SECOND INTERNATIONAL
SCIENTIFIC AND PRACTICAL
CONFERENCE

SOCIAL ARCHITECTURE:

THEORY AND PRACTICE
OF SOCIAL CHANGE

Dates: 23–24 October 2026

Venue: 32 Basseinaya Street, St. Petersburg

600+

academics and
industry professionals

30+

countries represented

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

The 2nd International Scientific and Practical Conference “Social Architecture: Theory and Practice of Social Change” addresses the defining question of 2026: amidst accelerating technological and social shifts, how can individuals, communities, and nations consciously shape their own futures — and what role does social architecture play in this process?

At the core of the conference is the concept of agency. Agency is shaped, sustained, or eroded within a specific social environment. The conference will explore agency across three dimensions: personal, societal, and institutional. The personal dimension examines autonomy of thought, choice, and decision-making in an era driven by technological advancement and artificial intelligence. The societal dimension focuses on trust, social cohesion, cultivating a shared vision for the future, and the capacity for collective action. The institutional dimension looks at how the state, education, culture, media, digital platforms, and other institutions can foster environments that empower individuals and communities to define and achieve their long-term goals.

Scheduled for 23–24 October 2026, in St. Petersburg, the conference will convene leading Russian and international experts. Attendees will share their insights on critical issues, exchange best practices, and debate strategies for navigating contemporary challenges and shaping tomorrow.

For participants, the event offers a unique platform to engage in a global professional and expert dialogue. Together, they will explore how individuals and communities can maintain their agency, define long-term goals, and drive collective action.

Become a participant in the dialogue on the future of humanity and society.
Join the international conference of leaders, experts, and innovators.

TOGETHER, WE SHAPE THE SOLUTIONS THAT CHANGE THE WORLD

PROGRAMME

10:00–11:00

OPENING CEREMONY

Opening Ceremony of the Conference

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Вопросы к обсуждению

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11:00–12:30

PLENARY DISCUSSION

“Individuals, Society, and the State as Architects of the Future”

Core focus

The capacity of individuals, communities, and nations to independently shape their future amidst the growing influence of technology, digital platforms, governments, corporations, and the media — and how to translate this capacity into collective action.

Discussion questions

What does agency mean when applied to individuals, society, institutions, and nations?
Which shifts expand opportunities for autonomous action, and which ones deepen dependence on external systems?
What decisions can individuals safely outsource to technology and institutions?
Who drives the goals of technological and social development?
How do we transition from envisioning a desired future to collective goal-setting and collaborative action?
What framework for social architecture does Russia offer to the international community?

13:30–15:30

SESSION №1

“The Future in the Present: The Uneven Distribution of Change Across Nations and Societies”

Core focus

The technological, social, demographic, cultural, and governance shifts that have already emerged today, but are unfolding at varying speeds across different countries and social groups.

Discussion questions

Which shifts hold the greatest potential to shape the future?
Which groups are gaining new opportunities, and which ones are facing emerging risks?
Which processes are global in nature yet remain contingent on national contexts?
What early warning signs point to impending, large-scale changes?

13:30–15:30

SESSION №2

“The Engineered Future: Human Agency VS Technology”

Core focus

Personal agency amidst the proliferation of artificial intelligence, automated decision-making, digital platforms, hyper-personalized media, evolving employment models, and biotechnology.

Discussion questions

— Which functions are individuals outsourcing to technological systems?
— What types of decisions demand deliberate human oversight?
— How does automation impact independent thought and personal accountability?
— What frameworks enable individuals to comprehend and contest automated decisions affecting their lives?

13:30–15:30

SESSION №3

“Society as an Agent in Co-Designing the Future”

Core focus

The nature and resilience of bonds between diverse social groups, trust, and the capacity to cultivate a shared vision for the future and drive collective action.

Discussion questions

— How does the personalization of information environments impact the formation of a shared social reality?
— What conditions foster trust and a readiness for collaborative action?
— How does the transformation of family structures and intergenerational dynamics reshape long-term individual and societal strategies?
— Which forms of participation and self-organization empower societal agency?

13:30–15:30

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION

“The Future in Public Discourse: The Role of the Media”

Core focus

The capacity and responsibility of the media to communicate visions of a desired future, cultivate public interest in the topic, and integrate it into the public agenda.

Discussion questions

— How can we move the conversation around the future from abstract speculation into a meaningful public agenda?
— Which media formats, genres, narratives, and storytelling techniques make visions of the future both accessible and emotionally resonant?
— How can the mass media sustain the human capacity to dream and envision possibilities that extend beyond the present?
— What responsibilities do the media bear for the future visions they project, the emotional climate they foster, and public perception of human agency?

16:00–18:00

SESSION №4

“The Role of the State and Institutional Actors in Shaping the Future”

Core focus

The role of governments, digital platforms, corporations, professional bodies, and civil society organizations in defining long-term goals and regulatory frameworks for development.

Discussion questions

— Who establishes the rules that shape the future of individuals and society?
— How are influence and accountability distributed among individuals, the state, businesses, and digital platforms?
— What mechanisms ensure meaningful citizen participation in critical decision-making?
— Which institutions help a nation maintain strategic autonomy?

16:00–18:00

SESSION №5

“Scenario Crossroads: Which Futures Are Emerging Today?”

Core focus

The convergence of shifts that could spark alternative futures and reshape the choice space available to individuals and society.

Discussion questions

— Which scenario crossroads are already visible today?
— Which scenarios expand human and societal agency?
— What early indicators signal a shift toward a specific scenario?
— Where are the leverage points to influence the direction of future development?

16:00–18:00

SESSION №6

“Social Architecture: Translating Future Scenarios into Present Action”

Core focus

Transforming identified challenges, opportunities, and scenarios into actionable social initiatives, institutional frameworks, and sustainable models for collective action.

Discussion questions

— How can we translate foresight scenarios and aspirational goals into concrete projects?
— How do we map out the agents, co-creators, and stakeholders of change?
— How can we design solutions that are resilient across multiple alternative futures?
— What metrics should be used to evaluate a project’s impact on individual and collective agency?

10:00 – 11:30

FORESIGHT SESSION

“Youth as Architects of the Future: Personal Trajectories and Collective Action”

Core focus

The shifts poised to shape the life trajectories of younger generations over a 15-to-20-year horizon, and key avenues for their international collaborative efforts.

Discussion questions

— Which shifts exert the greatest influence on the life trajectories of young people?
— In which sectors can youth assert themselves as agents of change?
— What research and project-based domains demand international cooperation?
— How can we build frameworks for sustained collaboration among youth teams?

10:00 – 11:30

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION

“Competencies of the Social Architect: From Personal Agency to Collective Action”

Core focus

The professional training and education of social architects framed around the central theme of the conference.

Discussion questions

— Presentation and evaluation of the competency framework for social architects.
— The role and positioning of social architects relative to adjacent professions.
— The core curriculum and mandatory disciplines for Master’s degree programmes in social architecture.

10:00 – 11:30

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION

“Project Standards in Social Architecture: Agency as a Metric for Quality Change”

Core focus

Professional requirements for project design aimed at fostering autonomous goal-setting and collective action.

Discussion questions

— Presentation of project design standards in social architecture: distinguishing socio-architectural initiatives from traditional social projects.
— How to define the agents of goal-setting, co-creators, and stakeholders of change within a project framework?
— Metrics for evaluating a project’s impact on long-term goal-setting horizons, autonomy, and the capacity for collective action.
— Applying the standard across project development, expert appraisal, and impact assessment.

11:50 – 13:50

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION

“Preserving Human and Societal Agency in the Age of AI”

Core focus

How AI alters the human role in goal-setting, choice, and decision-making; the risks this evolution poses to human and societal agency; and the ethical boundaries social architects must navigate when mapping out the future.

Discussion questions

— Which choices regarding the future of individuals and society must never be outsourced to digital systems? What role will humans play in a society increasingly governed by AI-driven decisions?
— Does AI expand our capacity to envision the future, or does it breed dependence on algorithmically generated options?
— What are the ethical boundaries of leveraging personal and societal data for social diagnostics and project design?
— Who bears accountability for the long-term societal consequences of AI-driven decisions?
— How can we guarantee a meaningful — rather than merely symbolic — ‘human-in-the-loop’ approach to decision-making?

11:50 – 13:50

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION

“Training Strategic Foresight Specialists: International Experience and the Russian School of Social Architecture”

Core focus

Examining global frameworks for engaging with the future and diverse approaches to the professional development of specialized practitioners.

Discussion questions

— How are futures research and strategic foresight institutionalized across different countries?
— Balancing theory, research, and practical training: how universities collaborate with governments, industry, and think tanks.
— Professional pathways and core qualification requirements for futures practitioners.
— Integrating international best practices into Russian curricula: the distinctive contribution of the school of social architecture.

15:00 – 16:00

CLOSING PLENARY SESSION

“The Future as a Project: Challenges and the Emerging Research Agenda for Social Architecture”

Core focus

Synthesizing the core thematic tracks and converting conference outcomes into a year-long research agenda.

SPEAKERS

Leading experts, researchers, and practitioners gathering to share their expertise and discuss current issues in social architecture

ALEXANDER KHARICHEV

Head of the Presidential Directorate for Monitoring and Analysis of Social Processes

SERGEY VOLODENKOV

Director, Institute of Social Architecture (a part of the Presidential Platform “Russia – Land of Opportunity”); Professor at Lomonosov Moscow State University

ANDREY BETIN

General Director, Presidential Platform “Russia – Land of Opportunity”; Rector, Senezh Management Workshop

LYUBOV GLEBOVA

First Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Constitutional Legislation and State Building; Chair of the Coordination Council, Russian “Znanie” Society

YEVGENY POPOV

Member of Parliament (State Duma) of the Russian Federation, IX Convocation; Journalist; TV Anchor

OLEG MATVEICHEV

Member of Parliament (State Duma) of the Russian Federation, IX Convocation

VALERY FADEEV

Chairman of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights; Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation; Academic Director of the Institute of Heritage and Contemporary Society, Russian State University for the Humanities (RSUH)

VALERY FEDOROV

General Director, Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM); Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Mass Communications, Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation

ROMAN KARMANOV

CEO, Presidential Fund for Cultural Initiatives

NIKOLAY KROPACHEV

Rector, St. Petersburg State University

ALEXANDER DUGIN

Director, Ivan Ilyin Higher School of Politics

ALEXANDER ASAFOV

Member of Parliament (State Duma) of the Russian Federation, IX Convocation

ANDREY POLOSIN

Vice-Rector, Presidential Academy (RANEPA)

ANDREY SHUTOV

Dean of the Faculty of Political Science, Lomonosov Moscow State University; Corresponding Member, Russian Academy of Sciences

VLADIMIR TABAK

General Director, ANO Dialog and ANO Dialog Regions

OKSANA GAMAN-GOLUTVINA

Corresponding Member, Russian Academy of Sciences; Head of the Department of Comparative Politics, MGIMO University; Research Professor, HSE University; President, Russian Political Science Association; Chair of the Commission on Science and Education, Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation

SVETLANA CHUPSHEVA

General Director, Agency for Strategic Initiatives

MARINA MONGUSH

President, ANO Creative Economy; Director, Roscultcenter