Developed by the UN, for the UN, this digital platform — freely accessible anytime, anywhere from your computer, tablet or mobile phone — is intended to help inspire conversations, ideas, and action. This invaluable resource includes 21 tools, step-by-step directions, worksheets, case studies, and references, as well as a 27-question Diagnostic Assessment which provides actionable insight on every user’s readiness to innovate. Discover what kind of innovation profile you have: are you a “Collaborator,” a “Trailblazer,” or perhaps a “Implementor?”.

This self-paced training course offers an introductory exploration of strategic foresight tailored to individuals engaged in fostering digital innovation for sustainable development. With a focus on bridging the digital divide and addressing global challenges, the course emphasizes the crucial role of strategic foresight in shaping equitable futures. Through seven modules, participants delve into essential concepts, tools, and terminology while honing practical skills in futures thinking. The course equips learners with the competencies to integrate strategic foresight into their specific domains, fostering strategic thinking and innovation in digital development initiatives. By recognizing the value of strategic foresight processes, participants gain insights to drive meaningful change in their projects, policies, and strategies, ultimately contributing to the realization of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In today’s rapidly evolving world, we face unprecedented societal challenges – social and economic inequality, climate change, unemployment, and technological disruptions, among others. These complex issues call for critical thinking perspectives and innovative solutions. Against this background, social innovation stands out as a crucial catalyst for addressing these challenges and fostering new strategies and sustainable solutions that traditional methods often overlook.

During this 8-hour deep dive, you will be introduced to the key techniques, services, and trends that will help you understand foundation models from the ground up. This means breaking down theory, mathematics, and abstract concepts combined with hands-on exercises to gain functional intuition for practical application. Throughout the course, we focus on a wide spectrum of progressively complex generative AI techniques, giving you a strong base to understand, design, and apply your own models for the best performance. We’ll start with recapping foundation models, understanding where they come from, how they work, how they relate to generative AI, and what you can to do customize them. You’ll then learn about picking the right foundation model to suit your use case.