Groningen Center for Social Complexity Studies

My favourite classroom. Read here the log of last week's summerschool on the social-ecological complexities of the UNESCO World Heritage Area Waddensea. https://www.rug.nl/rudolf-agricola-school/news-and-events/2024/ship-log-the-wadden-experience-2024 Looking forward to next year's edition!

In a democracy, keeping on speaking terms is essential to avoid polarisation and conflict. And much of this happens on a local scale. Our Dialogue Tool developed in the INCITE-DEM project is aimed to support democratic processes in communities. You can try it here

Dialogue Tool | INCITE-DEM Dialogue Tool “Will it polarise?” Gaming local democracy. The INCITE-DEM Dialogue Tool is aims to boost user engagement and facilitate decision-making in community contexts. Our priority was to design a robust tool that would ensure functionality across various community settings. Our goal is to...

Democracy is more than voting, it also requires a dialogue between people having different perspectives. In our INCITE-DEM project (https://incite-dem.eu) we explore ways to strengthen democracy at the local community level. Simulations help explaining the risks of polarisation, and the importance of a dialogue. Here a short video explaining possible community dynamics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqSsENGLCpw

Introduction video short

Deadline approaching for summerschool sustainable landscapes of the University of Groningen, Agricolaschool and the Waddenacademie. Embark on the Willem Jacob, and sail with us through the socio-ecological complexities of landscapes in a world heritage area. Info: https://www.rug.nl/education/summer-winter-schools/sustainable-landscapes/?lang=en

ACTIPLEX is on! Developing video's and interactive simulation exercises on After the pic we reconciled ;-) (picture by Szymon Łaszewski)

May 1st is the deadline for our sailing summerschool. A log from last year, this year's programme and registration can be found here:

Come sail with me this August: Summerschool Sustainable Landscapes visiting the Frisian islands. More info: https://www.rug.nl/education/summer-winter-schools/sustainable-landscapes/?lang=en

Winter solstice, the light is returning, something we need in these dark times. Wishing you a harmonious yuletiid, and keep in tune in 2024!

Agent based simulations of the dynamics of norms and values in social innovation processes, studying cases of closing a park for car traffic (Groningen), joining a heat network (Aberdeen) or having sustainable energy on a remote island (El Hierro). A result from our EU SMARTEES project. Access here:

LinkedIn This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn

We offer a PhD position on Realistic computational models of behaviour in cascading disasters. For more information check out:

Vacatures bij de RUG There has been a significant change in the risk landscape in recent years. Climate change is only one of the many factors that increase the likelihood and magnitude of extreme events, triggering compound disasters with unforeseeable consequences. A single disaster such as an unexpected flood can tur...

The Covid situation has had a serious impact on my personal live, and perhaps also on yours. Such "living lab" experiences can be painful, but provide you with new insights. Especially the strong opinion dynamics were hurtful for many, and damaged parts of the social fabric. Teng Li and I have been working on simulating these social dynamics. It seems that fear and availability heuristics increased polarisation on the COVID19 injections. Here we share some of the lessons we learned from simulating this situation:

How Availability Heuristic, Confirmation Bias and Fear May Drive Societal Polarisation: An Opinion Dynamics Simulation of the Case of COVID-19 Vaccination by Teng Li and Wander Jager

Special issue on tipping points in society in Frontiers in Physics: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/32389/tipping-points-in-societies

In for some co***ne? Upcoming Monday Pim Geelgoed and Wander Jager give a workshop on Agent-based modelling & Criminal Markets. Info & registration:

Workshop on Agent-based modelling & Criminal Markets — Illicit trade This FREE TO ATTEND workshop combines criminal law expertise with behavioural sciences and introduces participants to agent-based modelling.   The first part of the workshop will delve into the ways in which different drug markets, in particularly the cannabis and co***ne market, are

Are you in for some scientific adventure, and curious after the complexities of changing landscapes? Exploring islands and the world heritage area Waddensea? Learn about socio-ecological systems? Then embark on the sailing summerschool on sustainable landscapes of the Agricolaschool of the University if Groningen and the Waddenacademy for an inspirational experience. Few places left! More info and registration: https://www.rug.nl/education/summer-winter-schools/sustainable-landscapes/?lang=en

Scale decisions and good practices in socio-environmental systems modelling: guidance and documentation during problem scoping and model formulation: new publication on SESMO:

View of Scale decisions and good practices in socio-environmental systems modelling: guidance and documentation during problem scoping and model formulation | Socio-Environmental Systems Modelling

Are you in for some scientific adventure, and curious after the complexities of changing landscapes? Then embark on the sailing summerschool on sustainable landscapes for an inspirational experience. More info and registration: https://www.rug.nl/education/summer-winter-schools/sustainable-landscapes/

Modelling the complexities of socio-environmental systems is a challenge. We contributed to a SESYNC project on this topic. In the following video Dr. Margaret Palmer, director of SESYNC, explains the context of this work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ikT58dCH5E&t=99s

Our EU-Erasmus project ACTISS has finished, and we are happy to share 5 modules on social computation that are freely available. The courses combine short videos, model exercises and short readings that are suitable as an introduction into the method. The modules can be used by learners independently online (Futurelearn platform), but we believe the materials are also very suitable to be used in introductory courses at bachelor level, and hence we produced guidelines for teaching as well.

The 5 modules address the following topics:

1: People, Networks and Neighbours: understanding social dynamics
What is computational social science and which phenomena does it allow to study?

2: Social Network Analysis: The networks connecting people
How do we spread disease, fake news and good ideas?

3: Understanding Human Behaviour: Introduction to Game Theory and Shared Resources
How can game theory help learners to understand resource use, social dilemmas or public-good dilemmas?

4: Why do Ghettos Form in a Tolerant Society? Schelling’s Model and the Introduction of Cellular Automata
Why is ghettoisation inevitable? This will be explained by introducing spatial models with special emphasis on cellular automata.

5: Decision Making in a Complex World: Using Computer Simulations to Understand Human Behaviour
How can cognitive and behavioural processes be modelled using the precise language of mathematical formulae and algorithms?

All materials are shared on our website: https://actiss-edu.eu

We kindly invite you to have a look at the material we produced, and we hope you might find some of it useful for your teaching, and/or share it with colleagues in your network that may find it useful.

Kind regards on behalf of the ACTISS team

Wander Jager

Summerschool "Welcome to the Anthropocene!"
Exploring the borders of human impact and the limits of academic definitions. Warmly recommended to join this summerschool organised by nice collegues in Groningen: https://www.rug.nl/education/summer-winter-schools/anthropocene/?lang=en

Our FutureLearn course on decision making in a complex world, introducing you gently into computational social science, is now starting. Much material suitable for teaching. Join for free:

https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/understanding-human-decision-making-in-a-complex-world/1/register?return=a8nfj53a&utm_campaign=understanding-human-decision-making-in-a-complex-world-1&utm_content=GoToWeek_1&utm_medium=futurelearn_organic_email&utm_source=CRM_email&utm_term=CP_1_WTW_w1

Page from Decision Making in a Complex World - University of Groningen Understand how humans make decisions by exploring illustrative videos, short articles, and simulations on your own computer.

Few spots left to sail with me at the summerschool on sustainable landscapes, interdisciplinary perspective on transitions, and experience island hopping in our beautiful Wadden world heritage area. Learning in the most enjoyable way. Info:

https://www.rug.nl/education/summer-winter-schools/sustainable-landscapes/?lang=en

Happy to announce that our simulation of team collaboration, satisfaction and performance has been published. First exciting results on the differences between top-down and bottom-up management are being discussed. https://www.jasss.org/24/4/9.html

The Dynamical Relation Between Individual Needs and Group Performance: A Simulation of the Self-Organising Task Allocation Process by Shaoni Wang, Kees Zoethout, Wander Jager and Yanzhong Dang

Join our

online conference on local social innovation on September 14. Several interesting cases and cutting edge agent based simulations of social dynamics. More info & registration: https://local-social-innovation.eu/news/?c=search&uid=4WG7IfHO

Explore how viruses, norms and information spread on networks in our MOOC on
FutureLearn Fun simulations to play with. Starting NOW!!!

https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/the-networks-connecting-people

The Networks Connecting People - Social Network Analysis Course - FutureLearn Join this brand-new course on social network theory and explore how information from fake news to social norms spread through social networks in society today.

Look what the neighbours are doing!
Join our conference in Groningen on Communities shaping sustainability - September 14 online and physical: https://local-social-innovation.eu/final-conference/information/

SMARTEES •• Information Community level projects play a vital role in sustainability transitions. Be it the planning of a heat network, liberating a neighborhood from transit traffic, or a collective investment in home improvement, social dynamics often determine the success or failure of an innovative community project. T...

Our MOOC on Social Network Analysis starts on June 28: videos and easy to use simulations to explore network dynamics of viruses, opinions and norms. Check out Futurelearn: https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/the-networks-connecting-people

Understanding the unpredictable, an interview with me on social complexity, social simulation, and of course some sailing metaphors. https://www.rug.nl/news/2021/04/het-onvoorspelbare-begrijpen