Futurist · AI strategist · Associate Professor
Dr. Salman Ahmed Khatani
Dr. Salman Khatani (full name Dr. Salman Ahmed Khatani) is a futurist in Pakistan, an AI strategist, and Associate Professor based in Karachi. He is the founder of Fiker Futures Academy, where he teaches and advises on strategic foresight, futures literacy, AI literacy and human-centred leadership — working with professionals, institutions and organisations across Pakistan and South Asia in person, and worldwide online.
Biography
Associate Professor and Cluster Head (HRM & Social Sciences) at Iqra University, Karachi, with 15+ years across university teaching, research supervision and academic leadership. Recognised as a Global Futurist by the Dubai Future Foundation, Chair of the Next Generation Foresight Practitioners (NGFP) Steering Committee and author of AI Designing Tomorrow. His work bridges strategic foresight, AI literacy, management, entrepreneurship and human-centred leadership, with a focus on preparing people and institutions in the Global South for accelerating change.
For his broader research, publications and professional record, visit his independent professional website. His canonical publications and thought-leadership directory connects selected essays on Medium, Substack, Hashnode and DEV to his core research and foresight topics without duplicating the original articles.
His teaching turns dense material into usable practice: concepts explained plainly, demonstrated live, practised with guidance and connected to each participant's own context. Ethics, disclosure and human oversight are treated as part of competence rather than an afterthought.
Much of the work is deliberately grounded in Pakistan and the wider Global South, where institutional realities, constraints and opportunities differ from the assumptions embedded in imported material.
Academic and professional background
- Ph.D. in Public Administration, University of Karachi (2023); M.Phil. (2018); MPA Finance (2012)
- Associate Professor & Cluster Head, HRM and Social Sciences, Iqra University, Karachi
- Former Futurist and Manager, IMAGINE: Institute of Futures Studies, Iqra University
- University of Cambridge — DemEd Global Programme, six Key Essentials courses (2025–2026)
- 38 master's theses supervised; 3 PhD candidates co-supervised
- 15+ peer-reviewed journal publications in management, foresight and sustainability
Recognitions and appointments
Global Futurist, Dubai Future Foundation
Two fully funded Dubai Future Forum engagements, 2022 and 2023.
Chair, NGFP Steering Committee (2026)
Next Generation Foresight Practitioners, associated with the School of International Futures (SOIF), UK; Steering Committee member since 2025, with Chair appointment announced in September 2026.
Advisory Board Member, Lifeboat Foundation
Business, Education, Futurists and Sustainability boards, 2025–present.
Author — AI Designing Tomorrow (2026)
A Guide to Futures Literacy, AI Wisdom, and Purposeful Living. Kitaab Nagar, Karachi. ISBN 978-6277767167.
Principal Investigator, internationally funded research collaborations
Cyber-Physical Immersive Learning Spaces with ZHAW Switzerland (EUR 45,000), Leading House South Asia grant, and the US State Department University Partnership Programme.
Areas of expertise
What these terms actually mean
Plain-language explanations of the four disciplines that shape every programme and engagement.
Futures literacy
Futures literacy is the ability to imagine several plausible futures and use them to make better decisions today. It is a learnable skill: you examine the assumptions behind your expectations, describe alternative outcomes, and then choose actions that hold up across more than one of them.
Strategic foresight
Strategic foresight is a structured practice for anticipating change. It scans weak signals and trends, builds scenarios of how a sector could develop, and tests strategy, policy or investment choices against those scenarios so that organisations are not surprised by predictable shifts.
AI literacy
AI literacy is the practical ability to use artificial intelligence tools well and judge their output. It covers how language models work, how to prompt them reliably, where they fail, and when human oversight, disclosure and ethical care are required.
Human-centred leadership
Human-centred leadership keeps people, judgement and purpose at the centre while adopting technology. It pairs AI and foresight capability with clear communication, ethical decision-making and responsibility for the effects a decision has on the people involved.
Who he works with
Audiences served
Sessions are shaped around the audience, sector and decisions in front of them.
Executives and leadership teams
Decision-focused briefings on what AI and accelerating change mean for strategy, risk and investment.
Corporate and public-sector teams
Role-relevant AI literacy, responsible-use practice and foresight capability for everyday work.
Schools, universities and educators
Teaching, assessment, academic integrity and curriculum implications of AI in classrooms.
Students and early-career professionals
One-to-one mentorship combining AI literacy, futures thinking and career direction.
Explore Dr. Khatani's 2016 Karachi megacity research presentation, documented in the University of Karachi and George Mason University conference programmes and contemporary press coverage.
Looking for a course in Karachi? Meet the AI course instructor in Karachi. Explore the open programmes or custom corporate and institutional training, read more about the academy, or see books and resources, or browse his articles and insights.
Selected work
Teaching, workshop and speaking engagements
Corporate, government and institutional training
AI Literacy, Futures Literacy and strategic foresight training for Gadoon Textile Mills, Lucky Energy, DHA Education Branch, Aga Khan School, Sindh Police, Halar Memon General Jamat, NJV School, Laureate Foundation and Pakistan Police FM 88.6.
Dubai Future Forum, 2022 and 2023
Fully funded engagements as a Global Futurist recognised by the Dubai Future Foundation.
Workshop on Revolutionizing Skill Development, ZHAW Switzerland, 2024
Pedagogies for sustainability and the role of AI in training for decent work and climate resilience.
Mentor, OPEN English Language Program Challenge, U.S. Embassy Islamabad, 2025
Mentored a teacher team that placed first across Pakistan; recognised by the U.S. Consul General in Karachi.
Workshop on Pedagogical Safety and Future Classrooms, 2025
Including the session “Imagining the Future Classroom: Collaborative, Inclusive and Safe Learning Spaces in 2044.”
International Focus Group: Impact of AI on Higher Education in Pakistan, 2025
Cross-institutional dialogue with Iqra University, KSBL, Al Ghazali University and Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Malaysia.
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
For speaking invitations and workshop enquiries: salmankhatani@gmail.com · +92 335 2389310