▁Soci ology ▁at ▁Er as mus ▁University ▁Rot ter dam ▁and ▁Man aging ▁Director ▁of ▁an ▁industrial ▁organization ▁at ▁Tw ente ▁( N ether lands ). ▁ ▁Pol ak ▁was ▁a ▁Senator ▁for ▁the ▁( So cial - D em ocr atic ) ▁Labour ▁Party ▁and ▁later ▁became ▁a ▁c of ound er ▁of ▁the ▁political ▁party ▁D S 7 0 . ▁ ▁Pol ak ▁graduated ▁cum ▁la ude ▁in ▁philosophy ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 6 , ▁and ▁since ▁his ▁th esis ▁and ▁inaug ural ▁address ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁on ▁the ▁evolution ▁of ▁science ▁and ▁society ▁of ▁tom orrow , ▁devoted ▁himself ▁continu ously ▁to ▁the ▁future ▁of ▁man ▁and ▁society . ▁ ▁Author ▁of ▁many ▁publications ▁on ▁fut uro log y , ▁Pol ak ▁was ▁recip ient ▁of ▁Fellow ships ▁from ▁UN ES CO , ▁the ▁Ford ▁Foundation , ▁and ▁the ▁Council ▁of ▁Europe ▁which ▁awarded ▁him ▁a ▁prize ▁for ▁the ▁two - volume ▁book ▁The ▁Image ▁of ▁the ▁Future . ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁founder ▁and ▁first ▁president ▁of ▁Tele ac ▁( D utch ▁television ▁a cademy ), ▁co - found er ▁and ▁vice - pres ident ▁of ▁the ▁Er as mus ▁Prize ▁Foundation , ▁and ▁scientific ▁ad visor ▁for ▁long - term ▁planning ▁to ▁numerous ▁concerns ▁in ▁the ▁Netherlands . ▁He ▁was ▁engaged ▁in ▁setting ▁up ▁an ▁inst itute ▁for ▁long - term ▁future ▁research ▁and ▁development ▁in ▁the ▁Netherlands ▁and ▁was ▁also ▁Secretary - General ▁of ▁the ▁International ▁Society ▁for ▁Technology ▁Ass ess ment . ▁