In 2016 we continue our successful collaboration with the International Society for the Systems Sciences. The Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science calls for your papers and participation in this years meeting in Boulder, USA from 24-30 July 2016.

Stefan Blachfellner, Managing Director of the BCSSS, and Liss C. Werner from Tactile Architecture, member of the BCSSS, chair again the Special Integration Group on Socio-Ecological Systems of the ISSS. This years conference theme focuses on Realizing Sustainable Futures in Socio-Ecological Systems. Thus our group is at the core of the 60th Annual Meeting and 1st Policy Congress of the International Society for the Systems Sciences.

The SIG Socio-Ecological Systems intends to help advance a sound epistemology and methodology for socio-ecological systems design in conjunction with socio-technological systems design. At the interface of science – humanities – engineering/design we investigate the interdependencies of natural – social – technological systems to develop appropriate design competencies for future oriented life concepts and thrivable ecologies, a flourishing planet, meaningful technologies, and futurable humanity.
Realizing Sustainable Futures, Unity in Diversity and Humanity in Technology, demand from us to find the ways and means to deal with the actual complex challenges we have co-created as human societies. Biologists, economists, engineers, architects, designers and philosophers are invited to start their conversation and collaboration.

The SIG Socio-Ecological Systems addresses all those disciplines involved in an integration of knowledge through a trans-disciplinary systems approach in order to advance the specific disciplines, informed by the General Systems Approach.
The SIG follows its agenda of conducting research that takes the complexity of both ecological and social systems into account and extends the subject matter into the paradigm of design and Gestaltung as living and learning system. We are aiming at developing theories, strategies and designing systems of design in a newly framed environment, to support advances in Anticipating Futures and Sustainability Leadership.

Instead of continuing parallel running research projects, we encourage researchers from science, humanities, economics, and engineering/design disciplines as well as practitioners to collaborate in a trans-disciplinary process in order to decode and encode discipline specific modes of working, to co-create the cultural wisdom of Nature and Humanity, the Necessary Unity and co-develop Engineering Leadership in Creating Sustainable Systems for the Future.

The SIG welcomes contributions from but is not limited to:

  • Evolutionary systems, theories of living systems and theories of social systems
  • Biological, systemic and computational design strategies
  • Bio-digital Technologies and Applied Artificial Intelligence in Socio-Ecological Systems
  • Biomimicry and Materials Technology applications in Socio-Ecological Systems
  • Architecture and Spatial Design
  • Urban design (e.g. sustainable urbanism, smart cognitive cities), and regional development
  • Biodiversity, agriculture and rural development
  • Designing and governing biosphere reserves and nature sanctuaries
  • Design of supply networks in public services (e.g. energy, water, traffic and public transport, information technologies and telecommunications, health care, and education infrastructures) and value networks in business services
  • Designing Innovation and Business Ecosystems (cross-overs welcome)
  • Designing research and development systems and governmental systems to address the challenges of future-oriented thriving ecologies.

Presentation Format: 15 min presentation + Q&A + panel discussion

We are looking forward to meet you and connect with you in Boulder, USA! For more information about the conference visit http://isss.org/world/Colorado_2016

UPDATE: Extended deadline for submissions June 30, 2016 for Review. May 30, 2016: end of early, discounted registration. For more details on the important dates please visit http://isss.org/world/important-dates-for-isss

 

The International Federation for the Systems Sciences (ISSS) is among the first and oldest organizations devoted to interdisciplinary inquiry into the nature of complex systems, and remains perhaps the most broadly inclusive. The Society was initially conceived in 1954 at the Stanford Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences by Ludwig von Bertalanffy, Kenneth Boulding, Ralph Gerard, and Anatol Rapoport. In collaboration with James Grier Miller, it was formally established as an affiliate of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1956. Originally founded as the Society for General Systems Research, the society adopted its current name in 1988 to reflect its broadening scope. Read more …

The Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science has been working in close collaboration with the ISSS since the start up of the Center, but we are very happy that we have strengthen our cooperation and contribution to the Society once co-founded by Ludwig von Bertalanffy.