Join us for a day of insightful discussions, networking opportunities, and engagement with esteemed guest speakers from academia and industry.
The theme of this symposium, “Interconnected Horizons: Systems Thinking, Communities & Entrepreneurship,” embodies RC4’s mission to cultivate generations of leaders who drive change in a complex world.
The symposium will feature four dynamic panels highlighting the key pillars of the college:
• Policy Making for the 21st Century
• Communities & Engagement
• Technology, Innovation & Entrepreneurship
• Student Papers
Guided by Systems Thinking as our overarching philosophy, these panel sessions aim to bridge theory and practice, creating meaningful learning experiences both inside and outside the classroom.
Saturday, 19 October 2024
8:45am - 5:00pm
The Ngee Ann Kongsi Auditorium, Level 2 Education Resource Centre, University Town, National University of Singapore
Event Agenda
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 8:15 | Registration |
| 8:45 | Opening |
| 9:00 | Plenary 1: Professor John Sterman* |
| 10:00 | Plenary 2: Professor Peter Hovmand* |
| 11:00 | Tea Break |
| 11:30 | Panel 1: Policymaking for the 21st Century |
| 12:30 | Lunch |
| 13:30 | Panel 2: Technology, Innovation & Entrepreneurship |
| 14:30 | Panel 3: Student Papers |
| 15:30 | Panel 4: Community Engagement |
| 16:30 | Networking Session with Refreshments |
*The plenary speakers will connect virtually and engage with the audience in the auditorium live.
Attend insightful plenary talks by internationally renowned leaders in Systems Thinking and System Dynamics, network with academic and industry experts, and learn from the 4 dynamic panels connecting theory to real-world application.
Lunch and light refreshments will be provided for registered participants.
Plenary Talks
System Dynamics: Innovating for Impact in a Complex World
by Prof. John Sterman
Congratulations to NUS RC4 on its 10th anniversary!
On this anniversary, your focus on systems thinking and system dynamics is needed more than ever. Why? Today humanity faces grave threats arising from our mismanagement of increasingly complex systems we, collectively, have created. Fortunately, progress in system dynamics, the natural and social sciences, computing, and other modeling disciplines enable us to build reliable, useful knowledge of complex systems. How can we build on those innovations to improve the science and practice of system dynamics? How can we help leaders in government, business, civil society, education, and every aspect of society—and the public at large—develop their systems thinking capabilities? How can we not only create new knowledge but use it to make a difference in the world? I’ll share a few examples and ask you to join in the exciting work ahead.
Community-Based System Dynamics in an Era of Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning: Thick Data, Thin Description
by Prof. Peter S. Hovmand
Community engaged system dynamics including group model building, participatory system dynamics, and computer mediated modeling have gained interest as a potential way to address the problem of bias due to limited awareness of societal context in artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) models. Systems thinking and participatory methods such as group model building generate causal maps of a problem or issue that can be used to better understand the relationships of numeric and text data.
While causal maps and other forms of causal structures elicited during group model building represent “thick data” to AI/ML developers, their interpretation varies by the approach to participation. This talk reviews some of the key differences and highlights Community Based System Dynamics as a way to develop “thin descriptions” of social phenomena.
Panel: Policy making for the 21st century
Encountering policy challenges: from the classroom to the field
by Bernise Ang
Bernise will share her journey from youth activism to founding Zeroth Labs, a systems research lab addressing complex societal challenges. Drawing from her work with UN agencies, the Singapore government, and others, she will share her efforts to use a mix of methods including complexity science, systems thinking, anthropology, design and others to inform interventions in countries at various stages of development.
Discourse of Future’s Thinking
By Dr. Corinne Ong
How can higher education play a role in cultivating thinkers who are capable of engaging with real-world issues with policy implications, and what role could research play in inspiring future-oriented analysis for policymaking and policy education? In this sharing, I apply environmental sustainability problems as a case-in-point given its “wicked” qualities. Specifically, I explore and explain how the strategic use of future-oriented research and educational activities in the realm of environmental sustainability, can respectively, stimulate useful ideas for policy-making and equip young adults with the competencies to contribute to problem-solving more effectively, as citizens and/or in other capacities.
Student led research initiatives within RC4 STEER Himalaya
By Tan Qing Heng
In this talk, the speaker will delve into how the RC4's Study Trip for Engagement and Enrichment (STEER) examined the interconnectedness of rural livelihoods, natural resources, and migration in the Kumaon hills of the Western Himalaya in India. The presentation will demonstrate how students, local stakeholders, and educators worked together to use participatory systems modeling to unpack topics such as remittances from migration, the diversification of livelihoods through initiatives such as nature-based livelihoods, and the access to and benefits of policy. This ongoing work has helped identify gaps in policy and the needs for community resilience in a vulnerable region like the Indian Himalayan Region.
See you on 19 Oct 2024!
For any enquiries, please contact rc4@nus.edu.sg.
