Since the last Open Forum one year ago the global context has changed in ways that could never have been predicted. A number of unexpected events have shaken the world, from revolution and conflict in the Ukraine to the rise of ISIS and the emergence of the ebola outbreak. At the same time the world is still marred by a number of underlying chronic problems; macroeconomic and technological shifts are disrupting employment markets, inequality is still on the rise and global and national governance architectures are looking increasingly moribund. The 2015 Open Forum programme addresses a number of these issues, while also asking what can be done to solve them.