Lugano Summer School
OF SYSTEMS DESIGN
Continuing Education in Systems Thinking
Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Lugano, Switzerland
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Lugano Summer School OF SYSTEMS DESIGN Continuing Education in Systems Thinking Università della Svizzera Italiana (USI), Lugano, Switzerland |
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Lugano
Summer School of Systems Design
After twelve years of fascinating and rewarding engagement in the field of continuing education in systems thinking for graduate, doctoral, and postdoctoral students, as well as for academic teachers, practicing researchers, and mature professionals, the Lugano Summer School of Systems Design (LSS) has ceased operations and has closed its books as per 31 December 2013. No
further Doctoral and Postdoctoral Summer Schools or other events
are planned. My thanks go to all the staff and the participants from 33 countries that have made this series of interesting events possible. Thank
you for your interest in the Summer School's activities. Prof. Werner Ulrich, Summer School Director [4 JAN 2014] |
The
Lugano Summer School has been a truly global experience.
LSS participants
came from 31 countries, including all the continents (except Antarctica);
the
LSS staff came from 8 countries (including 2 more countries).
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This
is where the Lugano Summer School Australia Austria Cameroon Columbia Denmark Dominican Republic Finland Germany Hong Kong Hungary India Iran Israel Italy Japan Kosovo-Albania Japan Mexico Mozambique Netherlands New Zealand Norway Pakistan Portugal Saudi Arabia Singapore South Africa Sweden Switzerland Turkey United Kingdom USA Venezuela
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(Source:
Reproduced from the "Participants" page of this site,
complemented
with two additional countries of staff origin)
Remembering LSS 2012 – and the entire Summer School Project
The last Lugano Summer School event is gone. It was a fitting end to the successful series of Doctoral and Postdoctoral Summer Schools on Soft and Critical Systems Thinking that the Lugano Summer School has offered since 2005, and all the events it has organized since its inception in 2001. Faithful to the idea that informed its particular profile of continuing education in systems thinking, we once again had in this last event a highly motivated group of 21 mature participants from countries all around the globe, ranging from Australia via Hong Kong and India to Venezuela, and from South Africa via Cameroon, Saudi Arabia and Portugal to Switzerland and Sweden. All continents were represented in this one event (see the "Participants" page for an overview of where the participants came from during all these years). More importantly, the attitude and mood of the group were exactly as they should, the right combination between seriousness and joyfulness, ambition and relaxation. Participants and interested visitors of this site will find a selection of pictures in the page "Pictures 2012"; perhaps they convey some of the seriousness as well as the relaxation that characterized this Summer School.
LSS 2012 concludes an educational project that will have spanned a bit more than twelve years, from the first preparations in autumn 2000 to the closing of the Summer School books in 2013. It has been an extraordinary project, a "one-of-a-kind" educational opportunity that meant a lot to me and has brought me wonderful contacts with many dedicated teachers and students of contemporary systems thinking. Throughout these years, the teaching effort involved remained a challenge that I found stimulating and rewarding; thanks to many outstanding participants, it never became a mere routine. For a number of reasons, it is now time for those involved to move on and undertake new projects, before signs of fatigue or routine creep in. I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all the Faculty members and other staff listed in the "Faculty" page. The last event, LSS 2012, would not have been possible without the administrative support of Professors Mauro Baranzini, who in his capacity as former Vice-Dean and then Dean of the Lugano Faculty of Economics supported the Lugano Summer School project from the outset, and Giorgio Tonella, our former Associate Director and local Faculty member at USI Lugano without whom I could not have organized these events. My special thanks also go to Professor Peter Checkland, the only Faculty member who shared each and every Summer School event with me and whose cooperation during all these years I appreciate profoundly. Finally, this is also the place to thank my wife, Kathy, who during all these years was the good soul of the Summer School and contributed to it, and to the well-being of the participants, in various and important ways. Thank you all for the good cooperation and friendship you have offered me in this adventure, and all the best for your future.
Prof. Werner Ulrich, Summer School Director [5 SEP 2012, last modified 9 SEP 2012]
Second LSS 2012 Progress Report [last updated 17 May/27 April 2012]
1. Registration closed (places subject to availability)
We have reached the planned maximum number of 20 confirmed participants. Accordingly, enrollment for LSS 2012 is now closed and the registration form has been deactivated. However, it may still happen (and it usually does) that a very few (1-2) participants have to withdraw before the start of the Summer School for reasons beyond their control, such as illness or unexpected but binding other obligations. Hence, should you have become aware of this educational opportunity only now and feel it would have been of high interest to you, do not hesitate to contact the Summer School Director and inquire about available places. Given that LSS 2012 will be the last event of its kind, it would be a pity indeed if some genuinely interested researchers would miss it while others had to withdraw, leaving a few places available.
2. Origin of admitted participants
The participants' countries of citizenship (including multiple citizenships) currently are: Australia (3), Cameroon (1), Germany (2), India (1), Iran (1), Kosovo-Albania (1), Mozambique (1), Portugal (2), Saudi Arabia (1), South Africa (2), Sweden (2), Switzerland (2), UK (3), USA (1), and Venezuela (2).
The participants' current countries of residence are: Australia (4), India (1), Netherlands (1), South Africa (1), Singapore (1), Sweden (5), Switzerland (3), UK (2), USA (2), and Venezuela (2).
Regarding the participants' educational and professional backgrounds, please see the previous progress report (last updated on 26 March 2012).
3. New Associate Director
Due to the retirement of the Summer School's former Associate Director, Giorgio Tonella, we needed a new Associate Director who would secure the contact with our host faculty, the Faculty of Economics of the University Lugano (USI). The Summer School is grateful to Mauro Baranzini, Professor of Political Economics and former Dean of the Faculty of Economics, for accepting to take on this role. Professor Baranzini's distinguished academic career led him to Oxford and Cambridge (UK), Verona and Milan (Italy), Harvard, Berkeley and Stanford (USA), and Fribourg and Lugano (Switzerland). In his capacity of then Vice-Dean and later Dean of the Faculty, he supported the Lugano Summer School of Systems Design from its inception in 2001. I cordially welcome him among the staff of the Summer School.
4. Attention: room change
Counter
to what has been previously announced, the Summer School will meet
not in Room
A 13 of the "Red Building" but in Room
354 of the Main Building (as shown on the right, 3rd floor). The entry to the Main
Building of the University of Lugano (Università de la Svizzera
Italiana, USI Lugano) is situated on Via Giuseppe Buffi 13 (often also
written "via G. Buffi 13") in Lugano. To find the location, it is best
to use Google Maps and search for
"University of Lugano, Switzerland."
Please note that due to a current lack of rooms, after a period of rapid expansion of the University, I cannot exclude at this stage that there might be another room change in the two months remaining until the start of LSS 2012. Be sure, therefore, to check this page again shortly before the start of the Summer School. Thank you.
5. Preparatory reading [last updated 17 May 2012]
Based on the feedback received so far, it is clear that virtually all participants welcome the idea of doing some preparatory reading. I plan to distribute two or three readings about 3-4 weeks prior to the start of the Summer School. Update 17 May 2012: The readings have been distributed on May 16, 2012.
I look forward to meeting you in Lugano!
Prof. Werner
Ulrich, Director
[18 APR 2012,
updated 27 April 2012 and 17 May 2012]
LSS 2012 Progress Report [updated 26 March 2012]
1. Confirmation of LSS 2012
The Lugano Summer School of Systems Design is pleased to announce that
LSS 2012 will take place as planned.
Earlier than in previous years, we have reached the minimum number of qualified participants that allows us to run this last planned Doctoral and Postdoctoral Summer School on Soft and Critical Systems Thinking. We currently have 16 admitted participants [update 26 March 2012: 19 participants].
The participants' countries of residence currently include Australia (5), Serbia (1), South Africa (1), Sweden (5), Switzerland (3), United States (2), and Venezuela (2); countries of citizenship include Australia (5), Germany (1), Iran (1), Kosovo (1), Portugal (1), Serbia (1), Sweden (2), Switzerland (2), South Africa (2), United Kingdom (2), and Venezuela (2).
The fields of study and professional practice represented by the participants include: adult education, agricultural management, architecture, business management, community / public health, cultural studies, economics and social science, industrial design, information systems / information and communication technology (ICT), knowledge management, innovation management, management consultancy, mechanical engineering, occupational psychology, organizational coaching, organizational development (OD), product development, project management, quality engineering and management, research & development (R&D), sport science / injury prevention, sustainable development, town and regional planning, and others.
2. Remaining chances to participate
A
maximum of 20 participants will be admitted to LSS 2012, so only
a very few study places are still available as of the date of this announcement.
In addition, experience suggests, there is a small chance that one or two more
places become available if some admitted participant(s) should need to withdraw
for unforeseen reasons (e.g. illness). Hence, if you have become aware of this
educational offer only recently, there is still a chance to get one of the few
remaining places. Please apply through the Registration Form.
If you have any queries about your chances to be admitted, do not hesitate to
email the School Director, Prof. Werner Ulrich.
If
as an admitted participant you have not paid your tuition fee as yet, you need
to act now to secure your place. Please ask your bank or your supporting institution
to do the bank transfer as soon as possible. The deadline for tuition payment
has been extended to 31 March 2012. (For late admissions, the deadline will
be three weeks after the date of their admission.) Should you have any difficulties
to meet the your deadline, be sure to inform the School Director
in advance, otherwise your place is at risk.
Study places are assigned in the order of receipt of tuition. Late applications will be considered admitted as long as places are available. However, there is no way of predicting how long this will be so.
3. Accommodation and travel arrangements
If you are an admitted participant and have not done so as yet, it is now also time to finalize your accommodation and travel arrangements. For some basic information and advice, see the page "Facilities & Accommodation" of this site.
4. Time and place of the opening session
The Summer School is scheduled to begin on Monday, 18 June 2008, at 9:15 AM, in Room A 13 of the " Red Building" of the Lugano University campus (for a photo, see here). This is a new building, easily recognized by its red color, which is situated immediately behind the old main building (shown on the right). Room A 13 is located on the ground floor of the building.
Attention: This room is not yet secured and may change. Be sure to check this page shortly before the start of the Summer School for definitive information about the time and location of the opening session.
5. How to find the University
The University is situated at Via Giuseppe Buffi 13 in Lugano. (Note that in some older maps, this location may still be marked "Ospedale Civico," as the new university campus was developed on the site of an earlier hospital.) To find Via Giuseppe Buffi, you may wish to use the two interactive city maps of Lugano on the page "Additional Information."
I look forward to welcoming you in Lugano!
Prof. Werner
Ulrich, Director
[28 FEB 2012,
last updated 26 MAR 2012]
Enrollment for LSS 2012 currently proceeding
Only
a limited number of places is still available
LSS
2012 Progress Report to be published soon
Last
chance to attend this kind of event
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The enrollment for LSS 2012 is proceeding well. As in the past, we will have a good number of highly qualified and motivated participants with different educational and professional backgrounds. Participants once again come from an interesting mix of countries, some of which will be represented for the first time (e.g., Belarus, Serbia, Ukraine, and Venezuela) while others belong to the traditional countries of origin of our participants (e.g., Australia, England, South Africa, Sweden, and Switzerland); for a complete list of the countries of origin, see the "Participants" page of this site. In short, all the lights are green! If you have discovered this educational offer only now or for some other reason have hesitated to enrol, please go ahead and enrol through the Registration Form. There is a formal application procedure, to ensure that all participants are sufficiently prepared. It also helps if in the "Comments" section of the form, you explain your reasons and motivation for participating. In cases of doubts as to whether or not the academic program of LSS 2012 is for you, do not hesitate to contact the School Director, he will be glad to assist you as it is in the interest of both the participants and the Summer School that everyone's interests match! Do not wait for the last moment; once the available 20 places have been assigned to qualified participants, you may not be able to enrol despite adequate qualification and strong motivation. You might then have missed the last chance to attend this kind of event, as LSS 2012 is likely to be the last Lugano Doctoral and Postdoctoral Summer School on soft and critical systems thinking. So, its now or never!
[21 JAN 2012]
Announcing LSS 2012:
The
Academic Program of the next Lugano Summer School event has now been published
Enrollment is
now open for LSS
2012
LSS 2012 is the next Doctoral and Postdoctoral Summer School on Soft and Critical Systems Thinking, to be held once again at the University of Lugano, Switzerland, from 18 to 29 June 2012. LSS 2012 is very likely to be the last event of this successful series. As in previous years, it is open to postdoctoral researchers and doctoral students, as well as to advanced masters students and practicing researchers or professionals of a broad range of applied disciplines with adequate preparation; see the page "Participants" for a short description of the target group to which this Summer School is addressed. The number of available places is limited to a maximum of 20. There is a formal application procedure, the sole purpose of which is to make sure that participants will actually be able to benefit of the Summer School and that the available places are assigned to those most interested and likely to benefit.
Topic:
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«Systems Thinking for
Improving
For the academic program of this Summer School,
please see the
"Academic
Program" page. |
Should you have any queries, please do not hesitate to email the School Director, Prof. Werner Ulrich, and ask for specific information.
[28 MAY 20011, last updated 21 JAN 2012]
Continuing support of open-access academic publishing by the Lugano Summer School The Lugano Summer School continues its institutional sponsorship of the Journal of Research Practice (JRP) as first announced on 19 February 2005 (see below). Moreover, the Summer School Director is now a Coeditor of the journal, which is published online by Athabasca University Press (AU Press), Canada, in the open-access mode. JRP is a peer-reviewed journal that was launched in 2005 by a small but world-wide community of scholars (among them, the Summer School Director) interested in developing our understanding of all forms of research (from basic to applied research and professional intervention) as a kind of practice. Accordingly, the journal is open to contributions by research theorists, students, and practitioners from all fields of basic and applied research, including professional practice. Issues of research philosophy and education (including doctoral education), research assessment and evaluation, the methodological issues of inter- and transdisciplinary research, reflective research and professional practice, as well as research ethics and politics and related fields, are of interest. Papers that document and discuss efforts aimed at self-reflective inquiry and learning across disciplinary boundaries are particularly welcome. Contributions on research practice guided by soft and critical systems thinking frameworks as they are taught in the Summer School may also be of interest, to the extent they reflect on the use of such frameworks, discuss the merits and difficulties of their application, and are of sound academic quality. JRP is able to offer committed reviewing and copy-editing support.
For current or former Summer School participants who would like to publish reflective accounts of their research or professional practice and who are committed to producing a high-quality paper, JRP is always a possible publication outlet of interest. See also the Journal's Call for papers. The Summer School has supported JRP since its inception, not only with a view to offering Summer School participants a publication option but also to help promote the open-access (OA) philosophy of academic publishing, in the conviction that OA publishing will be an important part of the future of academic publishing. On this topic, you may wish to read the School Director's essay "Open doors: a plea for open-access publishing."
[12 NOV 2010, last updated 21 JAN 2012]
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Changed Lugano Summer School schedule for 2011 and 2012
The next Doctoral and
Postdoctoral Summer School on soft and critical
systems thinking is planned for the second
half of June, 2012. Details will be announced in May 2011.
[22 NOV 2010, updated 20 MAR 2011] |
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Lugano Summer
School schedule for 2010/11: The
next Doctoral and Postdoctoral Summer School on
soft and critical systems thinking is being
considered for June, 2011; however, no decisions
have been taken as yet. Decisions will be
announced in due time. If you are interested in
attending a next event, please let us know you
are, and consult this site again in late autumn,
2011. Thank you. |
LSS 2008 Memory Booklet: The 2008 Doctoral and Postdoctoral Summer School on Soft and Critical Systems Thinking lives on in our minds and hearts as a very special and precious experience. It took place from the 2nd to the 13th of June at the University of Lugano, with the maximum number of 20 participants. They represented a truly global mix of nationalities, cultures, age groups, and professional backgrounds. Even so, they may have been the most homogeneous group we've ever had, speaking in terms of the high qualification of all the participants, as well as their openness to new ideas and their spirit of cooperation and reflectiveness. LSS 2008 was one of those rare events where you feel that real dialogue is taking place, which makes people listen attentively to one another and together enlarge their understanding. There was an intensity and emotional warmth, a sense of shared excitement, which was energizing us and allowing us to experience these two weeks as a meaningful, enriching encounter.
On the last day, the class offered a beautiful surprise to its hosts and instructors, Peter Checkland and myself, in the form of a memory booklet and a musical performance. In an attempt to capture these contributions, along with the spirit of excitement and shared reflection that characterized LSS 2008, I decided to prepare a special memory page this year. It goes beyond the "Pictures" pages of previous Summer Schools available in this site, in that in addition to some photographs, it includes a number of contributions by the participants themselves, among them
In accordance with the personal nature of this memory page, it appears as this summer's (July-August 2008) edition of Ulrich's Bimonthly rather than as a standard page of the Summer School site. However, I have linked it to the Summer School site in such a way that when you click on the " Memory Booklet 2008" link here or in the left-hand menu, the memory page will appear within the main frame of the present site (to return to the present page, click on "Current Announcements" in the left-hand menu). Enjoy it!
To all the participants of LSS 2008, I extend my sincere
thanks for making this event so meaningful and rewarding. I
hope LSS 2008 will remain an event that you will remember for
many years to come and which with hindsight, you will be able to count among those moments
in your personal quest for meaning and competence which changed you.
Werner Ulrich,
Director
[4 JUL 2008]
Attention room change: Unlike what was announced in the confirmation message emailed to all participants on 15 March (or following admission to those participants who were admitted after the 15th of March), Room A 13 is located in the "Red Building" rather than the main building of the University campus in Lugano. For details see "How and When to Travel to Lugano" and point 4 of the "LSS 2008 Progress Report" below.
[16 MAY 2008]
Enrollment closed: The enrollment has now ended, as we have reached the maximum number of participants. However, as unforeseen withdrawals sometimes occur, see the note below concerning a small "Remaining chance to participate." [16 MAY 2008]
Start of the Summer School: You can now also find the time and place where we meet on the first day, along with a picture of the "Red Building" in which our sessions will take place, in the page "How and When to Travel to Lugano" (cf. point 4 of the subsequent Progress Report). Be sure to note down these details before you travel.
[1 MAY 2008]
LSS 2008 Progress Report [17 MAR 2008, last updated 20 MAR 2008]
1. Confirmation of LSS 2008
The Lugano Summer School of Systems Design is pleased to announce that LSS 2008 will take place as planned : 2-13 June at the University of Lugano. We have been able to admit a sufficient number of qualified participants from different fields of study and from many different countries.
The countries of origin (citizenship) currently represented include: Australia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, Pakistan, South Africa, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States. [as of 1 MAY 2008]
The fields of study represented include: environmental management/ natural resources management, agricultural policy/ agroecology, general management, human resources management, technology management, industrial engineering, transport engineering and planning, law, national defense policy, information technology/ information systems design & management/ software engineering, social and organizational psychology, science & society studies, and others.
We would like to say "thank you" to all the participants who by their interest in this educational offer make it possible for us to organize this event, and particularly also to those participants who have respected the deadlines for enrollment and tuition payment and in this way have allowed us to decide early on that LSS 2008 is secured. Those among you who have been admitted but have not paid the tuition as yet, please do not forget to arrange your tuition payment as soon as possible, as places in the Summer School are assigned in the order of receipt of tuition payments and enrollment continues until we have reached the maximum number of 20 participants.
2. Remaining chance to participate – Attention latecomers!
There is a strict maximum of 20 participants. We currently do have a few more than 20 admitted participants, but not all of them have secured their place by paying their tuition. Among those who have, some may need to withdraw before the start of the Summer School for unforeseen reasons. It is therefore still possible for latecomers to apply for admission. If for any reason you have not previously become aware of the Summer School and feel it is what you have been looking for, do not hesitate to register, or email the School Director at the email address indicated in the "Contact" page of this site. [added 16 MAY 2008]
3. Accommodation and travel arrangements
If you have not done so as yet, it is now also time to finalize your accommodation and travel arrangements. Some basic information is available in the page "Facilities & Accommodation" of this site. More detailed information is contained in the confirmation message that has been sent out to all participants on 15 March 2008. Participants admitted thereafter will receive a copy of the confirmation message subsequent to their admission.
4. Time and place of the opening session
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The Summer School is scheduled to begin on Monday, 2 June 2008, at 9:15 AM, in Room A 13 of the " Red Building" of the Lugano University campus (for a photo, see here). This is a new building, easily recognized by its red color, which is situated immediately behind the old main building (shown on the right). Room A 13 is located on the ground floor of the building. Attention: The room location has changed as compared to the confirmation message sent out by email of 15 March, in which Room A 13 was said to be located in the main building. [added 1 MAY 2008 ] Note: There is a small possibility that the room number may still change. Be sure to check this "Current Announcements" page shortly before the start of the Summer School for possible last-minute changes of the room or time of the opening session. |
5. How to find the University
The University is situated at Via Giuseppe Buffi 13 in Lugano. (Note that in some older maps, this location may still be marked "Ospedale Civico," as the new university campus was developed on the site of an earlier hospital.) To find Via Giuseppe Buffi, you may wish to use the two interactive city maps of Lugano on the page "Additional Information."
I look forward to welcoming you in Lugano!
Prof. Werner
Ulrich, Director
[20 MAR 2008]
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Time to register for LSS 2008 ! |
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LSS
2008 is going to be
a regular Doctoral and Postdoctoral Summer School on Soft and
Critical Systems Thinking (see the "Academic program" page).
The Summer School will once again be held at the University of
Italian Switzerland in Lugano, from
2
–13 June 2008. This may well be one of the
last opportunities to get first-hand accounts of Soft
Systems Methodology (SSM) and of Critical Systems Heuristics
(CSH) directly from their originators Peter Checkland and
Werner Ulrich in one and the same event, and to discuss with
them ways to integrate the two approaches into your own work.
So, if you are interested in hearing the original sound of SSM
and CSH, do not hesitate to seize this opportunity before it
is too late. The time to apply is now! We have been able thus
far to admit participants from Australia, Denmark, Finland,
Germany, India, The Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Turkey,
the United Kingdom, and the USA. A few places are still
available. Application deadline: 29 February 2008. For
details, see the page
"Admission, Tuition,
Deadlines" of this site.
[5 FEB 2008]
Sponsorship awarded to the Lugano Summer School
The Lugano Summer School has received a one-time sponsorship contribution from
Momentus Management Consulting
AB in Solna, Sweden. Momentus is also showing its appreciation in a
dedicated page of its web site, describing our summer
school program as "a
unique educational
program" and
as
"a
rare occasion to deepen their understanding of key management ideas and learn to practice
corresponding methodological tools."
Momentus is a partner-owned consulting company that started its
operations in 2004 in Stockholm. One of its founding partners
is a former, repeated participant of the Lugano Summer School. Momentus
offers a "Scandinavian" (i.e., holistic, people and customer
centered) approach to management based in nine core competencies and services: business environment analysis;
business strategy formulation; customer analysis and segmentation; formulation of value propositions to customers
and consumers; designing and managing customer communication channels; analysis and redesign of operations and processes
with a value-oriented outlook; customer-oriented organization
design; information systems design and management; and formulation of strategic and operational performance
indicators (organizational metrics).
The Lugano Summer School gratefully acknowledges the generous support offered by Momentus Management Consulting AB. This sponsorship will allow the School to keep its tuition fees as low as possible, along with equally low minimum numbers of participants for running Summer School events. It encourages us to continue our efforts of trying to offer high-quality educational opportunities at affordable prices, at a time when universities appear to have ever smaller budgets for assisting their research staff and students in attending educational opportunities such as those offered by the Lugano Summer School. Thank you, Momentus AB, for awarding us this much-appreciated recognition and support.
[12 NOV 2007 ]
LSS 2008 Announcement – Enrollment now open for LSS 2008
LSS 2008 is the next regular Doctoral and Postdoctoral Summer School on Soft and Critical Systems Thinking.
The event is open to doctoral students, advanced masters students, as well as researchers and practitioners with adequate preparation. It will once again take place at the University of Lugano, Switzerland, from 2 to 13 June 2008 .
Topic:
|
"Integrating Soft Systems Methodology and Critical
Systems Heuristics
For the academic program of this Summer School,
please see the
"Academic
Program" page. |
[22 MAY 2007 ]
