Systems theory : from science to a sustainable society

Contenu du cours

Systems Theory: From Science to a Sustainable Society introduces students to systems thinking as a framework for understanding and addressing sustainability challenges. Rather than considering environmental, social and economic issues in isolation, the course examines how they emerge from interactions between multiple components, actors and processes operating across different spatial and temporal scales.

The course first establishes the context in which systems thinking becomes necessary. Students examine sustainable development through the interplay between planetary boundaries and social foundations, and explore major sustainability challenges through the study of ecosystems, food production, climate change and energy systems. These topics are approached not only as individual issues, but as interconnected socio-ecological systems shaped by physical processes, human activities, institutions and societal choices.

Building on this foundation, students learn the core concepts of systems theory: system boundaries, elements and interactions, stocks and flows, feedback loops, delays, non-linearity, resilience, equilibrium and emergent behaviour. Particular attention is given to the relationship between a system's structure and its behaviour over time. Students progressively move from qualitative system representation, using causal loop diagrams and system maps, towards more formal representations using stock-and-flow models and elementary quantitative modelling. They learn how assumptions and causal hypotheses can be translated into model structures, how parameters influence system behaviour, and how models can be used to explore alternative scenarios, thresholds and interventions. Models are treated as simplified representations of reality whose usefulness depends on their purpose, assumptions and boundaries, rather than as predictions of a fully controllable world.

The final part of the course focuses on understanding and changing systems. Recurring patterns such as policy resistance, tragedy of the commons, escalation, shifting the burden, competitive exclusion and poorly specified goals are used to analyse why apparently reasonable interventions can produce unexpected or undesirable consequences. Students investigate different ways of intervening in a system, from modifying parameters and flows to changing rules, goals, information structures and underlying paradigms.

Throughout the course, scientific, economic and societal perspectives are combined. Students are encouraged to identify relevant actors, question system boundaries and assumptions, distinguish direct effects from indirect and delayed consequences, and recognise trade-offs between competing objectives. The course also examines how narratives, social norms and representations influence our perception of causality, responsibility and possible courses of action.

Applied case studies—including climate change, energy transition, resource exploitation, eutrophication and food-production systems—allow students to mobilise these concepts to diagnose complex problems, construct system representations and critically assess potential interventions and their unintended consequences.

Objectifs (et/ou acquis d'apprentissages spécifiques)

By the end of the course, students should be able to:

Apply systems thinking to sustainability challenges by identifying the main components of a system, their interactions, feedback loops, system boundaries and relevant spatial and temporal scales.
Explain the interdependence between human and natural systems, and analyse how environmental, social and economic processes can influence one another and generate direct, indirect and delayed consequences.
Represent and analyse the structure and dynamics of complex systems using appropriate qualitative and quantitative tools, including causal loop diagrams, stock-and-flow representations and simple system models.
Integrate multiple perspectives when analysing complex problems, recognising that different actors may have different objectives, constraints and interpretations of the same system.
Assess possible interventions in a system by considering feedback effects, trade-offs, unintended consequences and the different levels at which systemic change can occur.

Pré-requis et Co-requis

Connaissances et compétences pré-requises ou co-requises

Cours ayant celui-ci comme pré-requis

Méthodes d'enseignement et activités d'apprentissages

The course consists of 30 hours of ex cathedra lectures, complemented by guided independent exercises equivalent to approximately 12 hours of practical work. These exercises allow students to apply the concepts, system representations and modelling tools introduced during the lectures. Detailed solutions are provided for self-assessment and consolidation.

Références, bibliographie et lectures recommandées

Additional reading (not mandatory)

Meadows, D. H. (2008). Thinking in Systems: A Primer.
A highly accessible introduction to systems thinking, covering system structure, stocks and flows, feedback loops, dynamic behaviour, system archetypes and leverage points.

Support(s) de cours

Université virtuelle

Contribution au profil d'enseignement

This course contributes to the following programme learning outcomes for the Bachelor’s degree in Economics (BA-ECONE):

Goal 1 – Disciplinary knowledge and its applications
LO 1.1 Apply fundamental concepts, tools and models in economics and management to formulate a well-defined problem and propose a multidisciplinary solution relevant to the economic context.
LO 1.2 Integrate sustainable development in analyses.

Goal 2 – Academic mindset
LO 2.1 Adopt a scientific approach to data collection, research and analysis and communicate results with clear, structured and sophisticated arguments.
LO 2.2 Display critical thinking, logical and abstract reasoning and develop an independent approach to learning.

Goal 3 – Quantitative skills
LO 3.1 Solve standard mathematical and statistical problems by analysing data with standard office and statistical software.

Goal 4 – Professional skills
LO 4.2 Recognize ethical dilemmas and contribute to solving them.

This course contributes to the following programme learning outcomes for the Bachelor’s degree in Business Engineering (BA-INGEE):

Goal 1 – Disciplinary knowledge and its applications
LO 1.1 Apply fundamental concepts, tools and models in economics and management to formulate a well-defined problem and propose a multidisciplinary solution.
LO 1.2 Understand the scientific and technological principles and their impact on managerial analysis.
LO 1.3 Integrate sustainable development in analyses.

Goal 2 – Academic mindset
LO 2.1 Adopt a scientific approach to data collection, research and analysis and communicate results with clear, structured and sophisticated arguments.
LO 2.2 Display critical thinking, logical and abstract reasoning and develop an independent approach to learning.

Goal 3 – Analytical skills
LO 3.1 Apply quantitative and qualitative techniques to support problem solving using standard office and scientific software.

Goal 4 – Professional skills
LO 4.2 Recognize ethical dilemmas and contribute to solving them.

Autres renseignements

Informations complémentaires

Contacts

Bertrand Collignon (coordinator) : bertrand.collignon@ulb.be

Campus

Solbosch

Evaluation

Méthode(s) d'évaluation

Examen écrit
Examen oral

Examen écrit

Examen oral

Construction de la note (en ce compris, la pondération des notes partielles)

The grade is firstly based on a written exam (/20). Then, students that scored at least 6/20 at the written exam can then attend an oral exam. During this oral exam, we revisit the copy of the written exam, and each corrected mistake or missing answer grants half of the points initially allocated to the question.

The course instructor also reserves the right to invite any student to an additional oral interview in order to verify their personal mastery of the content of the submitted examination, particularly where inconsistencies identified in the examination prevent the instructor from properly assessing the student’s level of mastery of the knowledge and skills targeted by the course.

Langue(s) d'évaluation

anglais

Recherche