The Centre was established in 2019 under the provisional name of the Centre for Science for Policy, Diplomacy and Society (SciPoDS).
As we developed our strategic plan, we sought a name that more accurately reflects our purpose and areas of focus on long term, complex issues. These issues include societal and individual resilience in the face of rapid change; the impacts of rapidly emerging technologies; and understanding the trade-offs embedded within the sustainability agenda.
In February 2020, we were renamed to Koi Tū: the Centre for Informed Futures.
About our new name
Informed: An integral part of the Centre’s strategy is to integrate knowledge from a range of disciplines, including the social and natural sciences and expertise from diverse stakeholders. We will engage with civil society, policy makers, and the private sector as partners.
Futures: The Centre focuses on issues on which robust evidence can and must inform societal policy decisions over the middle and long term.
About our Māori name
Koi Tū is the Māori name for the Centre for Informed Futures. We are grateful to Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei for gifting this name, which encapsulates the intent of the Centre.
Koi is to be bright; to be clever; it is the sharp point of the arrow. The Centre seeks to be koi by integrating the various knowledge disciplines and to inform people through true engagement and a holistic approach.
The Centre places itself at the sharp end of long-term issues of complexity such as societal resilience and social cohesion, sustainability, human capital development and societal decision-making regarding emergent technologies.
Tū is to stand, to set in place and infers resilience. The Centre seeks to be futures focused, addressing areas of national and global concern.
The Centre is committed to making a stand and to inform societal and policy decisions over the middle and long term.
Foundation partners
Koi Tū: the Centre for Informed Futures is grateful for the generous support of:
Andrew and Elle Grant
Anita Baldauf
Bernard Pesco
Bernard Sabrier
David Levene Foundation
The Gluckman Family
Graeme and Robyn Hart
Gus Fisher Charitable Trust
Kelliher Charitable Trust
The MSA Trust
Norman Barry Foundation
Robert Lerner
The Tindall Foundation
The Wright Family Foundation