IFSR Conversations

The IFSR Conversations, initially held in Fuschl near Salzburg, Austria, were established by the IFSR in 1980 and are held biennially. These gatherings convene approximately 30–40 systems scientists and practitioners from around the world to discuss systemic issues and develop understanding relevant for society and its environment.

Conversations were introduced by Bela H. Banathy as an alternative to classical conferences, which usually consist only of presentations of streamlined papers and short question slots. In an IFSR Conversation, a small group of systems scientists and practitioners meets for several days to discuss, in a self-guided way, a topic of scientific and social importance.Oftentimes, the inquiry, co-reflection, and learning of these groups manifested in seminal publications like:

“A Guide to Systems Research: Philosophy, Processes and Practice” (Edson, M., Buckle Henning, P., & Sankaran, S., eds., 2016).