For scholars, founders, and executives — Grand challenges are wicked problems characterized by their global scope, high significance, and potential to be solvable. Potential to be solvable is important to emphasize. As Churchman remarked in 1968: “In principle, we have the technological capability of adequately feeding, sheltering [… and] providing adequate medical care [… as well as] sufficient education for every inhabitant of the world.” Why are we stuck here and how do we move forward?
This 10-week seminar offered by the Global Consortium for Systems Research (GCSR) is designed to help global leaders of today and tomorrow confidently combine transdisciplinary research methods with systems concepts to solve grand challenges. Through a range of readings, case discussions, presentations, reflections, and an optional 1:1 tutorial, the course will focus on (1) evaluating knowledge claims from a systems perspective, (2) identifying transdisciplinary methods to develop them, and (3) honing in on a solution space strategically.
The course uses an open-access book, deposited with the Knowledge Commons! 5 Ideas from Global Diplomacy: System-wide Transformation Methods to Close the Compliance Gap and Advance the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (Ground Zero Books LLC, 2024).
Find out more about the seminar here: https://unbuiltlabs.com/seminar-solving-grand-challenges-with-tdr