The International Society for the Systems Sciences (ISSS) is a worldwide organization for systems sciences. The overall purpose of the ISSS is: :"to promote the development of conceptual frameworks based on general system theory, as well as their implementation in practice. It further seeks to encourage research and facilitate communication between and among scientists and professionals from various disciplines and professions at local, regional, national, and international levels." Initially conceived in 1954 as the ''Society for the Advancement of General Systems Theory'', and started in 1955/56, the Society for General Systems Research became the first interdisciplinary and international co-operation in the field of

systems theory Systems theory is the interdisciplinary study of systems, i.e. cohesive groups of interrelated, interdependent components that can be natural or human-made. Every system has causal boundaries, is influenced by its context, defined by its structu ...

and systems science. In 1988 it was renamed to the International Society for the Systems Sciences.

History

The society was initiated in 1954 by biologists

Ludwig von Bertalanffy Karl Ludwig von Bertalanffy (19 September 1901 – 12 June 1972) was an Austrian biologist known as one of the founders of general systems theory (GST). This is an interdisciplinary practice that describes systems with interacting components, app ...

and Ralph Gerard, economist

Kenneth Boulding Kenneth Ewart Boulding (; January 18, 1910 – March 18, 1993) was an English-born American economist, educator, peace activist, and interdisciplinary philosopher.David LatzkoKenneth E. Boulding Commentsat personal.psu.edu. Accessed 24 April 200 ...

, and mathematician

Anatol Rapoport Anatol Rapoport ( uk, Анатолій Борисович Рапопо́рт; russian: Анато́лий Бори́сович Рапопо́рт; May 22, 1911January 20, 2007) was an American mathematical psychologist. He contributed to genera ...

at the Stanford

Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences The Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) is an interdisciplinary research lab at Stanford University that offers a residential postdoctoral fellowship program for scientists and scholars studying "the five core social and ...

. They called a meeting at the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Berkeley in 1954. At this meeting, attended by seventy people, the society was conceived as the ''Society for the Advancement of General Systems Theory''. The next year Boulding, Gerard and Rapoport started working with

James Grier Miller James Grier Miller (19167 November 2002, California) was an American biologist, a pioneer of systems science and academic administrator, who originated the modern use of the term "behavioral science", founded and directed the multi-disciplinary ...

at the Mental Health Research Institute of the University of Michigan. There the society got underway as "Society for General Systems Research". The statement of the mission of the society was formulated with the following four objectives: * to investigate the isomorphy of concepts, laws, and models in various fields, and to help in useful transfers from one field to another * to encourage the development of adequate theoretical models in areas which lack them * to eliminate the duplication of theoretical efforts in different fields * to promote the unity of science through improving the communication among specialists. In the 1960s local chapters were established in Boston, New York, San Francisco, Washington D.C, and Florida. Annual meetings were held in the winter, and annually a General Systems Yearbook was published. Periodical articles were published in the society's journal ''Behavioral Science'', and additionally "The Bulletin" offered regional and thematic publications. In 1971 the Society had 1100 individual and 6 institutional members, and a membership in some societies affiliated with the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 1988, the society was renamed the 'International Society for the Systems Sciences' (ISSS). to "reflect its broadening scope".

Activities

Important activities of the Society are: * the '' General Systems Yearbook'' * the ''General Systems Bulletin'' * the Special Integration Groups A listing of the Special Integration Groups (SIGs) gives an idea of the themes of ongoing development in the Society:

Presidents

Among the Presidents of ISSS have been foremost scientists from several fields and countries, including some Nobel laureates: * Roelien Goede, 2022-2023 * George Mobus, 2021-2022 * Delia MacNamara, 2020-2021 * Shankar Sankaran, 2019-2020 * Peter D. Tuddenham, 2018-2019 * David Rousseau, 2017-2018 * Ockie Bosch, 2016-2017 * John Kineman, 2015-2016 * Ray Ison, 2014-2015 * Gerald Midgley, 2013-2014 * Alexander Laszlo, 2012–2013 * David Ing, 2011-2012 * Jennifer Wilby, 2010-2011 * Allenna Leonard, 2009-2010 * Timothy F. H. Allen, 2008-2009 *

Gary Metcalf Gary S. Metcalf (born 1957) is an American systems scientist, organizational theorist, management consultant, and university professor. He has served as president of the International Federation for Systems Research 2010-2014. Biography Raised ...

, 2007-2008 * Kyoichi Kijima, 2006-2007 * Debora Hammond, 2005-2006 *

Enrique Herrscher Enrique G. Herrscher is an Argentine economist, systems scientist and professor at the University of Buenos Aires. Biography Herrscher has received a B.A. in strategic modelling from the London Business School, and an M.A. in administration and ...

, 2004-2005 * Kenneth D. Bailey, 2003 * Alexander Christakis, 2002 * Michael C. Jackson, 2001 * Harold G. Nelson, 2000 *

Peter Corning Peter Andrew Corning (born 1935) is an American biologist, consultant, and complex systems scientist, Director of the Institute for the Study of Complex Systems, in Seattle, Washington. He is known especially for his work on the causal role of s ...

, 1999 * Béla A. Bánáthy, 1998 * G. A. Swanson, 1997 * Yong Pil Rhee, 1996 * Ervin Laszlo, 1995 * J. Donald R. de Raadt, 1994 * Harold A. Linstone, 1993 * Ian I. Mitroff, 1992 * Howard T. Odum 1991 * Len R. Troncale, 1990 * C. West Churchman 1989 * Ilya Prigogine, 1988 * Russell L. Ackoff, 1987 * Peter Checkland, 1986 * John A. Dillon, 1985 *

Bela H. Banathy Bela may refer to: Places Asia *Bela Pratapgarh, a town in Pratapgarh District, Uttar Pradesh, India *Bela, a small village near Bhandara, Maharashtra, India *Bela, another name for the biblical city Zoara * Bela, Dang, in Nepal * Bela, Janakpur, ...

, 1984 *

Karl Deutsch Karl Wolfgang Deutsch (21 July 1912 – 1 November 1992) was a social and political scientist from Prague. He was a professor at MIT, Yale University and Harvard University, as well as Director of Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin (International Insti ...

, 1983 * John N. Warfield, 1982 * George Klir, 1981 * Robert Rosen, 1980 * Brian R. Gaines, 1979 * Richard F. Ericson, 1978 * Geoffrey Vickers, 1977 * Heinz von Foerster, 1976 * Kjell Samuelson, 1975 *

Gordon Pask Andrew Gordon Speedie Pask (28 June 1928 – 29 March 1996) was an English author, inventor, educational theorist, cybernetician and psychologist who made contributions to cybernetics, instructional psychology, experimental epistemology and ed ...

, 1974 *

, 1973 *

Margaret Mead Margaret Mead (December 16, 1901 – November 15, 1978) was an American cultural anthropologist who featured frequently as an author and speaker in the mass media during the 1960s and the 1970s. She earned her bachelor's degree at Barnard C ...

, 1972 *

Stafford Beer Anthony Stafford Beer (25 September 1926 – 23 August 2002) was a British theorist, consultant and professor at the Manchester Business School. He is best known for his work in the fields of operational research and management cybernetics. ...

, 1971 * Bertram Gross, 1970 * Lawrence Slobodkin, 1969 * Milton Rubin, 1968 * John Milsum, 1967 *

Peter Caws Peter J. Caws (May 25, 1931 - April 20, 2020) was a British American philosopher and administrator, and University Professor of Philosophy and Professor of Human Sciences at the George Washington University. Biography Peter Caws was born in Sout ...

, 1966 *

, 1965 * W. Ross Ashby 1962-64 * Charles A. McClelland 1959-61 * Kenneth E. Boulding, 1957–58

Sir Geoffrey Vickers Memorial Award

The Sir Geoffrey Vickers Memorial Award is an annual award in memory of Sir Geoffrey Vickers for outstanding student papers at the pre-doctoral level in the field of the systems sciences. A listing of recipients:International Society for the Systems Sciences: Student Awards
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References

External links