visions of the future with those of the younger generations; because he/she must imperatively transmit his/her knowledge if he/she does want to see it dye with him/her; because he/she must train the futurists of the next generation to take over. This is his/her job of futurist-teacher.