The BCSSS was strongly represented at the #ISSS2018 – 62nd Annual Meeting of the International Society for the Systems Science, which took place at the College of Engineering of the Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon, United States from 22nd to 27th of July 2018.

David Rousseau, the current President of the ISSS is a member of the Scientific Council of the BCSSS and leader of the BCSSS Research Group on Systems Science and Philosophy. At #ISSS2018 he outlined a vision for, and discussed progress towards, collaboration and integration across the fields of general systems science, complexity science, specialised systems disciplines and systems engineering. He argued that such convergence is essential if we are to effectively meet the social challenges resulting from political and ecological instability and the emergence of the fourth industrial revolution.

David held a Chair at several sessions on “Systems Philosophy” and “Research Toward a General Theory of Systems”. Together with Julie Billingham he presented “A Systematic Worldview Model and its Generalization as a General Inquiry Framework”.

Furthermore, the president of the BCSSS Alexander Laszlo, former president of the ISSS in 2012 and ISSS Board of Trustees‘ representative participated at #ISSS2018 and held a Chair of the session “Leadership and Systemic Innovation: Socio-Technical Systems, Ecological Systems, and Evolutionary Systems Design”.

Helene Finidori, member at the BCSSS and leader of the BCSSS Research Group on Systems Science and Pattern Literacy, held a workshop on “Co-exploring the Role of Patterns in Adapting the Original Spirit of General Systems Theory to the Needs of our Time: Towards Systems Literacy” at which she also held a Chair. She, moreover, gave a talk on “Patterns as Connectors of Multiple Realities”. More information and the slides of this presentation can be found here.

Also, Stefan Blachfellner, Managing Director at the BCSSS, participated at the #ISSS2018. He held a Chair at two sessions on “Socio-Ecological Systems” and presented “Opportunities and Limits of an Eco-Systems View beyond Socio-Ecological Systems”.

The ISSS and the BCSSS work in a close partnership since several years and we are happy that we were able to contribute to the 62nd edition of this great event again.