Cynthia selin

Dr. Cynthia Selin is a social scientist and strategic foresight expert who explores the theory and practice of anticipation and develops methodologies to navigate complex change.

Dr. Selin is an Associate Fellow at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, where she is core faculty in the Oxford Scenarios Programme and teaches executives globally. She is a former Associate Professor in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and the School of Sustainability at Arizona State University, USA, where she founded the Center for the Study of Futures and remains a Faculty Fellow at the Center for Science and the Imagination.

In 2017, Dr. Selin founded Scenaric, a consulting firm that creates rigorous, research-grounded processes that help organizations navigate uncertain futures and act with greater foresight. Drawing on over two decades of experience in strategy, engagement design, and scenario planning, she partners with clients to clarify challenges, test strategies, identify opportunities, and shape policy options.

Her research examines how individuals, organizations, and institutions envision and respond to emerging technologies — developing methodologies that illuminate the social, political, and ethical dimensions of innovation under conditions of deep uncertainty. Throughout her career, Dr. Selin has pioneered new approaches to foster deeper, more imaginative thinking about alternative futures, aiming to cultivate more sustainable, equitable, and just systems. Her body of work includes over 40 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, edited volumes, and special issues on foresight, innovation, and sustainability.

Dr. Selin is a speaker and educator who delivers keynotes and presentations globally. She holds a PhD in Knowledge and Management from Copenhagen Business School's Institute for Politics, Philosophy and Management, an MA in Science and Technology Studies from Roskilde University (Denmark), and a BA in American Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

A copy of Dr. Selin's CV may be found here.