A global community connected through systems theory, science, and practice
"To gain knowledge, we must learn to ask the right questions; and to get answers, we must act, not wait for answers to occur to us."
ISSS Past President Anatol Rapoport
The ISSS is a community of researchers, learners, and practitioners who are devoted to transdisciplinary inquiry into the nature of complex systems and the application of systems approaches for transformative change.
Conceived in 1954, the ISSS advances systems science theory and application by connecting and enabling researchers and practitioners, and disseminates the knowledge of systems to a global audience.
As an international society we are exploring ways to translate this website into other languages. You can enter the website address here https://translate.google.com/?sl=en&tl=es&op=websites to start a machine translation process.
*Announcement*
Advancing Together - An Invitation for Systemic Collaboration
Now Launched, The 69th Annual Meeting of the International Society for the Systems Sciences, in Partnership with the University of Birmingham, Birmingham Leadership Institute
Date: 11th - 15th July 2025
Location: Birmingham Leadership Institute, UK
Available here is the Call for Papers, we sincerely invite you to submit your abstract or proposal. Deadline Extended to June 10!
Location: Birmingham Leadership Institute, UK
Available here is the Call for Papers, we sincerely invite you to submit your abstract or proposal. Deadline Extended to June 10!
Please visit the conference webpage for more information on the newly added Systems Thinking Track!
Registration is open! Please click here to find more available information on this year's programme.
2025 Annual Meeting of the ISSS-Advancing Together: An Invitation for Systemic Collaboration
Gary Smith ISSS President 2024-25
Incoming President's Presentation
Please visit Gary's ISSS webpage to stay up to date with this year's news and activities from the President.
ISSS Intro & JOIN NOW
Short video introducing the ISSS and this website. Click bottom right of player to go full screen.
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Blog
Posted on December 21, 2023 2:15 PM
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Systems Outreach Engagements
This page is under development so please check back regularly for updated information on ways you can participate in outreach.
Click here for a Miro Board of systems organizations that we have connected with.
ISSS members are engaged in a number of activities around the world. Read more at https://www.isss.org/activities/
Many member activities are collaborative in nature and also involve partnerships and collaborations with other organizations:
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) Systems Science Working Group
Systems Literacy
Systemic Action at the Village Level to encourage and support sustainable development.
World of Systems
The ISSS is one of the oldest organizations dedicated to the study, development and application of systems science, systems thinking, cybernetics and complexity science.
We are assembling lists of organizations, social network pages and groups, and also maps of the evolution of the field of systems and cybernetics. Here are some examples
Tom Marzolf's Systems Common Model August 2023
Watch video with Peter Tuddenham and Tom Marzolf in conversation about the model
Watch video with Peter Tuddenham and Tom Marzolf in conversation about the model
Please email me with comments, additions or corrections. Peter D Tuddenham peterdtuddenham at gmail.com
Meeting Proceedings
We Remember
We Remember
Timothy F.H. Allen, May 1 2025
Professor Len Troncale, April 2025
Professor Ian Mitroff, June 17, 2024
Dr. Pam Sydelko November 2023
Dr. Sue Gabriele November 7, 2023
Loet Leydesdorff 1948-11 March 2023
Tim Haslett - February 10 2023
John Friend - November 2022
Mick Ashby 1963 - October 2022
Klaus Krippendorf 1932 - October 2022
Ralph Stacey 1942 - 2021
Steven E Wallis July 29, 2021
James Robert Simms, December 5, 1924 - Saturday, May 22, 2021
Humberto Maturana 1929 - May 2021
Mary Catherine Bateson 1939 - 2 January 2021
Charles Bocage died 21 August 2020
Peter Caws May 25, 1931 - April 20, 2020 (ISSS President 1966)
Joe Simpson - June 2020
Jack Ring - April 2020
Enrique Herrscher 2019
Charles Francois 2019
Systems Science & Applications Spotlight
Members of ISSS are researching and applying Systems Science in a variety of situations and circumstances. we are creating a temporary Editorial Board to decide what new research and application by ISSS Members to feature here. For more information please email webadmin@isss.org
AAAS Affiliate
In 1954 the founders of the current ISSS met at meetings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). They decided to start the Society for General Systems Theory later renamed Society for General Systems Research and now called the International Society for the Systems Sciences. One of the early group of founders and first presidents of our society in 1957, Kenneth Ewart Boulding was President of AAAS in 1980