Graduate programmes in system dynamics at the University of Bergen, Norway
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Graduate programmes in system dynamics at the University of Bergen, Norway PI Davidsen Department of Information Science, University of Bergen
Introduction In 1976, the ®rst International System Dynamics Conference was held in Geilo, a mountain village in Norway. Dr Jùrgen Randers hosted the conference and several of the conference papers found their way into the book Elements of the System Dynamics Method,1 edited by Dr Randers. Since then, Norwegian scientists have applied system dynamics in a variety of domains, most notably in resource and energy management, in forestry and petroleum economics. The Oslo Conference in 1984 constituted an eye-opener for scientists at the University of Bergen. And since then, we have worked towards a robust, specialised and unique international graduate programme in system dynamics. These efforts have culminated in the creation of a 2 year Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) programme in system dynamics, which attracts students from all over the world. This programme can be considered a stepping stone towards a Ph.D. in system dynamics, also offered as part of our programme. The graduate programme in system dynamics is hosted by the Department of Information Science, an IT department in the School of Social Sciences. Therefore our education and research is relatively technical, technology dependent, and quite interdisciplinary, yet anchored in a social science research tradition. A strong, neighbouring programme is the one in Educational Information Science. The combination of the two forcefully promotes system dynamics as a learning tool in educational and professional contexts. In the year 2000, Norway will again host the International System Dynamics Conference. Purpose The purpose of the 2 years' full time, tuition free, international Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) programme in system dynamics is to enhance the students' ability to identify, represent, analyse, design, and manage non-linear, dynamic feedback systems within a variety of disciplines and across disciplines. The students are expected to develop pro®Correspondence: Prof PI Davidsen, Department of Information Science, University of Bergen, 5020 Bergen, Norway.
ciency in the application of theories, methods, techniques, and computer-based tools of relevance to system dynamics. These tools include software for systems modeling and simulation and for building simulation based interactive learning environments to effectively transfer and disseminate knowledge, captured and distilled in models, throughout an organization, that is, to facilitate organisational learning. This degree is therefore very much a specialist degree, which makes it a quite different experience from the system dynamics training available at business schools as part of a more general management education. The 20 or so students who join the programme annually dedicate their full effort to system dynamics, creating an exceptionally intense
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