Centre for Studies in Complexity
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Centre for Studies in Complexity
Complexity theory is a relatively new, yet important academic discipline. It engages in groundbreaking ways with major problems in the human and natural sciences by looking at the general picture instead of focusing on the detail.
A new initiative at Stellenbosch University (SU), the Centre for Studies in Complexity, aims to harness the insights of this field in the search for comprehensive solutions to the challenges of human development in South Africa and the rest of the continent.
The Centre – the only one of its kind in Africa – brings together two experienced A-rated researchers from different fields in the common quest for relevant answers. Prof Paul Cilliers, a philosopher, and Prof Jan-Hendrik (Jannie) Hofmeyr, a biochemist, are both abstract researchers and recipients of the Harry Oppenheimer Fellowship Award, a leading award for research on the African continent, for achievements in their respective fields.
Abstract and theoretical their investigations may be, but the problems they focus on are very real, for example the behaviour of ecosystems, social and economic systems; the cellular organisation that constitutes a living organism; the way in which neurons interact in the brain; how meaning arise in language; the causes of political intolerance and the functioning of health systems.
The core aims of the Centre are knowledge generation and dissemination. These are achieved through collaborative research involving academics from around the world, and through teaching and supervising postgraduate students from various disciplines. The Centre presents a module in complexity theory as part of a doctoral programme hosted by the Centre for Transdisciplinarity, Sustainability, Assessment, Modelling and Analysis, also known as the TsamaHub, which is a joint venture of SU, the Sustainability Institute and South Africa’s Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).