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The Schumacher Institute

Who are we?

The Schumacher Institute is an independent organisation that studies the sustainability of our complex systems – in the long term and in harmony with natural processes. We invite policymakers, practitioners and communities to join us in making sense of our interconnected world.

We contribute to the transformation of society, so that countries and communities can converge to similar levels of development within the limits of the earth’s resources, and with increasing equity for people today and for future generations.

We help people prepare for a future in which disruptive change will happen with increasing speed, and will demand a high degree of adaptability.

We build on the ideas expressed in the works of E. F. Schumacher, particularly appropriate technology at the right scale, local actions, peace and non-violent approaches, simplicity and the sense that all people matter.

The Institute:

is independent of vested interests, including political parties
is willing to challenge orthodoxy and to think radical thoughts
champions diversity
monitors the world we live in and assesses the work of others, incorporating other worldviews as appropriate
seeks to demystify the world, and makes its outputs comprehensible to everyone.

The Schumacher Institute

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CREDITS

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The International Federation for Systems Research (IFSR) is the peak body of the systems community. It is a virtual platform that convenes and facilitates the rich academic tradition not only but primarily of system sciences, cybernetics and complexity theory as a basis and the many vivid practices and applications set out to meet the challenges of the Anthropocene in the 21st century. – Be part of the whole!
© 1980-2023 IFSR - All rights reserved

     

    Systems Change starts here

     

    Meeting the complexity of the 21st century and the challenges of the Anthropocene makes system thinking inevitable.

    Systems Sciences and cybernetics comprise a holistic and integrated paradigm that overcomes the thinking which created the global challenges we are facing today. It allows for a different perception of the dynamics of the world and provides smarter and truly sustainable solutions.
    When the IFSR was founded 1981 it aspired to unite the world of systems sciences to meet the challenges of the 20th century, to learn from the catastrophise of the world wars, the conflicts of the cold war, and preparing to meet the daunting ecological threats being addressed in the report to the Club of Rome.

    Systems Sciences and cybernetics have always collaborated as a community spearheading new thinking, advancing not only sciences and theory but also technology and practice.
    Today the IFSR reaches far beyond pure academic institutions; it brings together all people who understood that new solutions need new thinking for a thrivable world.

    Be part of the whole!

    Executive Committee 2022/2024

    President: Ray Ison (Australia, UK)
    Secretary General: Louis Klein (Germany)
    VP Conversations: Pamela Buckle (Canada, USA)
    VP Membership: Nam Nguyen (Vietnam, Australia)
    VP Communication: Rika Preiser (South Africa)

    Past presidents

    1980: George J. Klir
    1984: Robert Trappl
    1988: Gerrit Broekstra
    1992: Gerard de Zeeuw
    1994: Bela H. Banathy
    1998: Michael C. Jackson
    2000: Yong Pil Rhee
    2002: Jifa Gu
    2006 Matjaz Mulej
    2008 Matjaz Mulej
    2010 Gary S. Metcalf
    2012 Gary S. Metcalf
    2014 Gary S. Metcalf
    2016 Mary C. Edson

    Fellows

    Gary Metcalf
    Gerhard Chroust
    Mike Jackson
    Gerard de Zeeuw
    Jifa Gu

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