January 28th, 2026: WACC Distinguished Speaker Series with Tom Standage, Deputy Editor of “The Economist” and Editor of “The World Ahead” — “The World Ahead in 2026)

THE WORLD AHEAD: TOP 10 GLOBAL TRENDS FOR 2026, FROM THE ECONOMIST

The coming year promises to be a period of uncertainty, as the current U.S. administration reshapes long-standing norms in geopolitics, diplomacy, and trade continues to cause worldwide repercussions—and keeps the president in the global spotlight as the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary and co-hosts the football World Cup. As the drift and decay of the old rules-based global order continues, existing conflicts will grind on around the world, and new ones will flare up. Concern will grow over trade wars, economic stagnation, fiscal incontinence, and AI’s impact on jobs, presenting both challenges and opportunities to countries, companies, and citizens in the coming year. Join Tom Standage, deputy editor of The Economist and editor of its future-gazing annual, The World Ahead, as he outlines his ten global trends to watch in 2026, analyses what is going on, and considers where things might be going next.

Program Information: 

 

 

 

Biography:

Tom Standage is deputy editor of The Economist and editor of its future-gazing annual, The World Ahead. He joined The Economist as science correspondent in 1998 and was subsequently appointed technology editor, business editor, and digital editor. He is the author of seven history books, including “Writing on the Wall” (2013), “The Victorian Internet” (1998) and “A History of the World in 6 Glasses” (2005). He studied engineering and computing at Oxford University and has written for other publications, including the New York Times, Daily Telegraph, Guardian, and Wired, taking a particular interest in technology’s cultural and historical significance.