Aid Foresight Programme: Hyphen plays key role in shaping of humanitarian and development initiative

09.10.2025

Hyphen played an integral role in shaping the Aid Foresight Programme, a landmark initiative designed to advance the UAE’s vision for world-class impact in the global humanitarian and development space.

The expert-led, week-long event in Abu Dhabi brought together 40 senior leaders from the country’s most prominent humanitarian, development and philanthropic institutions to strengthen their strategic foresight and leadership capabilities.

The programme equipped participants to anticipate emerging challenges, shape effective responses and advance the UAE’s vision in the sector, while also preparing delegates for how to proceed in a time of geopolitical change.​

Our team were heavily involved in the development of the programme from ideation to execution. As well as designing the underlying concept for this unique event, we also delivered all 12 of the experts who oversaw the interconnected masterclasses that blended strategic insight with practical frameworks for decision-making and long-term resilience.

Led by the UAE Presidential Court’s International Humanitarian and Philanthropic Council and Office of Development Affairs, the programme reflected the nation’s ambition to translate foresight into tangible policy and impact.

The event generated international headlines, with our world-renowned professional partners also sharing their views on numerous geopolitical topics related to the week’s packed agenda. As well as providing numerous subject masters to lead various classes, Hyphen also designed and developed many of the visual resources to aid the agenda and learning.

Hyphen Co-Founder Michael Savolainen, who saw the impact of the programme first hand, said: “This initiative showed how foresight and expertise can be harnessed to inform strategy and implementation. The UAE’s approach to humanitarian leadership is defined by preparedness, innovation and partnership, so it was a perfect opportunity for some of the experienced experts in our network to divulge some of their insights to inspire lasting change.”

Hosuk Lee-Makiyama stands between a UAE flag, on the left of the screen, and a video screen that reads "Aid Foresight Program - Development Aid at the End of the Trading System: Trade, Investments, Technology"

Establishing global context

Bart Fonteyne, a leading public policy and strategy expert whose decades-long career has seen him serve as a senior advisor to the International Committee of the Red Cross and work with governments across the world, kicked off proceedings with back-to-back talks establishing the global context. After examining how geopolitical shifts are affecting aid, he spoke in detail about various models of international co-operation which he himself developed, and explained the importance of foresight in helping governments navigate uncertainty.

Hosuk Lee-Makiyama, a trade policy authority and Director at the European Centre for International Political Economy, then explored the evolving interplay between trade, technology, and security, outlining how the UAE can consolidate its position as a regional and global hub. Building on the learnings of each busy day were SWOT exercises designed to help delegates consolidate knowledge.

The roles of defence and crisis response

Day two was built around thematic insights from the role of defence to crisis response. Barry McManus was first up, leading a discussion on supporting national aid priorities and engaging defence. During his two sessions, the former senior defence leader and strategic advisor – who has four decades of experience across NATO, the Australian Defence Force and allied governments – instilled in delegates how national security capabilities can advance stability and humanitarian objectives.

Attention then turned to peacebuilding, regional engagement and diplomacy as Antje Herrberg – one of the world’s most respected mediators, a former colleague of Nobel Peace Prize winner Martti Ahtisaari, and an advisor to governments all over the world – shared lessons from 25 years in peacebuilding and crisis response, addressed the realities of conflict resolution and post-crisis recovery.

Two stacks of reports, on which the front cover reads "UAE Foreign Aid and Development Positioning in a Contested World"

Regional insights fuel global approach

The third day focused on taking geographical insights from regions around the world, kicking off with a presentation from Minah Kang. A respected policy advisor and former member of the Korean Prime Minister’s Committee for International Development Cooperation, she explored the evolution of development cooperation across Asia and shared lessons on gender inclusion, public governance and the growing influence of emerging donors in the global aid system.

A masterclass on Pan-Africanism and decolonisation saw Dr Herrberg return to brief delegates before Beatriz Nofal, Argentina’s former G20 Sherpa and a noted economist on regional integration, rounded off the talks on day three as she examined Latin America’s development trajectory. She highlighted the relevance of emerging partnership models for countries like the UAE seeking to build equitable, long-term cooperation frameworks.

Reimagining tools and diplomacy

Thursday saw attendees learn about innovation and leadership while reimagining the tools needed to be effective in the 21st century. Marcel Otto Yon, a seasoned innovator and former special advisor for digital transformation under European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, presented methods for rewiring public institutions to deliver innovation at scale. His session drew on his experience leading transformation projects across defence, government, and technology.

Next to take to the stage was Emmanuel Letouzé, director and co-founder of Data-Pop Alliance and a leading voice in the field of data and AI for development. His session examined how technology and analytics can improve decision-making in humanitarian contexts, focusing on the ethical and practical challenges of using big data responsibly and how innovation can strengthen resilience in vulnerable settings.

Seppe Verheyen, former chief of staff at the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy and a diplomatic leadership expert, rounded off the day’s sessions. His masterclass expanded the focus to diplomatic leadership and strategic communication, highlighting how clarity of message and consistency of intent can strengthen influence and trust.

Functioning focus, powering partnerships and resources

The closing day’s activities saw a trio of sessions emphasise functional focus and using partnerships and resources effectively to drive action. A session hosted by Anders Nordström examined health diplomacy as a vital tool of global cooperation, with the former Acting Director-General of the World Health Organisation and Sweden’s former Ambassador for Global Health sharing lessons from decades of leadership at the intersection of health systems, development, and international relations.

Silvia Francescon, Italy’s former G7 and G20 Sherpa Head and expert in global governance and environmental policy, added another important and timely perspective with a session on climate diplomacy. She outlined how the UAE can continue to build on its COP28 legacy and drive pragmatic progress on global climate goals.

Meanwhile, Robert W. van Zwieten, a global leader in sustainable finance and former Director at the Asian Development Bank, discussed innovative financing and resource mobilisation. With decades of experience spanning capital markets and development institutions, he highlighted how blended finance and new investment models can help bridge the global SDG funding gap.

Together, these masterclasses illustrated Hyphen’s ability to connect disciplines and design actionable strategies in complex policy environments. The collaboration underscored how expert-led insight and structured foresight can help national institutions turn vision into measurable progress.

Adding value through design

Our efforts extended beyond bringing our experts together, however. Our Design team also created many of the programme’s materials and visual frameworks, ensuring coherence and accessibility throughout the week. The comprehensive 74-page event handbook was particularly useful in giving attendees clarity on the busy agenda, while reports on UAE foreign aid and development positioning were also on hand for delegates.

Kamila Potocarova, our Product and Innovation Manager and one of the key orchestrators of proceedings from our side, said: “Supporting this programme was a privilege. It brought together world-class insight with genuine appetite for impact, which is what makes the UAE’s work in this field so forward-looking.

“We have built a really strong roster of experts for this event and it has taken a lot of work from so many people behind the scenes to make this happen. It was an incredible week that everyone can take a lot of tangible experience from, and it shows the value of practical, expert-led programmes like this.”

Experts’ reflections

The programme also gave participating experts the opportunity to reflect on the importance of collaboration and cross-disciplinary dialogue in shaping future approaches to aid and development.

Antje Herrberg said: “As a conflict mediator, it was deeply enriching to contribute two masterclasses to the UAE Presidential Court’s Aid Foresight Programme — one on conflict, peacebuilding and stabilisation, and a second on Africa’s conflict dynamics and future pathways.

“The programme’s unusually open and interactive format — co-created with Hyphen — made it possible to bring my field experience into dialogue with experts from very different disciplines, especially those working in stabilisation and strategic foresight.

“After more than 20 years working on conflict and peace across Africa, I found it inspiring to explore how these distinct perspectives can come together to shape smarter, more context-sensitive engagement for the future.”

Beatriz Nofal reflected on the balance between vision and results, writing on LinkedIn: “It was an honour to lead discussions on Latin America as part of the Aid Foresight Programme in Abu Dhabi this week. Taking part in this programme has underlined the importance of turning vision into strategy and strategy into action. We can now build on these inspiring and constructive interactions to formulate ambitious strategies and projects with measurable outcomes in terms of development and humanitarian impact.”

To learn more about our involvement in the programme, contact Michael and/or Kamila.

Further reading

For more perspectives and coverage featuring Hyphen experts: