Systems Thinking Workshop

Join COLAB2 on Wednesday 19 February in Ramphal, R1.15 from 10:00 - 13:00 for our Systems Thinking workshop, led by Dr Fred Dahlmann.

Find out more: What is 'Systems Thinking' and why might it be so important for the next stages of interdisciplinary sustainability research?

We invite researchers from all disciplines and career stages across Warwick to join us for an interactive workshop designed to:

Introduce the basic terms and concepts underpinning systems thinking
Explore systems mapping as a simple tool for developing shared understanding of the complexities involved in addressing sustainability challenges
Reflect on the insights gained from identifying solutions and interventions for sustainability
Network and develop new collaborations across a community of interdisciplinary scholars

Developing systems thinking skills for interdisciplinary sustainability research, with symbols representing sustainability, such as recycling signs, trees and water drops.

What is systems thinking?

Systems thinkers seek to understand the complexity and dynamics of whole systems, be they of economic, social and ecological nature, as well as, more importantly, the interconnections between them.

Originating from scholarship on open systems in physics and biology, systems thinking has been adopted widely across all disciplines. It is variously described as a theory, a method, or a broader perspective that complements more traditional reductionist approaches studying the predictably causal relationships between clearly defined variables within specific functional or disciplinary silos.

The purpose is to arrive at a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic trends and interconnections in an effort to develop ideas for intervention, systems change and impact.

Why this workshop?

Researchers on sustainability recognize that despite much progress, many of the world’s most vexing grand challenges defy simplistic reductionist analysis, and which instead require alternative approaches towards sensemaking and understanding.

Persistent and worsening socio-ecological issues such as climate change, corruption, loss of biodiversity, poverty, inequality and injustice all derive their connotation as wicked problems owing to their inherent complexity resulting from the relationships and interconnections between different factors, many of which typically reside at different levels of analysis.

While broader frameworks such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the planetary boundaries and Doughnut Economics acknowledge their existence, developing lasting and effective responses and interventions to such challenges remains elusive.