Call for Papers and Contributions

70th Annual Meeting of the ISSS - Pyla, Cyprus
 
 
Call for Papers and Contributions

The International Society for the System Sciences (ISSS) is pleased to announce its 2026, 70th Annual Meeting in Cyprus.

The conference has been placed under the auspices of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union and will be held at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) Cyprus campus in Pyla, Larnaca, Cyprus.

Theme: Elevating Systems Science to Address Humanity’s Greatest Challenges: Advancing Real-World Applications; Converging on General Systems Science; Harnessing the Power of AI.

Dates: June 22-26, 2026

Location: UCLAN Cyprus, Pyla, Larnaca, Cyprus.
 
 

Highlights of ISSS 2026

Keynotes from leading systems scientists and institutional leaders
Co-Laboratories for real-world systemic challenges
Pre- and post-conference symposia (Summer School + Dialogic Design + Club of Rome-style Futures Forum)
AI, sustainability, and governance tracks

Celebrating the Platinum Jubilee of ISSS!

Building on the 2025 conference’s emphasis on internal collaboration and unity within the systems sciences community, the 2026 annual meeting sets its sights outward. It is time for systems science to engage more visibly and meaningfully with the world’s most influential institutions: the United Nations, the European Union, the World Bank, the OECD, the IMF, the African Union, national governments, major universities, and civil society at large.

Today’s global challenges (e.g., democratic erosion, rising inequality, climate crises, pandemics, and AI disruption) demand more than fragmented expertise or short-term solutions. They call for holistic, integrated, and adaptive thinking rooted in systems science. Yet while the need has never been greater, the discipline itself faces fragmentation and marginalization. Almost all academic systems science departments have closed, and many academics and practitioners remain scattered across fields, departments, and sectors.

This conference calls on systems thinkers (scientists, practitioners, educators, and decision-makers) to close this gap. We must reinvigorate our field by aligning our diverse theories and methodologies into a coherent general systems science and demonstrating its practical value on the global stage. Systems science principles and practices offer powerful tools for addressing contemporary issues, such as enhancing governance, resolving conflicts, promoting peace, and reforming education, healthcare, financial institutions, local authorities, and many other areas.

Importantly, the 2026 conference will spotlight both the promise and peril of artificial intelligence. AI can amplify systemic insight, support anticipatory governance, and help coordinate solutions at scale. But without ethical and systemic oversight, it also risks deepening inequities, automating harm, and eroding human agency. We must therefore explore how systems science can serve as a compass in navigating AI’s uncertain terrain.

ISSS’s Platinum Conference is a call to action to elevate systems science and cybernetics from a niche academic pursuit to a central pillar of planetary stewardship.

We invite you to join us in shaping this transition, spanning disciplines, sectors, institutions, and generations.

Pre- and Post Conference Schools, Symposia, and Workshops

The ISSS would like to invite organizations committed to systems approaches to join us for two pre- and one post-conference event.
June 17-19 Senior systems and cybernetics scientists will offer intensive short courses in key areas of systems, systemic thinking, and systemic methodologies and tools during the “2026 Summer School of the International Society for the Systems Sciences.” https://futureworlds.eu/wiki/The_2026_Summer_School_of_the_International_Society_for_the_Systems_Sciences_(Pyla,_Cyprus)
 
The Institute for 21st Century Agoras (www.globalagoras.org) is organizing its “2026 International Conference on the Science of Dialogic Design: Symposia for Scientists and Practitioners,” for scientists and practitioners of Structured Democratic Dialogue, a few days before the 70th ISSS Annual Meeting. Aspiring SDD facilitators, experienced ones, scientists, and others interested are invited to a theoretical and practical training. Participants will acquire credits towards SDD practice certification.
 
For more information and registrations:
 
https://futureworlds.eu/wiki/2026_International_Conference_on_the_Science_of_Dialogic_Design:_Symposia_for_Scientists_and_Practitioners
 
June 29 Building on the legacy of the Club of Rome and its seminal work, Limits to Growth and Global Problématique, this international Symposium convenes political leaders and senior systems scientists (in paired dialogues) to confront today’s most urgent global challenges. Through Structured Democratic Dialogue (SDD), participants will co-design strategies for a thriving, sustainable, and resilient future grounded in fairness, happiness, and respect for human–nature ethics.

Potential participants include European and other governments, as well as international bodies (e.g., the United Nations, the European Union, the World Bank, the OECD, the IMF, the African Union, national governments, major universities, and civil society at large). International political actors will be joined by about 15 prominent systems scientists who have dedicated their lives to exploring, researching, developing methodologies, and designing reforms using systemic thinking and tools. The Symposium is co-organized with the Office of the Commissioner for the Citizen, and it is under the auspices of the Cyprus Presidency. If you are interested in participating, please contact laouris@futureworldscenter.org.

Call for Papers and Contributions

We invite submissions that align with the conference theme and advance systems science.
Submissions may include, but are not limited to:
  • Theoretical advancements in system science, transdisciplinary integration, and advancements towards shaping a General Systems Theory.
  • Practical applications of systemic thinking in addressing global challenges, with special focus on governance, the Anthropocene, regeneration, and sustainability.
  • Case studies demonstrating collaborative systems approaches across sectors.
  • Innovative methodologies and tools for system management, design, analysis, and evaluation with special focus on AI applications
    Educational initiatives fostering systems thinking and professional development.
  • Collaborative frameworks bridging gaps between research, policy, and practice.
  • Local, regional, or global initiatives to render systems organizations relevant to contemporary complex socio-technical problems and their governance.
We would particularly encourage proposals in the following domains to be aligned with the 70th Annual Meeting’s focus.

A) Planetary Systems and Sustainability
  • 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.
  • Climate change and Energy. Climate change encompasses long-term shifts in temperature, weather patterns, and ecosystems driven by human and natural influences, posing significant challenges to sustainability and resilience. This theme explores mitigation, adaptation, and 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. 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.
  • Social-ecological systems and Environment. 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. Environment encompasses the natural world —ecosystems, biodiversity, and planetary health —and emphasizes conservation, restoration, and sustainable human interaction. This theme examines policies, practices, and innovations to protect and enhance environmental integrity for future generations.
  • 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.

B) Social Systems and Human Flourishing
  • 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.
  • 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 lifelong learning strategies in an increasingly interconnected world.
  • 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.
  • 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 that shape global and local economic resilience.
  • 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.
  • 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.

C) Tools, Theories, and Transformations
  • 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.
  • Systemic Thinking. Systemic thinking focusing on the cognitive, philosophical, and methodological foundations of seeing wholes, relationships, feedback, and context. This theme welcomes contributions that clarify and deepen systemic thinking as a discipline in its own right, bridging theory and practice across diverse fields.
  • Systemic Leadership. Systemic leadership explores how individuals and institutions can lead adaptively in complex environments, fostering collaboration, learning, and transformation across boundaries. This theme emphasizes reflexivity, ethical responsibility, and the ability to design and steward systemic change in turbulent times.
  • Entropy. Entropy in systems exploring the role of disorder, uncertainty, and information in both natural and human-made systems, offering insights into dynamics such as decay, resilience, emergence, and renewal. This theme invites theoretical and applied work examining how entropy functions as a lens for understanding system evolution, sustainability, and transformation.
  • Shared Theoretical Foundations. Shared theoretical foundations that 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.
  • Innovative Methodologies. Innovative methodologies that highlight the development and application of new tools, frameworks, and participatory approaches that enable deeper insight into complex systems. This theme invites contributions that push the boundaries of systems research and practice, including visual modeling, multi-method integration, and co-creation techniques
  • AI Applications. AI applications that examine how artificial intelligence can be harnessed to support systemic understanding, policy design, and decision-making at scale. This theme also explores the systemic risks of AI and how systems science can guide its ethical, transparent, and inclusive deployment.
Submission Guidelines Please visit the ISSS website here for more detailed submission requirements.
https://www.isss.org/submitting-abstracts/
 

Authors are invited to submit abstracts for:

Full papers (4,000–7,000 words) for presentation and publication in the meeting proceedings.
Short papers (1,500–3,000 words) or posters showcasing ongoing work or preliminary findings.
Interactive workshops or panel proposals encouraging participatory engagement.

All submissions will undergo peer review. 

Key Dates

Opening for proposals: January 15, 2026

Abstract (All proposal types) Submission Deadline: May 15, 2026.

We welcome contributions from:

  • Academics, researchers, and independent thinkers in systems science and related disciplines.
    Practitioners applying systems tools in policy, design, health, education, and beyond.
    Institutional actors, including technocrats and politicians, seeking better frameworks for complexity.
    Emerging scholars and students
  •  
Practical information - Location, Accommodation, Venue
 
UCLAN CYPRUS is located 27 Km (22 min by taxi) from Larnaca International Airport.
The university provides single-, double-, and triple-room accommodation in its high-quality, newly constructed dormitories at attractive prices. https://www.uclancyprus.ac.cy/discover/the-campus/student-accommodation/
Please make your reservations by contacting laouris@futureworldscenter.org

Join us!

Join us for this historic event as we mark 70 years of systems science and chart its future as a foundation for planetary well-being and transformative action. Submit your contribution today and be part of shaping the systemic solutions our world so urgently needs. Let’s shape the future of systems science together!

Submit your contributions and join us in June 2026 at Pyla, Cyprus, for the 70th Annual Meeting of ISSS.