Coevolving Innovations – Coevolving Innovations

With a history of Banathy Conversations hosted by the International Federation for Systems Research (IFSR, 1982-2018) and the Creative Systemic Research Platform Institute (CSRP, 2024, 2025), the 139th meeting of Systems Thinking Ontario online was scheduled to provide more background on an upcoming in-person event planned for Toronto. Since fall 2025, the reinvigoration of the sLab at OCAD University has led to evolving this 5-day co-learning approach.  The event is targeted for May 10-15, 2026, in Toronto.  The original design of secluded residential events (e.g. a converted Austrian monastery, a Swiss cultural centre, an Iowa farmhouse) is being modified for an urban university campus.  Returning closer to the original spirit initiated by Bela H. Banathy, the event has been renamed as a Problematique Dialogue applying the Banathy Conversation Methodology.  For this Systems Thinking Ontario session, I presented an (Advance) Call for Participation, with the formal announcement a few weeks away. We’re currently in a Connecting phase where contributors to the event are invited.  The 2026 event will be limited to 32 participants, as 4 groups of maximum 8 persons each.  This is a negotiated dance, between candidate participants seeking a topic, and topics seeking candidate participants.  Team leaders are yet to be appointed.  Candidates will be asked to contribute a position paper (e.g. two pages with a brief biography, and interest in a topic).  We expect dialogue teams to then move on to an Agreeing phase.… Read more (in a new tab)

Already registered for the HICSS-59 (Hawaii International Conference on Systems Science) conference in Maui, I signed up for a workshop on “Curriculum Design and Development”.  With a focus on “Bridging the AI Gap: Seamless Integration Across Academia and Industry Sectors”, the organizers offered an opportunity to give a short presentation and join a panel. Three months ago, I presented a paper on “Refreshing a Curriculum in Systems Thinking and Social Systems Designing for Learners in a Graduate Program” reflecting the experiences with a winter 2025 class.  Just a few weeks from incrementing the course for January 2026, I summarized the earlier presentation, and previewed a plan to deepen the instruction on using Generative AI for research and diagramming.  A recording of the presentation is available on Youtube, as well as on the Internet Archive . Video H.264 MP4 January 6 (9m46s) [20260106_1000_HICSS-59 Ing_RefreshingACurriculumRedux.m4v] (HD 1268kbps 102 MB) [on the Internet Archive] The original audio was recorded at HICSS-59, as a foundation for reconstructing the visuals. Audio January 6 (9m58s) [20260106_1000_HICSS-59 Ing_RefreshingACurriculumRedux.m4a] (1999 kbps, 48 kHz, 16 MB) [on the Internet Archive] With only a 10-minute slot, including questions and comments, the presention was only 6 slides. After the break, a panel on “Education in the Time of AI: Challenges, Opportunities and the Road Ahead” was moderated by Eman El-Sheikh from the University of West Florida.  As I represented OCAD University from Canada, the other panelists included Leonard Przybilla from SAP Germany, and Jeremy Straub, from U.… Read more (in a new tab)

An invitation for an online presentation to SCiO Finland came from Janne J. Korhonen, who had seen our September 2025 presentation at SysPrac25 in person.  This allowed a more relaxed presentation (without jet lag!) and extended time for discussion.  In addition, this event described some new techniques in sketching out rhythms in an onsite workshop, piloted in the 8 weeks that had elapsed. Zaid led the presentation for about 40 minutes.  With animation a better medium to convey the foregrounding of temporality, an animated slide preview (59 seconds) gives some sense of the content. After the presentation, I led the discussion.  Since I’ve been visiting Finland for academic studies since 2003, some familiar friends came online. This recording is available on Youtube , as well as on the Internet Archive . Video H.264 MP4 October 29 (1h24m) [20251029_SCiOFinland_Khan_Ing PacingChanges.m4v] (1920×900 422kbps 331 MB) [on the Internet Archive] The audio was ripped from the online meeting. Audio October 29 (1h24m) [20251029_SCiOFinland_Khan_Ing PacingChanges.mp3] (48 kbps, 32 kHz, 29 MB) [on the Internet Archive] Here’s the abstract for the talk. How do you approach systems change when there’s no “pause” button? This presentation shifts how we see systems: from the default spatial-static to a more processual-dynamic perspective. We integrate concepts drawn from this living systems perspective found in anthropology, architecture, and classical Chinese medicine, amongst others. Pacing Changes is introduced as a method for working with the multiple layers and differing paces of a system.… Read more (in a new tab)

In fall 2025, Stephen Davies was appointed as the instructor for the “Understanding Systems” SFIN-6011 course in the Strategic Foresight and Innovation program, as part of the Master of Design degree at OCADU.  I”ve been a visiting lecturer in the course since 2017, and was appointed as a co-instructor in Winter 2020.  The course has a long history, first taught in 2009, and evolved by Peter H. Jones as the field of systemic design matured.  In the past few years, Lorraine Randell carried on the course, while expressing that she wished she had the time to revise it.  Since Peter now has a full-time appointment at Tec Monterrey in Mexico City, I asked Stephen if he would like some help in restructuring the course for the coming January.  Stephen said yes, so we met a few times in November and December to map out options. I attended both the full-time and part-time sections of the class in progress, and observed where our anticipations as instructors were correct and incorrect. In addition, the standard OCADU procedure includes course evaluations, that gave us more directions for future adjustments. With multiple conferences running in parallel, authoring a report on the experience took us past many deadlines.  A systems colleague from many years back, Nikitas Assimakopoulos, sent a call for presentations for the Hellenic Society for Systemic Studies (HSSS) conference at the University of the Peloponnese, where I could participate online. … Read more (in a new tab)

A presentation for the 29th World Multi-Conference on Systemics, Cybernetics and Informatics challenged me to reduce the research on Systems Changes over the past 6 years for article length.  I proposed multiple articles, but they preferred to extend the maximum submission to 12 pages, plus 5 pages of cited references. The collaboration with the Systems Changes Learning Circle since 2019 has always been on systems practice.  However the emphasis on changes (even overshadowing systems) led not only to reading philosophy, but proposing a new World Hypothesis through philosophizing.  Redefining a philosophy of science leads to theorizing, that provides foundations for continuing work on methodizing. The resulting 30-minute talk was dense — but possibily more understandable than reading the 12-page article. This recording is available on Youtube , as well as on the Internet Archive . The International Institute of Informatics and Cybernetics has a history spanning multiple decades, so the comments from participants were well-informed on the body of work in systems thinking. Video H.264 MP4 September 9 (23m28s) [20250909_WMSCI_Ing RethinkingForSystemsChanges_1194kbps.m4v] (HD 1194kbps 230MB) [on the Internet Archive] The audio was ripped from the online meeting. Audio September 9 (23m28s) [20250909_WMSCI_Ing RethinkingForSystemsChanges.m4a] (68.8kbps, 13.5 MB) [on the Internet Archive] Review of the manuscript followed a double-blind review process.  The first reviewer was encouraging, picking up on my leaning more towards the tradition of General Systems Theory than Cybernetics. The article titled “Rethinking Systems Thinking for Systems Changes Learning: Philosophizing, Theorizing, and Methodizing” offers an important and timely reframing of systems thinking by introducing a rhythm-based, cross-cultural, and ethically grounded paradigm that enriches both theory and practice, despite some underexplored connections to the cybernetic tradition.… Read more (in a new tab)

For the Understanding Systems course at OCAD University, Zaid Khan was a guest lecture on “Thinking with Time:  A brief introduction to Systems Changes Learning”.  Zaid graduated from this Master’s of Design program in Strategic Foresight and Innovation in 2020, and has a strong appreciation for the perspective of students climbing the learning curve on systems thinking. The presentation is available on Google Slides. There are two sections for SFIN-6011.  On the Monday evening, the part-time cohort convened online. On the Wednesday morning the full-time cohort convened in person. Zaid is a cofounder of the Systems Changes Learning Circle, that started in 2019 as a 10-year journey. For novices, he’s better at explaining the approach than me. I tend to get wrapped up into the minutiae of philosophy and theory. The recordings are available on YouTube for the part-time cohort, and the full-time cohort. Alternate copies are available on the Internet archive for the part-time cohort and the full-time cohort. Video H.264 MP4 March 17 (1h24m) [20250317_SFIN6011_Khan ThinkingWithTime_208kbps.m4v] (1280×720 208kbps 222MB) [on the Internet Archive] March 19 (1h16m) [20250317_SFIN6011_Khan ThinkingWithTime_208kbps.m4v] (1280×720 300kbps 25MB) [on the Internet Archive] The audio from the March 17 session is ripped from online meeting.  The March 19 session was recorded live in a classroom. Audio March 17 (1h24m) [20250317_SFIN6011_Khan ThinkingWithTime.mp3] (128kbps, 77 MB) [on the Internet Archive] March 19 (1h16m) [20250319_SFIN6011_Khan ThinkingWithTime.m4a… Read more (in a new tab)

The 129th meeting of Systems Thinking Ontario convened to learn about Emergency Management.  Here’s the abstract. Living in a “polycrisis” time can be characterized by an increasing rate, severity, and scale of emergencies. Viruses, war, extreme weather – societies today are facing an increasingly unstable and unpredictable landscape. It’s with this in mind we ask ourselves what insights does a systems-oriented view of emergency management offer us? How might this perspective better prepare us in both a material and cognitive sense for the risks we face? We’ll explore this connection with Carly Benson and Donna Dupont, who both have experience in the fields of emergency management, disaster recovery, and resilience. We’ll gather insights and reflections on the connections between these topics and systems thinking. Co-Discussants Carly Benson is an accomplished emergency management professional with over a decade of experience in emergency management practice and policy in Canada. She has worked directly with communities such as High River and Fort McMurray, Alberta, to respond to and recover from devastating disasters, with a focus on improving resiliency and reducing future risk. In her current role, Carly works on disaster risk reduction policy for the Government of Canada, applying systems thinking to how the federal government creates incentives for and funds disaster response and recovery. Most recently, Carly played a pivotal role in the review and redesign of Canada’s disaster financial assistance program (which is more than 50 years old), an initiative that has won several awards.… Read more (in a new tab)

At the post-meeting dinner after the February Systems Thinking Ontario session, Anna Chekhman mentioned that she was teaching a third-year course on Designing Future Systems at York University. I offered to give a lecture, and we set a date for a few weeks later. The CSRP Institute 2024 Banathy Conversation validated that the Systems Changes philosophy and theory developed since 2019 is comprehensive for Ph.D. and master’s level audiences.  For less academic audiences, the label of “Pacing Changes” may be more appealing.  This direction is compatible with the human systems orientation of social systems design, while more sympathetic to the broader scope of living systems (associated with General Systems Theory). Living systems aren’t static, with change occurring as unfreeze-move-refreeze.  Living systems are alive, wayfaring as lines in time in textures (i.e. lines alongside other lines, in weaves).  With a long history of presentations with static clipart, or boxes and lines, I’m now motivated to convey ideas with moving images instead.  The presentation slides ae posted on the Coevolving Commons. The recording of the slide presentation and live demonstration is available on Youtube, with an alternate retention on the Internet Archive . Video H.264 MP4 March 4 (55m) [20250304_YorkU Ing_PacingChanges_HD_1247kbps.m4v (1280×720 878kbps 508MB) [on the Internet Archive] The standalone audio may be less enlightening through the demonstrations, but are also available. Audio March 4 (55m) [20250304_YorkU_Ing_PacingChanges.m4a] (126kbps, 88 MB) [on the Internet Archive] Here’s the agenda for the talk: A.… Read more (in a new tab)

The 128th meeting of Systems Thinking Ontario was convened in person.  The classroom was filled with current students, alumni, our regular participants, and a few curious newcomers. Moderated by Zaid Khan, the conversation was sparked by Stephen Davies and myself (David Ing) on the evolving styles in learning systems thinking.  Stephen has been leading SFIN-6011 “Understanding Systems” since the beginning of this winter session.  I had previously taught in the course in winter 2020 (almost completing the term before the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown), and have been volunteering some time this winter with current students. The master’s program in Strategic Foresight and Innovation was launched in 2009, with systems thinking at its core. Our strategic innovation model … illustrates the integration of design, business, and futures thinking through systems thinking. This integration allows our students to move through an iterative design thinking process, understand the business context to ensure viability and develop deeper insights into the challenges a sector or organization might be facing through futures thinking. Systems thinking and mapping locates these complex challenges in a larger system and makes clear the patterns and interconnectedness of the issues; and visual thinking ensures more effective communication of complex data (Richards, 2015, p. 360). In the earliest days, there were two courses listed:  (i) “Understanding Systems” in Year One, Winter semester, and (ii) “Social Systems” in Year Two, Fall semester (OCADU, 2011). SFIN 6B02 Social Systems In this introduction to complex systems, students will examine the dynamic arrangement of three interconnected and adaptive human systems; social, market and political.… Read more (in a new tab)

The “Understanding Systems” SFIN-6011 course is a requirement in the master’s program in Strategic Foresight and Innovation at OCADU.   For winter 2025, the class is now led by Stephen Davies, breaking the incremental evolving of content since 2008.  While still on faculty at OCADU, the original course designer Peter H. Jones is now a Distinguished University Professor at Tecnologico de Monterrey, spending more time in Mexico City than Toronto.  In the fall, Stephen and I discussed ways that the legacy course might be updated, since the field of systemic design has emerged and matured over 15+ years.  I was one of the instructors with Peter of SFIN-6011 in winter 2020, and have prior experiences of writing systems thinking courses in 2018 for the UToronto iSchool, and at Aalto U. in 2016, in 2011, and in 2010. From week 3 on, groups of students will lead short presentations on some systems approaches (e.g. system dynamics, soft systems methodology, viable system model).  With short lead times to prepare literature reviews, the primary class activity for these master’s students is the facilitation of peer discussions that will surface key ideas.  They aren’t expected to become experts on these topics at this point.  They can get a sense of when and where a specific systems approach might be prioritized as useful, or deselected in favour of alternatives.  After the presentation leaders have concluded with their slides, the instructors can fill in a few blanks.… Read more (in a new tab)

In the 1970s, five ways of knowing were established by C. West Churchman in The Design of Inquiring Systtems. In the 1990s, his student Ian Mitroff carried on the tradition and extended that work in The Unbounded Mind.  Now in the 2020s, the technology of Generative AI opens up opportunties to query or request responses through chatbot interfaces, drawing from bodies of codified knowledge in a style expressed implicitly or explicitly.  Just as there are multiple ways of knowing, there are multiple ways in which underlying language models can be implemented and/or mixed. The January 2025 Systems Thinking Ontario session, included: the progression of patterning of information, in a simile of a recipe collection, from the days of cookbooks on library shelves, through the now familiar technologies of search engines and data science, to the new transformer and retrieval augmented generation techniques; some Q+A chat challenges, feeding the same question and observing the differences in responses across (i) OpenAI ChatGPT, (ii) Microsoft Copilot, (iii) Mistral LeChat, (iv) Anthropic Claude, (v) Google NotebookLM, and (vi) Preplexity.ai; five inquiring systems described in a mini-lecture, followed by summarized descrptions by each of the six generative AI products; and a hypothetical scenario requesting the how the five inquiring systems might guide ways of deciding about Small Modular Reactors for Canada. The discussion closed with an outline of Type 1 errors, Type 2 errors, Type 3 errors, and Type 4 errors, as structured by Ian Mitroff.… Read more (in a new tab)