Needs Analysis 

It is a key challenge for our society to better understand, adapt, design and control complex systems. A “complex system” comprises many interacting components leading to multiple levels of collective structure and organization. Examples include natural systems ranging from bio-molecules and living cells to human social systems and the ecosphere, as well as sophisticated artificial systems such as the Internet, power grid or any large-scale distributed software system.

The challenge is a cross-disciplinary one and the need to organise the field at European level has been extensively recognised. Key outputs of earlier coordinations have been the creation of the Complex Systems Society and the circulation of the European Complex Systems Roadmap, of which our Polytechnique and CSS team leaders have been key authors and for which our Masters programme aims to recruit and train the researchers of the future.

The European Complex Systems Roadmap (v1.22, 2006) concluded that Europe needs to train “a new generation of several thousand young researchers” in the area of Complex Systems[1].

The EU FP7 call Science of complex systems for socially intelligent ICT builds on the RoadMap by funding a range of societally relevant research projects and in particular the ASSYST programme dedicated to coordinating attention to public and private sector applications, conferences and education for complex systems in tandem with the Complex Systems Society.

Objectives and Contribution

Our joint Masters degree is designed to put flesh on the educational bones being developed by ASSYST and Complex Systems Society,

• teaching the tools to analyse complex systems and to understand their emergent behaviour,
• making a reality of Complex Systems Science as a Europe-wide discipline,
• building Europe as a global focus for it, and
• galvanising the recruitment and training the new researchers envisaged in the Roadmap to be needed in this emerging area.

Students are offered a variety of research project opportunities to develop experience applying this to fresh challenges from the real world and within academic research.

We build on key experience in our domestic programmes. Chalmers’ Masters in Complex Adaptive Systems (now shared with Gothenburg) is one of the longest established in Europe, whilst Warwick hosts one of just two MSc-PhD programmes in Complexity Science funded by EPSRC in the UK. Ecole Polytechnique has taught many courses in this area for many years, and (as part of Paris Tech) now has a high quality masters framework (including MSc in Design & Management of Complex Network Systems); its associated Centre des Systemes Complexes is the French national network hub for research in the field.

In partnership with the Complex Systems Society (see letter at Annex 1.5) we aim to offer a lead to other new programmes, establishing momentum behind a core syllabus and setting a pattern of Bologna compliance and hence mobility of qualification.

There are few other Masters and PhD programmes devoted entirely to complex systems in Europe. There is one other Doctoral Training Centre in the UK at Bristol[2] University, while a third at Southampton University[3] has just been funded. Other centres offering doctoral education in complex systems include Germany: The Max Planck Institutes and University of Göttingen[4]; Italy: Institute for Scientific Interchange[5]; UK: University of Bath[6], Cranfield University[7], Strathclyde University[8], London School of Economics[9], Open University[10], University of Oxford[11]; Portugal: University of Lisbon[12]

Academic Quality

Our programme builds on the quality of established nationally leading Masters programmes in the area at the Swedish nodes and at Warwick, and pre-eminent research leadership in the field by the Institut des Systemes Complexes & Ecole Polytechnique.

The Warwick management team comprises RS MacKay and Dr M Tildesley. The node is coordinated by Prof Robert MacKay, who with Prof Robin Ball y set up the Warwick Complexity Science Doctoral Training Centre. There are dedicated new academic staff based in the centre whose main teaching role is in Complex Systems Science ( S Grosskinsky, G Alexander , Y Timofeeva, M Tiildesley, C Connaughton and C Del Genio. Prof MacKay also heads the Mathematics Interdisciplinary Research Programme at Warwick (MIRaW), through which we have established a pattern of joining up pedagogical lectures for Masters and PhD students with international research level discussions, which pattern we aim to expand for the benefit of our Erasmus Mundus programme. Prof R MacKay is also the Director for the Centre for Complexity Science

The Ecole Polytechnique team is led by Khashayar Pakdaman, Prof Paul Bourgine and Dr Rene Doursat. Prof Bourgine built up the Institut des Systems Complexes in Paris (now with some 500 associated researchers) and now runs the wider French national network in Complex Systems with some 1000 associated researchers. They have engaged the teaching interest of a galaxy of senior research talent based around the Paris area.

The Swedish team is led by Mats Granath and supported by Prof Bernhard Mehlig (University of Gothenburg) whose primary appointment is to lead the Complex Adaptive Systems Programme successfully shared by Chalmers University and University of Gothenburg. He enjoys the support and teaching & research contribution from staff at Chalmers University with a decade of experience in running their Complex Adaptive Systems Masters.

It is the experience of our existing programmes that students are much more engaged with transferable skills training if it is embedded in main study and/or with immediate relevance. Our taught modules are not just lecture courses, but include a variety of structured classes, problem solving, group work, research reading and presentation work. The M1 School brings hands-on research and collaboration skills into focus at the point where this will matter to students, as they prepare to embark on their first project. The Project Conference will entail students making their assessment of other people’s work.

The interface to research is a key element in motivating students and enhancing the programme. We will build on successful domestic practice to invite keynote international figures to present highlight lectures to the students, both in the M1 and Project Conferences and also associated with local research events made available to all nodes by video link.