In particular the symposium will focus on the epistemological, theoretical, methodological, technical and practical, contributions of the systemic approach from a disciplinary or interdisciplinary perspective (finance, management, engineering, economics, etc.) to shape an agenda to address the present global economic and social crisis.
Complexity and Systemic Models: Tools to understand and manage crisesCharles François
We sometimes face critical situations and frequently try to handle them without a good understanding of their complexity. A dissociated and even fragmented approach, often rules in our management of politics, economics, education and business. Only some limited aspects are taken into account, out of context and even omiting sometimes very basic features of the affected entity. When we busy ourselves with the study of systems and their multiple relations with their environment, we should try to discover and use some efficient ways for their management. If we consider systemic modelisation, we notice the existence and multiplicity of hypercomplex entities and situations, mostly man-made or, at least, widely modified and made more complex by human activities. Examples are the vast economic systems for production and distribution of goods, as well as the numerous and very diverse local, national and transnational ones, private or public, concerned with a wide variety of specific subjects, scientific, technical, economical, political, social, etc… Most of those originally natural and more or less cyclical ones (water, forests, soils, human as well as vegetal and animal populations, etc…), have been widely modified by ever increasing human interferences, deepened in turn by technological progress. Obviously, we should urgently attend the need for a better understanding and adequate management of all kinds of complex systems, natural as well as man-modified. This would be possible only through a new conceptual synthesis, in order to gain a general and coherent integration of our enormous, but scattered and globally ill-interconnected specialised knowledge. However, we have now obviously reached the era of a planetary community, with new ways for learning, knowledge, communication and organisation. These unavoidable changes brought disorientation, doubt and disorganisation to all traditional societies, particularly so in the so-called “developing countries” (a soothing expression that easily conceals numerous contradictory and even non compatible trends). Of course, not all new situatiohns are complex and unmanageable: urban massive and complex vehicular traffic can be quite well controlled through a system of simple and easy understood rules. However, during the most recent decades, new and intricated problems emerged, as results among others of great urban concentrations, new technologies and numerous new types of undertakings including multiple and variously interacting elements and actors. Many of the resulting changes are not clearly understood – or even perceived! – and, still less, correctly managed.
The official language of the conference is English.
| January 24-25, 2013 |
| Universitat de València - Facultat d'Economia |
| Avda. Tarongers, s/n. 46022 València, Spain |
| email: bslab.sesge.valencia.2013@gmail.com |
Source: uv.es
