The seminar would examine "big picture" global trends going beyond the IMF's typical areas of concern: geopolitical developments, the rise of emerging market economies, demographic trends, technology, and the environment. Participants would discuss their potential implications for the IMF's strategic focus, governance and possibly operations.

Questions this session will address:

• What global trends will "define" the next decade and how they might impact the IMF? (For example, geopolitical and demographic trends, but topic choice would also be left open.)
  
• What are the implications of the rising influence of large emerging markets? For the global economy, and for global governance and multilateralism?
  
• Technological and financial innovation: what opportunities and challenges are implied by current trends? What are the implications for inequality, or increasing vulnerability through say, systemic risks or network dependencies?
  
• Are there environmental and social constraints to growth? Should we move away from a paradigm of policies to stabilize and increase growth, to one explicitly recognizing limits, and what are the implications for poverty reduction and job creation?
  
• What are the sources of the next crisis? Do they lie in current fiscal, monetary, and financial policies? Can we manage the global economy with limited policy space in advanced economies and rapid growth of finance in emerging market economies?