The International Federation for Systems Research (IFSR) is an international federation for global and local societies in the field of systems science. This federation is a non-profit, scientific and educational agency founded in 1980, and constituted of some thirty member organizations around the globe. .

Organisation

The overall purpose of the

Federation A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government ( federalism). In a federation, the self-govern ...

is to advance

cybernetic Cybernetics is a wide-ranging field concerned with circular causality, such as feedback, in regulatory and purposive systems. Cybernetics is named after an example of circular causal feedback, that of steering a ship, where the helmsperson ma ...

and systems research and systems applications and to serve the international systems community as a peakbody. For this purpose the federation wants to coordinate systems research among member organizations. They are focused on the organization and sponsorship of research and development, international meetings and workshops in the field. More specifically, the federation wants to develop and promote international programs and

publications To publish is to make content available to the general public.Berne Conv ...

in the area of systems research and applications. Other tasks include the development and promotion of: * Resource materials development in systems education; * Standards of competence in systems research and systems education; * A

knowledge base A knowledge base (KB) is a technology used to store complex structured and unstructured information used by a computer system. The initial use of the term was in connection with expert systems, which were the first knowledge-based systems. ...

in the cybernetic and systems sciences; For its member organizations the federation seeks coordinating programs and provides assistance to them. The IFSR was founded on 12 March 1980 by the American

Society for General Systems Research 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 ...

(now ISSS), the

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

n Society for Cybernetic Studies, and the

Dutch Systems Group The Dutch Systems Group, or ''Netherlands Society for Systems Research'' or ''Systeemgroep Nederland'', is a society in the Netherlands for systems theory, and its applications. Systems theoretical problems the society focuses on are, for example ...

with George Klir as first president of the IFSR. The

International Academy for Systems and Cybernetic Sciences The International Academy for Systems and Cybernetic Sciences (IASCYS) is an honor society initially created by the International Federation for Systems Research (IFSR). The academy identifies outstanding scientists in systems and cybernetics and e ...

(IASCYS) was founded 2010 by the International Federation for Systems Research.

Member organizations

The IFSR is a member organizations of over thirty systems science organizations worldwide:
Association Française des Sciences et Technologies de l'Information et des Systèmes / Association Française de Science des Systèmes
France
AR+
USA

merican Society for Cybernetics, USA
Analytics Society of Ireland
Ireland
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_(OU).html" ;"title="Open University">Applied Systems Thinking in Practice (ASTiP) by the Open University
(OU)">Open University">Applied Systems Thinking in Practice (ASTiP) by the Open University
(OU) UK
Australia and New Zealand Systems Group (ANZSYS)

Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science

Business Systems Laboratory
Italy * Cybernetics Society London, UK
Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Kybernetik
Germany *

, The Netherlands
Gesellschaft für Wirtschafts- und SozialkybernetikEuropean School of Governance
Germany
European Union for Systemics – Union européenne de systémique (EUS-UES)
EU
Forum of the Future/School of Systems Change
UK
Hai Phong Systems Science Society (HPSSS)
VNM
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(HSSS).html" ;"title="Hellenic Society for Systemic Studies">Hellenic Society for Systemic Studies
(HSSS)">Hellenic Society for Systemic Studies">Hellenic Society for Systemic Studies
(HSSS), GR
International Research Institute for Advanced Systems
RUS

[International Council on Systems Engineering
Research Committee 51 on Sociocybernetics
of

International Sociological Association The International Sociological Association (ISA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to scientific purposes in the field of sociology and social sciences. It is an international sociological body, gathering both individuals and national sociolo ...

, ES
International Society for Knowledge and Systems Sciences
PRC

nternational Society for the Systems Sciences, USA
Malik Management Institute
CH
Österreichische Studiengesellschaft für Kybernetik / Austrian Society for Cybernetic Studies
AT
SCiO Systems and Complexity in Organisation, United Kingdom/International
UK
Systemic Design Association
CAN and N
System Dynamics Society
USA
Systems Engineering Society of China / Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science
PRC
Sociedad Espanola de Sistemas Generales
ES
Slovenian Society for Systems Research
SL
The Oroborus Foundation
CH
Laboratoire Théorie des systèmes en architecture (tsa-lab)
BE
UK Systems Society
UK
WCSA - World Complexity Science Academy
IT

Journal, book series, and newsletter

* ''Systems Research and Behavioral Science'' The ''IFSR Journal of Systems Research'' was established in 1984 but was merged with the [ nternational Society for the Systems Sciences's Journal of Behavioural Science in 1997, forming th
Journal of Systems Research and Behavioural Science
The Journal aims to stimulate disciplined inquiry and provides transdisciplinary focus for the exchange of ideas and knowledge; relating to the analysis, design, development, and management of systems and programs. The journal (ISSN 1092-7026), is edited by

Michael C. Jackson Michael Christopher Jackson OBE (born 1951) is a British systems scientist, consultant and Emeritus Professor of Management Systems and former Dean of Hull University Business School, known for his work in the field of systems thinking and mana ...

and is published six times a year. * ''International Series on Systems Science and Engineering'' Thi
IFSR Book Series
provides a publication avenue for high quality systems literature. George Mobus ( University of Washington at Tacoma) is the current Editor-in-Chief (see
Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board
of the book series. Until 2016, George Klir (

State University A state university system in the United States is a group of public universities supported by an individual state, territory or federal district. These systems constitute the majority of public-funded universities in the country. State univer ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

Springer Publishing Springer Publishing Company is an American publishing company of academic journals and books, focusing on the fields of nursing, gerontology, psychology, social work, counseling, public health, and rehabilitation (neuropsychology). It was e ...

) was the editor. At the time, the editorial board for the IFSR International book series included: :*

Gerrit Broekstra Gerrit Broekstra (born 1 August 1941, Alkmaar, Netherlands), is a Dutch scientist and professor in the field of organization behavior and systems sciences at the Erasmus Universiteit, Rotterdam, Northwestern University, Chicago, and Nyenrode Bus ...

, Nyenrode University, The Netherlands Business School, Netherlands :* John L. Casti, Santa Fe Institute, NM, USA :* Brian R. Gaines, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada :* Ivan M. Havel, Center for Theoretical Study, Charles University, Czech Republic :* Klaus Kornwachs, Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus, Germany :* Franz Pichler, Institute of Systems Science, Johannes Kepler University of Linz, Austria * ''IFSR Newsletter'' The IFSR Newsletter is the informal newsletter of the IFSR (hard copy: ISSN 1818-0809, online: ISSN 1818-0817), published once or twice a year since 1981, edited by Paul F de. P. Hanika (1981–1985),

Robert Trappl Robert Trappl (born 16 January 1939, in Vienna) is an Austrian scientist and head of the Austrian Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Vienna, which was founded in 1984. He is known for his work in the field of cybernetics and art ...

(1985), Steven Sokoloff (1986 – 1994), Gerhard Chroust (1993–2018) and Louis Klein (2019-present).Appendix: What is the IFSR? IFSR Conversations 2012
Proceedings of the IFSR Conversation 2012, St. Magdalena, Linz, Austria, 2012, pp. 109 The newsletter informs member societies about new academic work, updates on fellow member societies and prominent scientists, updates on past systems conferences and plans for future conferences. Back issues of newsletters are available on the IFSR.org web site.

IFSR Conversations

The Conversations, initially held in Fuschl near Salzburg, Austria, were established by the IFSR in 1980 and are held biennially. The Conversations convene approximately 30 - 40 systems scientists from around the world to discuss systemic issues and develop understanding relevant for society and its environment. The last IFSR Conversation was held in 2016 in St. Magdalena,

Linz Linz ( , ; cs, Linec) is the capital of Upper Austria and third-largest city in Austria. In the north of the country, it is on the Danube south of the Czech border. In 2018, the population was 204,846. In 2009, it was a European Capital ...

, Austria. Work is currently underway, post pandemic, in planning alternative formats IFSR Conversation. The Conversations were established primarily under the guidance of

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, ...

, as an alternative to traditional conferences. A number of systems professionals found that they were disillusioned with a format in which the majority of the time was spent on papers being read or presented to passive listeners, with minimal time for discussion and interaction about the ideas. As described by Bela, they were to be: * a collectively guided disciplined inquiry, * an exploration of issues of social/societal significance, * engaged by scholarly practitioners in self-organized teams, * on a theme for their conversation selected by participants, * initiated in the course of a preparation phase that leads to an intensive learning phase. "Conversations were introduced by

around 1980 as an alternative to the classical conferences which usually consist only of presentation of streamlined papers and short question slots. In a 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. A Conversations is preceded by an intensive off-line preparation phase (including exchanges of ‘input papers’), followed by the face-to-face discussion at the Conversation and followed by a post-conversation consolidation period. No papers are presented during the conversation, the participants discuss face-to-face their topic, often modifying it in the course of the conversation." The results of the conference are published in the Proceedings of the IFSR Conversations. This document publishes the team reports plus several contributed papers. A short description of the IFSR’s activities completes the proceedings. The Proceedings are distributed to member societies and conference attendees. The 2012 Proceedings are available at:
The Proceedings of the IFSR Conversation 2012, St. Magdalena, Linz
The 2014 Proceedings are available at

The 2016 Proceedings are available through print-on-demand a
2016 IFSR Conversation Proceedings: Systems Literacy
Proceedings prior to 2012 are available online in the Archives section of the IFSR website (see http://www.ifsr.org/index.php/publications/conversations/). The Conversations have led to significant development of a theoretical basis for Systems Engineering, progress in the evolution of Cybernetics to Second Order Science, continuing elucidation of GST* (General Systems Theory), and informing Systems Research (https://www.springer.com/us/book/9789811002625). These developments are described in the IFSR Newslette

Past presidents

More prominent system scientists have been officers of the IFSR since 1980. Presidents of the federation were: * 1980:

George J. Klir George Jiří Klir (April 22, 1932 – May 27, 2016) was a Czech-American computer scientist and professor of systems sciences at Binghamton University in Binghamton, New York. Biography George Klir was born in 1932 in Prague, Czechoslovakia. ...

* 1984:

* 1988:

* 1992:

Gerard de Zeeuw Gerard de Zeeuw (born 11 March 1936) is a Dutch scientist and Emeritus professor Mathematical modelling of complex social systems at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. He is known for his work on the theory and practice of action rese ...

* 1994:

* 1998:

* 2000:

Yong Pil Rhee Yong Pil Rhee (December 10, 1932 – March 23, 2004) was a Korean political scientist, systems scientist and professor and chairman of the board of trustees at the Seoul National University, South Korea. He was one of the first systems theorists ...

* 2002:

Jifa Gu Gu Jifa (; born 1930s) is a Chinese systems scientist, and Professor of Operations Research and Systems Engineering at the Institute of Systems Science, Academy of Mathematics and System Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He is known for hs ...

* 2006 Matjaz Mulej * 2008 Matjaz Mulej * 2010 Gary S. Metcalf * 2012 Gary S. Metcalf * 2014 Gary S. Metcalf * 2016 Mary C. Edson * 2018

Ray Ison Raymond L. (Ray) Ison (born 3 July 1952, Bathurst, NSW, Australia) is an Australian-British cybernetician, systems scholar/scientist, and Professor of Systems at the Open University in the UK. He is currently President of the International Fede ...

IFSR 2020-2022 Executive Committee

, President * Pamela Buckle, Vice President * Rika Preiser, Vice President * Nam Nguyen, Vice President * Louis Klein, Secretary General

International Academy for Systems and Cybernetic Sciences

On April 7, 2010 the General Assembly of the IFSR approved the founding of the

(IASCYS).International Academy for Systems and Cybernetic Sciences (IASCYS)
IFSR Newsletter 2010 Vol. 27 No. 2 December, pp. 4 * ''Aims'' IASCYS aims to honor and activate outstanding members of IFSR member-associations. While no one can apply for membership in IASCYS as an individual, every member association of the IFSR can suggest candidates in an official letter supplying data on the candidate’s scientific and professional achievements in accordance with the criteria of the IASCYS. * ''Motivations'' IASCYS fills the gap resulting from the failure of national and international academies of sciences and arts to include systems and cybernetics in their list of sciences and arts. * ''Intentions'' In order to honor the most distinguished systems and cybernetics professionals and simultaneously to promote the systems thinking world view, each year during a ceremonial assembly, a selected academic receives the Bertalanffy/Wiener medal of the Academy. The officers of the IASCYS Executive Committee are: :* Stuart Umpleby – President :* Ockert Bosch- Vice-President, :*

– Vice-president :* Pierre Bricage – Secretary General

References

External links

Homepage
IASCYS
Homepage
IFSR
Article
''25 Years of the IFSR: A Milestone in the Systems Sciences'', by Gerhard Chroust. {{authority control Cybernetics Organizations established in 1981 Systems theory Systems science societies