Systems Thinking for Global Problems
http://www.cs.toronto.edu/~sme/DGC2003H/

Description: The dynamics of global change are complex, and demand new ways of conceptualizing and analyzing the inter-relationships between multiple global systems. In this course, we will explore the role of systems thinking as a conceptual toolkit for studying the relationships between problems such as globalization, climate change, energy, health & wellbeing, and food security. Throughout the course, we will use global climate change as a central case study, and use systems thinking to study how climate change interacts with many other pressing global challenges.

Suggested breadth categories:   Methodology 4, and RA15.
 
The course will cover:

The origins of systems thinking. In particular:
- General Systems Theory (Bertalanffy) for understanding biological systems;
- Cybernetics (Wiener) for exploring feedback and control in living organisms, machines, and organizations;
- Systems Dynamics Models (Forrester) for analyzing non-linear behaviour in complex systems.
- Computational modelling of non-linear feedbacks in complex adaptive systems.
- Philosophical roots of systems thinking as a counterpoint to the reductionism used widely across the natural sciences
- Application of systems thinking to study the dynamics of & interactions between current global challenges.
- Emergent concepts from systems thinking, such as limits to growth, planetary boundaries, tipping points, system resilience, and chaos theory.
- Use of systems thinking to explore competing perspectives, trans-disciplinary synthesis, and modeling of global dynamics.

Course Requirements: Class participation; 1 oral presentation; 1 term paper

Key texts:
Donella Meadows, "Thinking in Systems: A Primer". Chelsea Green Publishing, 2008 
Magnus Ramage & Karen Shipp "Systems Thinkers". Springer, 2009

Course website:
http://www.cs.toronto.edu/~sme/DGC2003H/