What an experiment! At the first Complex Systems Connections Forum, professionals from public organizations and government met CSH PhD students to discover complementary challenges, skills, and interests.
At the Complexity Science Hub, we believe that complexity science must extend far beyond the boundaries of academia if it is to help tackle the pressing challenges of our time. And this week, we tested a new way of making this happen – at the Complex Systems Connections Forum, a special event organized as part of the Digital Innovation School (DIS).
The forum brought together CSH PhD students with representatives from federal ministries, public organizations, and city government – professionals who face and navigate complex real-world challenges daily and could potentially benefit from quantitative analysis, modeling, or simulation that our researchers specialize in.
"AN EXPERIMENT"
As CSH President Stefan Thurner and DIS Head Carrie Cowan emphasized in their opening remarks, “This is an experiment. That’s why we are especially grateful for your participation and we hope that it may help us gain deeper insights into how we can learn from one another.”
First, our guests were invited to present pressing challenges – questions arising from daily work that remain unresolved and could benefit from data-driven approaches. Students, in turn, presented their skills and research interests. Finally, an open exchange allowed everyone to find out where they could work together and benefit from each other’s expertise.
THE UNIQUE
The DIS is a doctoral training program at the Complexity Science Hub in partnership with nine Austrian universities, all of which are members of CSH. Supported by the Federal Chancellery of the Republic of Austria and the Austrian Ministry for Women, Science and Research, the program aims to prepare a new generation of researchers capable of using data to develop solutions for complex societal problems.
Through this unique setup – the DIS students’ connection to CSH’s diverse research fields as well as their affiliated CSH member universities – they get the chance to gain both deep disciplinary expertise and a broad perspective.
But another element is essential: a meaningful connection to the world outside science. This requires a chance for early-career researchers to learn and understand how their skills, methods, and findings can contribute to solutions for policy-makers and practitioners. For this reason, every DIS student will complete two internships in public administration and the private sector.
The Complex Systems Connections Forum was designed to support this process. The event marked a significant step in shaping a new kind of doctoral education – one that equips young scientists not only with exceptional research skills, but also with the ability to connect their knowledge to the needs of society.
Participants included representatives from the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), the Federal Ministry for Women, Science and Research (BMFWF), the Federal Ministry Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure (BMIMI), the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF), the City of Vienna, and the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKO).We are excited to see how these connections will grow and what new paths they may open.
