News blog

Young Eun Choi, 2013

A new Executive master in Systems Oriented Design is launched at the Oslo School of Architecture and Design. For you who wants to get better at designing for and in complexity.

FACTS: 

Master degree 90 ETCS

Part time - three years

Module-based: four modules per year

Modules consist of a seminar, homework and examination.

Mixed video meeting and physical attendance in Oslo Norway.

Pre-requirements: Bachelor in design or equivalent plus other experience

Total Fee 200 000 NOK ~ 19500EUR

Application deadline 16 May 2021

To read more and apply

Here is a booklet that sums up four years of R&D in the H-seif project, involving the university of South East Norway (USN) as the main academic partner and  the Oslo School of Architecture and Design (AHO), together with four tech companies with SEMCON as the project owner. H-SEIF stand for Human facators in Systems Engineering Innovation Frameworks. It was an intitiative form the Systems Engineering environment at USN Kongsberg. This environment is emphasising Systems Architecting as a designelry inspired thred in SE, design thinking with long term connections to Stanford D-school and concerned about rething the role of humans in engineering. (Link to their SE master). Birger Sevaldson is professor 2 at the institute and we are concerned about further bridgin the gap between cultures that could benefit from closer relations.

The booklet reports on tools methods and perspectives explored and partly developed in the R&D project. 

Photo: KS

Kommunenes Sentralforbund (KS- The Norwegian Association for Local and Regional Authorities) are using Systems Oriented Design methodologies in their work. Their "Partnerskap for radikal innovasjon" is a program in KS geared towards radical innovation in the municipality sector. Amongst the wicked problems they adress is the future of municipalities in a upcoming seminar: "The art of avoiding the collaps of municipalities".

In this article and this podcast they describe the use of Systems Oriented Design in the sector of design for change in the municipalities of Norway. (All in Norwegian).

In 2017 UNESCO (Unitid Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) published their report on how education needs to change and develop to prepare us for the big changes we face to reach a more sustainable global society. 

On page 10 they describe eight key competences that are valid across all fields. They write:

Key competencies represent cross-cutting competencies that are necessary for all learners of all ages worldwide (developed at different age-appropriate levels). Keycompetencies can be understood as transversal, multifunctional and context-independent.

The key comptences fit very well to the systemic design perspectives in general and especially to SOD. At the same time some of the competences also challenge us to become better. We therefor integrate them as a framework for SOD.

Here are the eight key competences:

Systems thinking competency: the abilities to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems;to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty.

Anticipatory competency: the abilities to understandand evaluate multiple futures – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future;to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes.

Normative competency: the abilities to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions;and to negotiate sustainability values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interests and trade-offs,uncertain knowledge and contradictions.

Strategic competency: the abilities to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield.

Collaboration competency: the abilities to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving.

Critical thinking competency: the ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on own one’s values,perceptions and actions; and to take a position in the sustainability discourse.

Self-awareness competency: the ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions;and to deal with one’s feelings and desires.

Integrated problem-solving competency: the overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable,inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the abovementioned competences.

To download and read the whole report follow this link: >>>>>