Hey! I am Kushal Sohal,
a Futures Literacy Designer.
I believe imagination is a vehicle for resistance, hope, and agency.
Codesigning action research projects worldwide, I have collaborated with collectives, movements, NGOs, universities and government bodies – developing transformative visions and actions to bring to life progressive futures.
As I continue to learn and grow in my practice, I seek to centre values of creative expression, critical thinking, empathy, and plurality.
Journey
I currently work as a Futures Literacy Designer and Project Lead with the School of International Futures. In this role, I have been working with emerging leaders to reimagine systems sustaining childhood sexual violence and envision pathways to more just futures; codesigning participatory processes with civil society groups to reimagine democracy amidst a polycrisis; and developing training courses in futures literacy and foresight for students, academics, civil servants, and policymakers.
Prior to this, I worked as a Consultant for three years with the UNESCO Futures Literacy and Foresight team, organising and delivering futures projects with UN agencies, government ministries, universities and community groups around the world. Such projects focused on topics like education, queer safe spaces, cities, climate justice and digitalisation. This would often include the codesign, facilitation and evaluation of Futures Literacy Laboratories (FLLs) – bespoke workshops in which we challenge our assumptions, imagine an array of futures, and rethink the present.
I am also a Next Generation Foresight Practitioner (NGFP). Since my NGFP2021 awards – Walkabout Prize and Culture & Identity Award, this fellowship has supported my independent efforts to advance futures literacy capabilities with community groups, NGOs, and universities, with a focus on questions of social justice in the UK and India.
I am certified as a Human Systems Dynamics Practitioner by Human Systems Dynamics Global Services. I hold a BA in History from University College London and a MSc in Modern South Asian Studies from the University of Oxford.
Offers
- Design – Codesign of bespoke Futures Literacy Laboratories (FLLs), using an array of methods and principles from futures studies and human systems dynamics to support the creation of a creative learning process that is in tune with the local context
- Facilitation – Facilitating learn-by-doing processes in which participants explore the spectrum of future possibilities and enhance their anticipatory capabilities
- Research – Engaging in research by fusing together skills learnt in university degrees in history and social science, with futures literacy, a combination that brings novel perspectives to the addressing of contemporary challenges
- Storytelling and Strategy – Taking participatory futures approaches to co-create alternative stories and develop transformative strategies
- Adaptive Action – Applying Adaptive Action principles to take tangible steps towards shifting patterns and bringing to life visions for the future
- Courses and Trainings – Design and delivery of bespoke trainings and courses to advance capabilities in futures literacy and human systems dynamics
Futures for Social Impact
‘Reimagining Justice’ and Q&A Feature – The Subjective Space – March 2026
Working with Curatrix Sindhu Rajasekaran, I designed and faciliated a virutal, public FLL that invited participants to ‘reimagine justice’. This marked the launch of the ‘Futures Lab’ at The Subjective Space. Ahead of the event, I engaged in conversation with Sindhu on futures literacy, shared reflections from my ongoing work in this space, and the politics of imagination in today’s world.
‘Visions of Power and Possibility: Building our Future Together’ – Rising Flame – Goa, October 2025
I worked with the Rising Flame team to design an FLL for in-house facilitation. The activity focused on envisioining a desired future for the ‘women with disabilities’ movement in India. Participants reimagined narratives by unearthing assumptions and transforming underlying mythologies. They co-created a collective vision for the movement and outlined pathways for action towards achieving it.
‘Where Do We Go From Here? Re-Imagining Responses to Image-Based Abuse’ – Point of View – Alibaug, September 2025
I designed and facilitated a two-day FLL for Point of View, focused on reimagining responses to image-based abuse. Participants came from across India, including journalists, movement organisers and ngo workers. They collectively reframed and reimagined contemporary responses, stress-tested ideas against different scenarios, and devised recommendations for transformative action.
‘Playful Futures’ and ‘Using the Future’ – Incubation Conference, The Circle – Mumbai, April 2025
Codesign and lead facilitation at Day 1 of The Circle’s Incubation Conference. A series of assessed activities engaged social entrepreneurs and prospective fellows of the Incubation programme in collectively imagining different futures for Indian education, and applying Futures Literacy and Human Systems Dynamics approaches to their own project proposals.
‘Reimagining Masculinities in Indian Public Spaces’ – YP Foundation Conclave – New Delhi, February 2025
I designed and facilitated a dual-language (Hindi and English) Futures Literacy Laboratory (FLL) as part of ‘Many Mirrors, Many Masculinities’, a YP Foundation Conclave. Participant groups envisioned different futures, reframed narratives, and expressed their ideas through creative mediums such as painting and creating artefacts reflective of their hopes and desires.
‘Untethered Cities’ – Dark’n’Light and Converging Minds – Bengaluru, October 2024
Working with futures strategist Siddhi Ashar, I codesigned and cofacilitated a day long FLL where citizens of Bengaluru reimagined their city. Hosted by Dark’n’Light and Converging Minds at the Bangalore International Centre. we brought together an intergenerational group of participants reflective of different sectors and lived experiences. Participants explored a broad range of future scenarios, aiming to disrupt dominant paradigms and envision a better future. Insights are captured in our blog, and a zine illustrated and written by Adrija Gosh.
‘Reimagine’ – Nazaria Arts Collective – Mumbai, 2024-2025
Working with fellow collective members to embed futures literacy into ‘Reimagine’, a summer school film-making programme for young creatives from marginalised and minority communities across Mumbai.
‘Futures Taster Session’ – Head of Guidance and Learning, Select Committees, House of Commons – April 2024
A virtual workshop covering an array of futures literacy and foresight design tools, designed to build capacity and support the innovation of the learning programmes developed and delivered by the Head of Guidance and Learning and their team overseeing Select Committees in the House of Commons, UK Parliament.
‘Futures of Feminist Foreign Policy’ – The Gender Security Project – August-November 2023
The design and facilitation of three FLLs focused on Feminist Foreign Policy, working alongside Kirthi Jayakumar, the founder of The Gender Security Project. Each workshop took place at the end of a month-long course on feminist foreign policy that engaged civil society activists, academics, and students with an interest in the topic area. The workshops explored a mixture of probable and preferable futures, and tailored reframed scenarios futures – scenarios developed to challenge dominant assumptions – followed by the creation of roadmaps and action plans.
‘Futures of Parenting’ – Parenthesis – Bengaluru, July 2022
A virtual FLL codesigned with Parenthesis, a feminist collective based in Bengaluru. The activity explored probable futures, desirable visions, a reframe scenario challenging the gendering of reproductive labor, and new questions to guide action. Insights from the activity were published in a report that takes the form of a Zine, these include reflections on themes such as communal parenting, capitalism and inequality.
Universities
‘Reimagining Gender, Work and Technology’ – GirlsWhoML – Bengaluru, April 2025
In partnership with GirlsWhoML, I organised, designed and facilitated a day long FLL reimagining gender, work and technology, centring the imaginaries and agency of the participants – select female students at Jain University, Bengaluru.
‘Futures of Indian Media and Democracy’ – Azim Premji University – Bengaluru, October 2024
A FLL with the Masters students of Dr. Adil Hossain at Azim Premji University. The activity explored the intersection of media and democracy in India, with participants challenging their own assumptions, reframing narratives and envisioning alternative futures and roadmaps towards a desirable scenario.
‘Futures of Gender and Society’ – Jindal Global Law School – Sonipat, September 2024
The design and faciliation of two FLLs with the masters and undergraduate students of Dr. Saumya Saxena at Jindal Global Law School. The activities saw students challenge dominant assumptions around gender in Indian society, creating short films that explored journeys towards alternative futures and the narratives in speculative scenarios, including reframed legislation and the end of caste-based names.
‘Access to Higher Education and Belonging in UK Universities for Indian Students’ – Project EduAccess – Oxford, June 2024
As a technical mentor with ProjectEduAccess, I applied my background in futures literacy to the design and facilitation of a workshop that explored alternative futures of higher education and belonging in UK universities for Indian students. Participants of the workshop included both students and fellow mentors. The activity explored likely futures – engaging with challenges and barriers, desirable futures – exploring solutions and best practices, and the devising of comprehensive action plans that outlined steps to be taken by different stakeholders such as university administration and student organisers.
‘Futures of Work’ – University of Leeds Business School – Leeds, 2023-2025
Beginning in September 2023, I worked with Dr. Asiya Islam – a sociologist who was based at the University of Leeds Business School until September 2024. We codesigned a flagship course on ‘Global Perspectives on Work’, one rendition as a compulsory course for Masters students studying work and employment-related programmes within the business school, and another was an elective for all undergraduates across the university. Alongside academic literature and seminars, we infused interactive futures literacy activities throughout the courses, culminating in assessed FLL on ‘Futures of Work’ at the end of the module, alongside essay writing and policy brief assignments. I designed and facilitated the assessed futures workshops in the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 academic year. In May 2025, I provided training for a new set of academics at the University of Leeds Business School such that they are now able to further develop the course and conduct assessed FLLs in the years to come.
‘Futures of Critical Gender Perspectives’ – University of Freiburg – Freiburg, July 2023
A two-day FLL with the undergraduate students of Dr. Amya Agarwal at the University of Freiburg, an assessed piece of work as part of a Gender Studies course. Students explored an array of futures in a facilitated workshop, followed by time to develop collages and roadmaps to communicate their ideas for a desirable world which were presented in the next class.
‘Futures of Belonging’ – Manipal Centre for Humanities (MCH), Manipal – April 2023
A virtual FLL with the students of Dr. Emma Varughese at the Manipal Centre for Humanities (MCH), exploring a plethora of future possibilities for belonging.
‘Futures of Gender and Sexuality’ – Manipal Centre for Humanities (MCH), Manipal – March-August 2023
A virtual FLL with the students of Dr. Ketaki Chowkhani at the Manipal Centre for Humanities (MCH), centred on the exploration of reframed and preposterous futures of gender and sexuality that challenged foundational assumptions, with students later presenting their ideas. The highlight from these activities, including insights from students imaginaries, student artwork and reflections on such processes were written in a co-authored articled with Dr. Ketaki Chowkhani, titled ‘Students as Futurists’ and published in Teacher Plus.
‘Futures of Identity’ and ‘Futures of Economic Systems’ – Union College, New York – February 2023
A set of two virtual FLLs with the students of Dr. Arsalan Khan at Union College, with the first focused on ‘Futures of Identity’ and the second on ‘Futures of Economic Systems’.
Research
Harangè – May-November 2025
I worked to pitch, design and develop a ‘Digitial Misfits Window’ for the Mozilla Festival 2025, an idea that later evolved into Harangè – a travelling installation which captures women’s imaginaries and their perspectives on Artifical Intelligence. Led by GirlsWhoML and supported by Women AI Collective and Oeuvre, this interactive installation continues to invite engagement. Read about it here.
‘Fluid, Timeless and Post-Garden Bengalurus’ (Paper) – Manipal Centre for Humanities, Manipal – March 2025
Drawing on an earlier project in Bengaluru (‘Untethered Cities’), I co-wrote a 5000-word paper with futures strategist Siddhi Ashar and presented insights at a conference, ‘Imagining Urban Futures in India and Beyond’. This paper will be featured in an upcoming book on Urban Futures in India, co-edited by the conference convenor – Dr. Ketaki Chowkhani.
Digital Commerce in India – Institute for the Future – January 2025
I was engaged as a Horizon Scanner by the Institute for the Future to explore trends, drivers and signals of change in relation to Digital Commerce in India. This culminated in a session where I presented research that reflected on the intersections of technological innovation, hindu nationalism, and class and caste oppression.
‘Haqeeqat aur Khwaab – Futures of Muslim Women’s Agency in India’ (Article) – Feminism in India – 2023-2024
A article co-written with researcher Fatima Juned and commissioned by Feminism in India. This work is borne from a series of interviews exploring the imaginaries of young lower-middle class Muslim women who live, work and study in New Delhi and Lucknow. Challenging patriarchal narratives of ‘saviourism’, we record our interviewees own experiences of agency in the present, their hopes and fears shaping probable futures, dreams for desirable futures, and the outlining of action steps to transform Indian society. This project work took place in late 2023-early 2024, with the publication in March 2024.
‘Futures of Gender Equity and Women’s Empowerment’ – UNDP Uzbekistan – October-December 2023
A short engagement with futurist John Sweeny, supporting work on a UNDP Uzbekistan project on ‘Futures of Gender Equity and Women’s Empowerment’. My focus as part of the team of Horizon Scanners was on social and cultural trends shaping the future, analysing online sources and data sets.
‘Futures of Hindi Cinema: Representations of Gender’, Article and Public Webinar – June-August 2023
An article borne from a virtual public event exploring different futures of Hindi Cinema, with a focus on different representations of gender. The activity featured film festival director Aseem Chhabra, economist and author Shrayana Bhattacharya, and journalist Takshi Mehta. The webinar followed the structure of an FLL, with panelists and the public exploring present-day narratives, probable futures, preferable futures, a reframed scenario and ideas for action. The webinar took place in June 2023, with the article published in August 2023.
‘Sukoon’ – Speculative Fiction, NGFP Peaceful Futures Manifesto – May 2023
As a contributor to the NGFP Peaceful Futures Manifesto, I wrote a short piece of speculative fiction exploring transformations in masculinities.
‘Futures of Masculinity’ – Webinar and Article – May 2022
The first project borne from my NGFP fellowship, I designed and facilitated a public webinar exploring futures of masculinity, featuring the educator and filmmaker Leslee Udwin and sociologist Dr. Shannon Philip. The process explored the present-day, probable futures, desirable futures, engagement with assumptions and a reframed scenario, enabled the emergence of new questions and the outlining of next steps to transform masculinities.
School of International Futures (2023-current)
As a Futures Literacy Designer and Project Lead with the School of International Futures, I have worked on the following projects.
- SPROUT – codesign and facilitation of a transformative program aimed at establishing an intergenerational, global network and nurturing emerging leaders in the Childhood Sexual Violence (CSV) sector. Through a combination of learning partnership sessions, coaching, virtual and in-person activities, the focus has been on enhancing futures orientation, systems-thinking, collaboration, creativity and agency. Sprout fellows projects are supported through an impact fund. Publications available
- Dubai Future Experts Programme – codesign and cofacilitation of a foresight programme for civil servants and professionals across Dubai, a six-week programme inclusive of workshops, individual project work, and group sessions.
- Reimagine Kenya – codesigning participatory futures exercises with community organisations aiming to reimagine democracy in Kenya.
- Futures Methods from Around the World – this project aims to first identify pre-existing ways of thinking, being and doing from around the world that can support us all, individually and collectively, in thinking more broadly and radically about our shared futures as a society, and then create an accessible online public asset that shares this knowledge.
UNESCO Futures Literacy and Foresight (2021-2024)
While a Consultant with UNESCO, I worked to codesign and facilitate intergenerational and multistakeholder FLLs and Masterclasses with government ministries, UN agencies and community groups worldwide. These include the following projects.
Futures of Learning and Learning Spaces – Philippines Department of Education and UNICEF Philippines
Futures of Disaster Risk Reduction, Disaster Risk Governance, Human Behaviour and Hazards – United Nations Disaster Risk Reduction Agency (UNDRR) and UNESCO Jakarta Field Office – Publication available
Futures of Queer Safe Spaces – UNESCO Creative Cities Network, International Coalition of Inclusive and Sustainable Cities, and LGBTQ+ youth in Nottingham (UK), Heidelberg (Germany), Montevideo (Uruguay), and Kansas City (USA)
Futures of Digitalisation – UNESCO Bangkok Regional Office, UNESCO Phnom Penh Field Office, American University of Phnom Penh and Cambodian Academy of Digital Technology
Youth Perspectives on Climate Futures – Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd University
I also worked on the following initiatives:
- Masterclasses for the UN HLCP Foresight Network available on YouTube
- Contributor to the Futures Literacy Laboratory Playbook
- UNESCO-PMU Symposia – Towards Evaluation Frameworks for Futures Literacy and Foresight (2023) and Priority Youth: Futures and Foresight for Inclusive Decision Making (2024)
- Organisation of the first rendition (2022) and the second rendition (2023) of UNESCO World Futures Day
- Co-authoring an article, ‘Futures Literacy: A Dance Between Improvisation and Planning’ (2021)