2025 Birmingham UK
69th Annual Meeting of the International Society for the Systems Sciences
in Partnership With
The University of Birmingham, Birmingham Leadership Institute
Advancing Together - An Invitation for Systemic Collaboration
Date: 11th-15th July 2025
Location: Birmingham Leadership Institute, UK
Date: 11th-15th July 2025
Location: Birmingham Leadership Institute, UK
This page will be updated on a rolling basis as the program develops. Please check back regularly!
The International Society for System Sciences (ISSS) is pleased to announce its 2025 conference, to be held at the prestigious Birmingham Leadership Institute in the UK. This flagship event will bring together global scholars, practitioners, and thought leaders to explore the theme of Advancing Together: An invitation for Systemic Collaboration
In an era of unprecedented complexity and interconnected challenges, the systems community is uniquely positioned to lead efforts in creating holistic, collaborative solutions. This conference aims to facilitate dialogue and action, fostering the emergence of a cohesive systems science enterprise that integrates diverse perspectives and practices across disciplines.
Registration is open! Click here to register.
Call for Papers is available here.
Submitting your abstract or proposal.
Please first read the guidance for format requirements and how to submit abstracts, proposals and papers on the Submissions page under the Meetings tab on the top bar of this page. Or use this link
Sample Program
This is the general structure of the conference program. Specific details on speakers, workshops and paper tracks will be added on a rolling basis so check back regularly!
Plenary Speakers
Systemic Leadership: Birmingham Leadership Institute: Dr. Juanita Bernal and Dr. Rachel Lilley
Dr Juanita Bernal is a systems thinker, engineer, and researcher whose work focuses on the application of systems thinking to enable social change and support community-led initiatives. Her practice draws on critical systems thinking and multimethodological approaches, with an emphasis on participation, learning, and transformation in complex social systems.
Her doctoral research in Colombia explored the community justice system, an informal but widespread mechanism through which local leaders voluntarily mediate conflicts without formal state support. Using systemic and participatory methodologies, she worked with a diverse range of stakeholders to co-develop strategies to strengthen and sustain this form of local justice. Her research contributed to the development of Colombia’s national conciliation policy in 2022.
Since relocating to the UK, Juanita has worked as part of the University of Liverpool’s SALIENT project, leading the systems thinking strand of two community-based interventions addressing food insecurity. She is currently an Assistant Professor at the Birmingham Leadership Institute, University of Birmingham, where she teaches on the MSc and Apprenticeship in Systems Thinking and Leadership Practice. Within this role, she contributes to the development and innovation of the programme, encouraging students to critically engage with systems methodologies, reflect on their practice, and adapt systemic approaches to the specific needs of their contexts.
She also works to bridge systems thinking with other disciplines and to engage with multiple perspectives and diverse groups of stakeholders. Juanita is part of the Institute’s multidisciplinary teaching team, which brings together expertise in systems thinking, systems leadership, and human perception to support learning and change in complex environments.
Rachel Lilley is an Associate Professor at the Birmingham Leadership Institute, a Systems Thinking and Leadership teaching and research centre at the University of Birmingham, UK and hosts of the ISSS conference in 2025.
She is a practitioner-researcher in systems approaches and systems leadership and Programme Director for an innovative transdisciplinary Master’s Programme combining Systemic Leadership and Systems Practice. Rachel’s high-impact research examines human decision-making, systems thinking capabilities, and behavioural change. It has supported policy design and practice, community initiatives, and leadership development at all levels.
Rachel is an expert in human sensemaking, with specialist knowledge in cognition, consciousness, and perception. Her theoretical expertise is supported and informed by a strong track record of practising, teaching, and developing embodied perception skills in teams, organisations, and individuals.
She has over 30 years of experience as a systems practitioner working with public and third-sector organisations as well as large corporates, addressing change, social justice, climate change mitigation and adaptation, service development, community engagement and enabling, and well-being. More about Dr Lilley
The Ecology of Humanness
Christopher Chase is an educator, artist, and university professor who has lived and taught in Fukuoka, Japan, since 1994. In his 2025 plenary talk, he will explore how the arts, systems science, and spiritual wisdom—when brought together—can offer a deeper, more ecological and integrated understanding of how the Universe works and how humans belong within it. Inspired by systems thinkers like Joanna Macy and Fritjof Capra, and spiritual traditions such as Taoism and Zen, Christopher invites us to see the world as Einstein, Van Gogh, and many poets, mystics, and Indigenous cultures have: as a beautiful, flowing, and interdependent whole. This shift in perception—what he calls Deep Systems Thinking—reveals that our deepest identity is not separate from Nature or the Universe, but emerges as a creative expression of the Cosmos itself. He believes that many of today’s global problems—racism, war, ecological collapse, wealth inequality, social division, and addiction—stem from reductionistic thinking and a fragmented view of reality. These fractured mindsets generate vicious cycles of fear, conflict, disconnection, and imbalance. By restoring a more unified and holistic understanding of the Universe and ourselves, we can begin to cultivate creative, compassionate, and regenerative solutions—transforming breakdown into renewal, and division into wholeness.
Biographical Background: Christopher earned a Ph.D. in Education from Stanford University in 1993. Before that, he studied Studio Art as an undergraduate at SUNY Oneonta. For over two decades, he has used his creative skills to teach Global Issues, Systems Science, and Systems Thinking—both in Japan and internationally through social media. He maintains a blog, a YouTube channel, and co-created the Facebook pages Ecological Consciousness (with Daniel Christian Wahl), Tao & Zen, The Art of Learning, and Creative Systems Thinking.
Energy and Climate
Professor Lucian Gill
Company Director | Environmental Consultant | Specialist in Contaminated Land & Wastewater Remediation
Professor Lucian Gill is an internationally recognised environmental consultant and company director with over four decades of experience in contaminated land assessment, wastewater treatment, and chemical process development. With a distinguished academic background—including a PhD in “The Kinetics and Thermodynamics of the Change and Degradation of Organic Compounds”—and practical expertise across both public and private sectors, he has led environmental and industrial remediation projects in more than a dozen countries.
Professor Gill’s career spans significant work in analytical and experimental chemistry, the design and operation of soil-based reed bed systems, and the development of innovative treatment systems for industrial and oilfield effluents. His leadership roles have included Technical Director at Oceans ESU Ltd and founder of LSG Scientific Consulting, where he continues to advise on complex environmental challenges worldwide.
He has managed or contributed to landmark projects such as the transformation of the 100-hectare Breahead industrial site in the UK, pilot and full-scale reed bed systems across Malaysia and South Sudan, and pioneering oilfield produced water treatment technologies in Oman and Colombia. His earlier industrial experience includes senior research roles in polymer development and gas production safety with Cyanamid (GB) Ltd and the North East Gas Board.
A graduate of the Royal Institute of Chemistry, Professor Gill also holds a postgraduate degree in Project Management and is a noted speaker at international conferences. His work is grounded in rigorous science, practical engineering, and a lifelong commitment to environmental stewardship and knowledge transfer.
Policy and Governance
R. Eva King, Ph.D. Candidate, MA-ODC, MDE, BSBA
Eva King holds two executive-level positions - chief executive officer of Goshawk Consulting LLC, a boutique consulting firm, and president of Goshawk Institute, Inc., a non-profit research and public policy think tank, both in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. Eva has over 30 years of experience as an executive, consultant, and policy advisor in various industries. After her first decade as an entrepreneur, she worked as a consultant and advisor for organizations in the transportation, renewable energy, educational, non-profit, security, and intelligence sectors.
Eva is currently a Ph.D. Candidate in Organizational Development & Change at Fielding Graduate University. She holds M.A. degrees in Organizational Development & Change and Distance Education & E-learning, and a B.S. in Business Administration. Eva completed certificate studies at Stanford University for Quantum Mechanics for Scientists, Cambridge University for Decision-Making, and Ohio State University’s Quantum Social Science Bootcamp. Her transdisciplinary research draws from organizational science, cybernetics, cognitive science, and quantum theory to research organizational learning using quantum decision-making and game theory.
The Built Environment
Dr. Mark Enzer OBE FREng
Mark is a keen champion of outcomes-focused systems-thinking, collaborative delivery models, digitalisation, connected digital twins and the circular economy in the built environment. Mark is the Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor in the digitalisation of the built environment at the University of Cambridge, and he is a Visiting Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Imperial College London. As a Mott MacDonald Fellow, Mark provides advice to key clients on digitalisation and broader industry transformation. Previously, Mark was the CTO of Mott MacDonald and the Director of the Centre for Digital Built Britain, where he was the Head of the National Digital Twin programme. Mark is a member of the Prime Minister's Council for Science and Technology.
Theoretical Foundations
Harnessing Systems Science: The Key to Unifying Diverse Theories in Systems Practice
Systems provide a powerful mechanism to integrate and aggregate theories from diverse disciplines, offering a shared theoretical foundation that underpins modern systems engineering practices. At its core, systems science and systems theory enable the synthesis of fragmented knowledge into cohesive frameworks that drive robust methods and innovative approaches. This plenary talk will explore how systems engineering as a systems practice leverages systems science to unify theoretical constructs, transforming them into practical, actionable strategies. Through concrete examples, I will demonstrate how this approach fosters the emergence of a new wave of systems engineering, one that moves from best practices to underpinned by science.
Dr. Alejandro Salado
Dr. Alejandro Salado is an associate professor of systems engineering with the Department of Systems and Industrial Engineering at the University of Arizona and the director of the systems engineering program. In addition, he provides part-time consulting in areas related to enterprise transformation, cultural change of technical teams, systems engineering, and engineering strategy. Alejandro conducts research to develop theory and methods in various areas of systems engineering, including problem formulation, design of verification and validation strategies, model-based systems engineering, and engineering education. Before joining academia, he held positions as systems engineer, chief architect, and chief systems engineer in manned and unmanned space systems of up to $1B in development cost. He has published over 150 technical papers, and his research has received federal funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Naval Surface Warfare Command (NSWC), the Naval Air System Command (NAVAIR), and the Office of Naval Research (ONR), among others. He is a recipient of the NSF CAREER Award and the International Fulbright Science and Technology Award. Dr. Salado holds a BS/MS in electrical and computer engineering from the Polytechnic University of Valencia, a MS in project management and a MS in electronics engineering from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, the SpaceTech MEng in space systems engineering from the Technical University of Delft, and a PhD in systems engineering from the Stevens Institute of Technology. He is an associate fellow of AIAA and a senior member of IEEE. He currently serves as Director of Academic Matters at INCOSE.
Agriculture and Food Systems
Agricultural Crisis & Systems Science (AIESS): Transition from Degenerative Agriculture to Climate Balancing Regenerative Agriculture.
Dr. Amar K J R Nayak, Professor of Strategy and Chairperson of AIESS, XIMB
From his 34 years of transdisciplinary research, practice, and field experiments, Amar developed the All Interacting Evolving Systems Science (AIESS) to operationalize Regenerative Ecosystems, reverberating Aristotelian Flourishing State and Gandhian Sarvodaya. The universal axioms of interconnectedness, interdependence, interactions, the evolving nature of reality, the nothingness of individual entities in a system, and the other-centered intentionality for regenerativeness in any Ecosystem are the basis of AIESS.
For more information about Dr. Nayak's work, please click here
Education and Knowledge Sharing
Dr. Clifford Whitcomb
Dr. Clifford Whitcomb is a Professor of Practice in the Systems Engineering Program at Cornell University. He was previously a Distinguished Professor at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA. Dr. Whitcomb was the Chairman of the Systems Engineering department and Director of Wayne E. Meyer Institute of Systems Engineering at the Naval Postgraduate School. Dr. Whitcomb has more than 35 years of experience in defense systems engineering and related fields with over 23 years of experience in academia. He has been a principal investigator for the U.S. Navy Office of Naval Research, Office of the Joint Staff, Office of the Secretary of the Navy and the Veteran’s Health Administration. He is a Fellow of two engineering professional societies, the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) and the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME). He has served on the INCOSE Board of Directors. He was previously a Professor and the Northrop Grumman Ship Systems Endowed Chair in Shipbuilding and Engineering in the Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, as well as a Professor of Engineering Management, at the University of New Orleans, a senior lecturer and the Director of the Systems Engineering Certificate Program within the Leaders for Manufacturing (LFM) and System Design and Management (SDM) Programs at MIT, as well as an Associate Professor in the MIT Ocean Engineering Department. He is a co-author of “Effective Interpersonal and Team Communication Skills for Engineers” published as part of an IEEE Series by John Wiley and Sons. He is a retired naval officer, having served 23 years as a submarine warfare officer and Engineering Duty Officer.
Paper Track Themes
We would particularly appreciate proposals representative of opportunity for collaboration that require transdisciplinary, trans organisation, trans regional efforts:
Systemic Leadership: Birmingham Leadership Institute
This stream focuses on the nature of systemic leadership in theory and practice. Whilst not well defined, more systemic approaches to leadership emphasise that leadership is a practice (something we do) rather than a position (something that we have because of our seniority). They foreground the flexibility and learning essential to respond to dynamic and unpredictable contexts and the adaptive challenges that complexity opens up. Looked at this way, leadership emerges as an inherently relational and shared activity that is rooted in day-to-day experiences and encompasses embodiment and emotion. It can also be enhanced by the use of systems approaches to decision-making, and leadership comes to be seen as a system of capabilities and activities.
Agriculture and food systems
Agriculture and food systems encompass the production, distribution, and consumption of food, integrating sustainable practices, technological advancements, and socio-economic considerations to ensure global food security. This theme explores the intersection of agricultural innovation, ecological resilience, and human nutrition in the face of evolving environmental and demographic challenges.
Agriculture and food systems encompass the production, distribution, and consumption of food, integrating sustainable practices, technological advancements, and socio-economic considerations to ensure global food security. This theme explores the intersection of agricultural innovation, ecological resilience, and human nutrition in the face of evolving environmental and demographic challenges.
Augmented intelligence
Augmented intelligence focuses on enhancing human capabilities through advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics, complementing rather than replacing human decision-making. This theme addresses the ethical, technical, and practical implications of integrating intelligent systems across diverse domains.
Augmented intelligence focuses on enhancing human capabilities through advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics, complementing rather than replacing human decision-making. This theme addresses the ethical, technical, and practical implications of integrating intelligent systems across diverse domains.
Built environment
The built environment refers to human-made surroundings that provide the setting for daily life, including infrastructure, architecture, and urban planning, with an emphasis on sustainability, resilience, and livability. This theme examines the evolving relationship between design, technology, and social needs to create more adaptive and inclusive spaces.
The built environment refers to human-made surroundings that provide the setting for daily life, including infrastructure, architecture, and urban planning, with an emphasis on sustainability, resilience, and livability. This theme examines the evolving relationship between design, technology, and social needs to create more adaptive and inclusive spaces.
Climate change
Climate change encompasses the long-term shifts in temperature, weather patterns, and ecosystems due to human and natural influences, posing significant challenges to sustainability and resilience. This theme explores mitigation, adaptation, and policy strategies to address climate-related risks and drive systemic transformation.
Climate change encompasses the long-term shifts in temperature, weather patterns, and ecosystems due to human and natural influences, posing significant challenges to sustainability and resilience. This theme explores mitigation, adaptation, and policy strategies to address climate-related risks and drive systemic transformation.
Ecology of Humanness
The ecology of humanness investigates the complex interplay between human identity, culture, behavior, and the natural and built environments in which people exist. This theme delves into how individuals and communities can flourish by harmonizing social, psychological, and ecological well-being.
The ecology of humanness investigates the complex interplay between human identity, culture, behavior, and the natural and built environments in which people exist. This theme delves into how individuals and communities can flourish by harmonizing social, psychological, and ecological well-being.
Economy
Economy focuses on the systems and structures that govern the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services, balancing growth, equity, and environmental sustainability. This theme addresses macro and microeconomic dynamics, financial systems, and policy interventions shaping global and local economic resilience.
Education and knowledge sharing
Education and knowledge sharing explore the processes, systems, and technologies that facilitate learning, skill development, and the dissemination of information across communities and generations. This theme highlights innovations in pedagogy, digital transformation, and strategies for lifelong learning in an increasingly interconnected world.
Education and knowledge sharing explore the processes, systems, and technologies that facilitate learning, skill development, and the dissemination of information across communities and generations. This theme highlights innovations in pedagogy, digital transformation, and strategies for lifelong learning in an increasingly interconnected world.
Environment
Environment encompasses the natural world, including ecosystems, biodiversity, and planetary health, emphasizing conservation, restoration, and sustainable interaction with human activity. This theme examines policies, practices, and innovations aimed at protecting and enhancing environmental integrity for future generations.
Environment encompasses the natural world, including ecosystems, biodiversity, and planetary health, emphasizing conservation, restoration, and sustainable interaction with human activity. This theme examines policies, practices, and innovations aimed at protecting and enhancing environmental integrity for future generations.
Energy
Energy refers to the generation, distribution, and consumption of power from renewable and non-renewable sources, balancing efficiency, accessibility, and sustainability. This theme explores emerging technologies, regulatory frameworks, and societal transitions towards cleaner and more resilient energy systems.
Energy refers to the generation, distribution, and consumption of power from renewable and non-renewable sources, balancing efficiency, accessibility, and sustainability. This theme explores emerging technologies, regulatory frameworks, and societal transitions towards cleaner and more resilient energy systems.
Healthcare
Healthcare addresses the systems, policies, and innovations that ensure the physical, mental, and social well-being of individuals and populations. This theme examines challenges and opportunities in healthcare delivery, public health strategies, and advancements in medical science and technology.
Healthcare addresses the systems, policies, and innovations that ensure the physical, mental, and social well-being of individuals and populations. This theme examines challenges and opportunities in healthcare delivery, public health strategies, and advancements in medical science and technology.
Policy and Governance
Policy and governance involve the frameworks, regulations, and decision-making processes that guide institutions, organizations, and societies in achieving collective goals. This theme explores how governance structures can adapt to complexity, foster collaboration, and drive systemic change.
Policy and governance involve the frameworks, regulations, and decision-making processes that guide institutions, organizations, and societies in achieving collective goals. This theme explores how governance structures can adapt to complexity, foster collaboration, and drive systemic change.
Shared Theoretical Foundations
Shared theoretical foundations examine the core principles, concepts, and frameworks that underpin systems science and transdisciplinary collaboration across diverse fields. This theme aims to establish common ground for integration, alignment, and collective advancement in systemic thinking.
Shared theoretical foundations examine the core principles, concepts, and frameworks that underpin systems science and transdisciplinary collaboration across diverse fields. This theme aims to establish common ground for integration, alignment, and collective advancement in systemic thinking.
Space exploration and development
Space exploration and development focus on advancing human and robotic activities beyond Earth, encompassing scientific research, commercial ventures, and the sustainability of space environments. This theme considers the technological, ethical, and economic implications of expanding humanity’s presence in space.
Space exploration and development focus on advancing human and robotic activities beyond Earth, encompassing scientific research, commercial ventures, and the sustainability of space environments. This theme considers the technological, ethical, and economic implications of expanding humanity’s presence in space.
Social-ecological systems
Social-ecological systems examine the intricate relationships between human societies and natural ecosystems, emphasizing resilience, adaptation, and co-evolution. This theme explores how governance, resource management, and cultural practices influence sustainability and ecosystem health.
Social-ecological systems examine the intricate relationships between human societies and natural ecosystems, emphasizing resilience, adaptation, and co-evolution. This theme explores how governance, resource management, and cultural practices influence sustainability and ecosystem health.
If you feel like your abstract does not fit into any of these themes, please get in touch Admin@isss.org
The direct link to the Journals submission page is here.
Key Dates
Opening for proposals: January 15th, 2025
Abstract (All proposal types) Submission Deadline: May 15th, 2025
Please review the Submitting Abstracts page for more information on the process.
Student Awards
If you are interested in submitting your paper for the student awards, please carefully review the information here.
Your conference fee includes:
- Morning and afternoon tea, coffee and biscuits, along with daily lunch on July 12, 13, 14.
- July 11 opening reception with finger foods, and cash bar
- July 14 final dinner and awards, dinner with cash bar
Getting here, accommodation, dining, pubs
Please visit this page for information about Birmingham, how to get there, and accommodation options in the area.
Message Board: Coming Soon!
Please check back for the link to a message board where you can meet other conference attendees, ask questions, find roommates and more.
Conference Program
The program will be updated real time so please check back regularly! This year's conference will offer plenary sessions, workshops, poster sessions, and special track paper sessions.
For the detailed Agenda as it develops, please visit this page.
Friday July 11, 2025
Pre conference workshop: Advancing Together- An Invitation for Systemic Collaboration
On December 5th, 2024, ISSS President Gary Smith held a working session for 50 participants across diverse systems communities and organisations. In conjunction with the International Federation for Systems Research (IFSR), the ISSS invited participants to a special online event aimed at fostering collaboration across the diverse global systems community. The event provided an opportunity to explore how we might collectively advance systems thinking and practice across various fields.
On July 11, we offer a pre conference session to continue this conversation.
In an increasingly complex world, our capacity to effectively address this complexity surpasses the ability of any single person, organization, or nation. While the value of systems thinking and a holistic approach is being more widely recognized, our efforts remain fragmented, and we lack a cohesive orientation for our frameworks of practice. Challenges persist in collaborating across idea generation, research, development, education, and the practical application of systems approaches, theories and concepts at local, regional, and global levels, particularly in addressing the Anthropocene and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals.
We envision strategically working together to identify shared interests, pool our knowledge and resources, and leverage our collective capabilities to tackle mutual challenges and create meaningful impact guided by the following questions:
- What could successful collaboration look like?
- What are the barriers to collaboration?
- What practical steps can we take to foster collaboration?
This session welcomes anyone in the systems community who wishes to promote organizational collaboration.
Evening Reception
This ISSS tradition will take place at the Birmingham Leadership Institute and will offer a chance to network with conference attendees.You will be welcomed by long time ISSS members and conference participants and ISSS President Gary Smith will officially open the conference!
Saturday July 12, 13, 14
Conference Programming
Conference programming will include daily plenary speakers, workshops, paper sessions and special lectures. The presenters and agenda will be updated here as we confirm details.
Final Dinner and Awards Night
Another ISSS tradition, the final dinner and awards night will be held at:
10F-12F The Water's Edge,
Brindley Place, Birmingham, B1 2HL