ACADEMIC

Professor Luke van der Laan is the Director of the Professional Studies Program at the University of Southern Queensland. Luke is also a fellow of the World Futures Studies Federation and member of the Association of Professional Futurists and the Higher Education Research and Development Association (HERDSA).

Luke’s research interest is in the area of strategic foresight, strategic risk and strategic thinking of organisational leaders. His research spans the education, not-for-profit and private sectors. In particular, his research is concerned with leadership enabled social, educational and business transformation through foresight and strategy.

• PhD: “Foresight competence and the Strategic Thinking of strategy-level leaders.” University of Southern Queensland, Faculty of Business, 2010
• Master of Philosophy. Cum Laude (Futures Research), University of Stellenbosch Business School, 2006
• Graduate Certificate in NGO Management, University of Stellenbosch Business School, 2001
• BA (Development Administration), University of Stellenbosch, June 1991

PROFESSIONAL ROLES, AFFILIATIONS AND ACADEMIC PROFILE

• Director, Professional Studies, University of Southern Queensland (2012–present)
• Member, Academic Board, University of Southern Queensland (2021–present)
• Member, Governing Board, Institute for Futures Research, University of Stellenbosch (2022–present)
• Member, Executive Board, World Futures Studies Federation
• Chair, Programme Accreditation Council (Paris), WFSF
• Member, Board Director Nominations Committee, Association of Professional Futurists (USA)
• Advisory Board Member: HaKu Global
• Honorary Professor: Far Eastern Institute for International Relations, Khabarovsk, Russia (2015–present)
• Editorial Board Member: Journal of African Foresight, AOSIS Publishing
• Member: Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA) (2013–present)
• Fellow: World Futures Studies Federation (2011–present)
• Member: Association of Professional Futurists (APF), Houston, USA (2008–present)
• Member: Australian Institute of Company Directors (2008–2014)
• Member: Australian Centre for Sustainable Business Development (2010–2014)

PROFESSIONAL

Luke previously served as the Chief Executive of a national youth development not-for-profit organisation in South Africa and also as a board member and trustee of numerous organisations. Luke holds a PhD (Leadership, Foresight and Strategic Thinking) and has published widely.

From 2014 until recently Luke was an independent contractor for Deloitte Risk Advisor services (Singapore) and continues to provide risk and strategy advisory services to tertiary institutions, most recently the National University of Singapore. He is the Principal of VanFutures Strategy Solutions and originator of the TripleV model of foresight and strategic thinking.

In 2016 he published the book Foresight and Strategy in the Asia Pacific (Springer).

OTHER PREVIOUS PROFESSIONAL FUNCTIONS

• Member: World Organisation of Scout Movements, Membership Development, Geneva 2006–2007
• Executive Committee: World Organisation of Scout Movements, Africa Region, 2005–2006
• Non-Executive Board Member: Act of Grace (HIV Orphans NGO), Cape Town, 2008
• Non-Executive Board Member: Habitat Council (National Conservation Agency), South Africa 2004–2006

PUBLICATIONS

• Sethi, V. Van der Laan, L. Gupta, S. & Piros, C. (2022) “Perspectives of healthcare professionals towards Combination use of oral paracetamol and topical non‑steroidal inflammatory drugs in managing mild‑to‑moderate pain for osteoarthritis in a clinical setting: An exploratory study” Journal of Pain Research Ahead of Print
• Nurthen, K. and van der Laan, L. (2022), “Cold case homicides and assigning priority for investigation: a review of available literature”, Policing: An International Journal, Vol. ahead‑of‑print No. ahead‑of‑print. doi.org/10.1108/PIJPSM-12-2021-0170
• Vainikka, Mark and van der Laan, Luke (2021) Agencies of the Gospel: Mission Challenges and Opportunities in the Australian Lutheran Church. Church Polity: International Studies in Protestant Church Polity, 2(1):3. pp. 37‑65. ISSN 2963‑2989
• van der Laan, L. (2021) Disentangling strategic foresight? A critical analysis of the term building on the pioneering work of Richard Slaughter. Futures, 132, 102782. doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2021.102782 (Q1)
• van der Laan, Luke (2021) The relationship between strategy and foresight, IFR Business Futures South Africa. Stellenbosch: Institute for Futures Research
• van der Laan, Luke; Ormsby, Gail; Fergusson, Lee; and Pau, Maria, (2021) The higher degree by research student as ‘master’: Utilising a design thinking approach to improve learner experience in higher degree research supervision, Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice, 18(1) (Q3)
• Fergusson, Lee & van der Laan, Luke (2021) Disciplinarity and Work: Work‑Based Learning as an Emergent Transdisciplinary Mode of Study, World Futures, DOI: 10.1080/02604027.2021.1984158 (Q2)
• Fergusson, L., & van der Laan, L. (2021) Work + learning: Unpacking the agglomerated use of pedagogical terms. Journal of Work‑Applied Management (in early cite DOI:10.1108/JWAM‑12‑2020‑0053)
• Herbert, Katherine & van der Laan, Luke (2021) Towards a typology of learning and teaching professional development practice uptake by university academics in Australia, Professional Development in Education, DOI: 10.1080/19415257.2021.1973068 (Q1)
• Watson, K., van der Laan, L. & Imran, S. (2021) Personal Responsibility and the Role of Self‑Identity in Adolescents; A Female Regional Australian Perspective, International Journal of Humanities and Social Science
• Fergusson, L., van der Laan, L., Imran, S. & Ormsby, G. (2021) The development of work‑integrated learning ecosystems: An Australian example of cooperative education, International Journal of Work‑Integrated Learning (Q2)
• Bedford, J. & van der Laan, L. (2020) Operationalising a framework for organisational vulnerability to intentional insider threat: the OVIT as a valid and reliable diagnostic tool, Journal of Risk Research (Q1)
• van der Laan, Luke (2020) Foresight capacity: towards a foresight competency model in: Slaughter, R. & Hines, A., The Knowledge Base of Futures Studies 2020. Association of Professional Futurists and Foresight International, Washington, DC, pp. 352–366. ISBN 978‑0‑9857619‑3‑6
• van der Laan, L. (2020) Back to Futures: Futures Studies and its role in addressing the great civilizational challenges, Human Futures, April, WFSF, pp. 22–24
• Fergusson, L., van der Laan, L., Ormsby, G. & Azmy, W. (2020) Applied micro‑ and macro‑reflective cycles in work‑based learning and research: two advanced practice contexts, Reflective Practice (Q1)
• Fergusson, L., van der Laan, L., Shallies, B., & Baird, M. (2020) Resilience and Sustainable Futures: The Approach of Work‑Based Research to Problems and Their Solutions, Journal of Work‑Applied Management
• Gardiner, G. & van der Laan, L. (2019) Most people think playing chess makes you ‘smarter’, but the evidence isn’t clear on that, The Conversation, July 11
• Fergusson, L., van der Laan, L. & Baker, S. (2019) Reflective Practice and Work‑Based Research: A Description of Micro‑ and Macro‑Reflective Cycles, Reflective Practice (Q1)
• Fergusson, L., van der Laan, L., White, C. & Balfour, J. (2019) The Ethos and Transformational Nature of Professional Studies: A Study of Student Experience in Australia, Higher Education, Skills and Work‑Based Learning (Q3)
• van der Laan, L. & Ostini, J. (2019) Enabling innovative postgraduate research: critical foresight and strategic consideration for university leaders, in University Development and Administration. Post‑graduate Education in Higher Education, edited by Padró F. F., Harmes, R., Harmes, M. & Danaher, P. (Springer), pp. 65–84
• van der Laan, L. (2018) Stellenbosch University: a futures vision in Forward: The Futures of Higher Education in Africa, pp. 57–64
• van der Laan, L. & McCallum, T. (2017) Planning organisational futures in Blockchain environments – a systems theory perspective and possible solutions to enhance trust. Business Futures, pp. 218–226
• Hines, A., Gary, J., Daheim, C. & van der Laan, L. (2017) Building Foresight Capacity: Toward a Foresight Competency Model. World Futures Review, pp. 123–141
• van der Laan, L. (2018) Asia Pacific Economic Risks and Futures in Wow, How Did You Know That?, edited by Yap, J. & Nones, N., pp. 70–89
• van der Laan, L. (2017) Health Care Foresight: Identifying megatrends, convergence and scenarios of ways in which the future can be imagined, in Not Your Ordinary Future Health Care, pp. 33–54
• van der Laan, L. & Yap, J. (2016) Foresight & Strategy in the Asia Pacific Region. Springer Singapore
• van der Laan, Luke & Neary, Liz (2016) Equity and access as keys for opening open learning: the case for virtually facilitated work‑based learning, in Open Learning and Formal Credentialing in Higher Education, ed. Reushle, S., Antonio, A. & Keppell, M., pp. 263–290
• van der Laan, L. (2014) Community Capacity Building: A question of sustainability?, in Community Capacity Building: Lessons from Adult Learning in Australia, NIACE Publications, London
• van der Laan, Luke & Erwee, Ronel (2013) In good hands? Foresight and strategic thinking capabilities of regional university leaders, in Research and Development in Higher Education, vol. 36, pp. 485–501
• Erwee, R., Albion, P. & van der Laan, L. (2013) Connectedness needs of external doctoral students, in Outlooks and Opportunities in Blended and Distance Learning, IGI Global
• van der Laan, L. & Erwee, R. (2012) Foresight styles of strategy‑level leaders: An analysis of the Foresight Styles Assessment as a measure of foresight competence. Foresight
• Erwee, R., Albion, P. & van der Laan, L. (2011) Connectedness needs of doctoral students. SUMMIT Volumes 2, Athabasca University Press
• van der Laan, L. (2010) Foresight competence and the Strategic Thinking of Strategy‑Level Leaders. PhD Dissertation, University of Southern Queensland
• van der Laan, L. (2009) Foresight and the strategic thinking of strategy‑level leaders: IFR graduate attributes. Institute for Futures Research, University of Stellenbosch
• van der Laan, L. (2008) The imperative of strategic foresight to strategic thinking. Journal of Futures Studies, 13(1), pp. 21–42
• van der Laan, L. (2006) SASA in 2025: a critical study. University of Stellenbosch Futures Omnibus, Cape Town