The Centre for Complex Systems in Transition (CST) is a research flagship initiative at Stellenbosch University (SU), that brings together research on transdisciplinary, complexity, sustainability and resilience at SU. The CST hosts leading scientists and students from diverse disciplinary backgrounds, and fosters collaborations with a variety of departments across the University, nationally and globally, providing a vibrant hub for solution-orientated, transdisciplinary sustainability science. The primary objective of the CST is to co-produce transformational knowledge on the dynamics of multi-scale, social-ecological change in partnership with key stakeholders, integrating across food, energy, water and urban systems, and thereby provide strategic [...]

Historical and conceptual development of Social‐Ecological Systems (SES) research  The research within this PhD project will  focus on the different aspects associated with the historical and  epistemic development of the interdisciplinary field of SES research. During the course of the last 30 years, social-ecological systems (SES) research has emerged as a field of enquiry that spans the traditional divide  between the natural and social sciences. SES research is based on the insight that human‐nature relations  are integrated to the extent that the delineation between social systems and ecological systems is artificial  and  arbitrary.  Applications  of  social‐ecological  resilience  thinking [...]

This is a friendly reminder that the abstract for the 2nd Garden Route Interface Meeting are due by 31 May 2018. Pine Lake Marina have reserved limited accommodation for our group.  Please book your accommodation as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.  Please mention the conference name when making your booking. Important Dates: Abstract submission no later than 31 May 2018 Registration and final payment no later than 30 July 2018

The Garden Route Interface meeting is an annual event taking place in the Garden Route, providing a forum for researchers and practitioners interested in better understanding and managing (or navigating) SES and their complex interactions and feedbacks. The 2017 meeting attracted 75 delegates and important discussion themes included the establishment of long-term social-ecological research sites, methods for and challenges in studying SES, sustainable resource use, adaptations and transformations in SES, ecosystem services and benefit flows, ways in which people connect with nature, and advice for bridging science-management divides. This year the meeting will be held at Pine Lake Marina, Sedgefield, South [...]

The ARS Africae project (https://www.ars-africae.org/) is running an interdisciplinary workshop on ecological modelling at Wits Rural Facility (near Hoedspruit) from the 27th Feb to the 2nd March 2018. This workshop will introduce multi-agent modeling as an approach for dealing with complex SES; as well as vegetation modeling. This workshop should appeal to participants interested in ecological modelling, as well as stakeholders involved in management. If you are interested, contact Karen Bradshaw (k.bradshaw@ru.ac.za), stating your area of interest and any specific topics for discussion. Funding is also available, for more information please consult the attachment below. Call for Participation 2018

The SARChI Chair in Transformative Social Learning and Green Skills Learning Pathways at Rhodes University, located in the Environmental Learning Research Centre in the Faculty of Education in Grahamstown, South Africa (see www.ru.ac.za/elrc), has two full time Masters in Education scholarships available for motivated, high achieving scholars with an interest in the above areas. The researchers will be required to undertake inter-disciplinary research, with emphasis on social learning in a food and water security management context. The researchers will be required to undertake rigorous, theoretically strong qualitative research focusing on the capacity building and social learning of key actors within [...]