Under the theme “Systems that Make a Difference”, the 52nd annual meeting of the ISSS will be held in Madison, Wisconsin from July 13 to 18, 2008.
The title for this conference, Systems that Make a Difference, borrows from Gregory Bateson’s definition of information as “a difference that makes a difference.” The question for systems researchers and practitioners is, “what difference are we making?”
The modern systems movement draws upon a rich tradition developed by some of the best and brightest minds of the 20th and 21st centuries. Systems and cybernetic concepts have filtered into much of the scientific literature of the past five decades, and today systems-inspired words such as feedback, input/output, regulation, and interdependence have found their way into common language.
And yet, the systems tradition itself appears to remain largely invisible as a body of knowledge to many of the scientists, academics, politicians and businesspeople who are making the decisions that deeply impact our collective social, economic, and ecological future. This represents a crucial opportunity for the systems community to make a difference in the world in ways that may matter most. Some questions naturally arise:The 52nd Annual Meeting of the International Society for the Systems Sciences (ISSS 2008) will bring together professionals on the cutting-edge of the systems movement with influential decision makers facing far-reaching, real-world complexities on a daily basis. While we must continue to make systems theories and approaches ever more rigorous, to remain relevant we must also connect our work with the dilemmas in the world for which people are seeking solutions right now. The objective of ISSS 2008 is to further build much-needed bridges between rigor and relevance in systems work. Speakers and authors are invited to present who can address any part of this spectrum, from better methods for systems research to clarifying the nature of real-world problems in need of resolution.
We encourage those interested in attending our event to register today and become a part of creating this important event.
Although the conference will accept papers related to the following areas of research, the list is neither exclusive nor restrictive. Proposals of new sessions and tracks are very welcome, but should be submitted for consideration by March 1, 2008. Each session chair takes the final responsibility for running his/her session. All submitted papers are encouraged to state how relevant the paper is with regard to systems thinking, systems modeling and/or systems practice. The areas listed below have additional contact and content information listed on the specific SIG Calls for Papers page.
In addition to paper presentations, the Student SIG and Roundtable will organise sessions, and there will be Mini-Conversations again, based on interactions from the field trip experiences. Anyone who is interested in these sessions is welcome to participate in them without prior notice; no papers or abstracts are required in these sessions.