This year, the Engineering Professors’ Council of the UK began work on a Complex Systems Toolkit with support from Quanser. The toolkit is focused on supporting educators that are taking on the challenge of integrating complexity into their course modules by providing resources that cover 1) understanding complex systems, 2) the tools and techniques used by professionals, and 3) case studies that aim to bring a more holistic view to many of the Engineering disciplines. I had the pleasure of being invited to co-chair the development team along with several academic and industry leaders from around the UK working together to develop the toolkit for launch later this year.

For the uninitiated, complex systems are a ubiquitous category of systems that can be both natural and artificial. From an Engineering perspective, they’re generally viewed as systems that are made up of component subsystems that together produce behaviours that are difficult to predict because they are non-linear and demonstrate emergent properties. As one might guess, that opens many circumstances across a wide cross-section of Engineering where an understanding of how to model and manage complexity can be very beneficial.

This nicely introduces one of the main outcomes of the EPC Toolkit, understanding complex systems. The EPC team is creating and aggregating a collection of content that provides an accessible introduction to complex systems, and their management. Building on that foundation, the team will develop a collection of material that equips academics that are building lectures, courses, and even programmes that cover complex systems with tools and resources to accelerate their content and curriculum development. This material will include:

  • Teaching materials focused on the development of relevant knowledge, skills, and mindsets around complex systems and containing a variety of suggestions for implementation rooted in educational best practice.
  • Toolkit resources to help educators to understand, plan for, and implement complex systems learning across engineering curricula and demonstrate alignment with AHEP criteria and / or graduate attributes.
  • Guidance articles that explain key topics in complex systems education, highlighting existing resources and solutions and promoting engagement with a network of academic and industry experts.

As the team cannot accomplish this ambitious task alone, we have recently opened a call for contributions to develop and contribute knowledge articles, guidance material, and teaching activities. Contributors will become part of the growing community of educators who are helping to ensure that tomorrow’s engineering professionals have the complex systems skills, knowledge, and attributes that they need to provide a better future for us all. Contributors will be fully credited for their work on any relevant Toolkit materials and will be acknowledged as authors should the resources be published in any form. Developing these resources will provide the chance to work with a dynamic, diverse and passionate group of leaders in the field, and may help in professional development, such as preparing for promotion or fellowship. Please contact the team if you are interested in participating.

Accreditation frameworks, industries, and academic institutions are increasingly viewing an understanding of complex systems as essential to both graduates and seasoned engineers. Especially as the UK, and many countries around the world jockey for position as leaders in areas like advanced manufacturing and autonomous systems, engineers increasingly work in environments where they are required to connect different disciplines, perspectives, and skills, to understand and navigate sociotechnical systems, and to communicate complexity to diverse audiences. The EPC team is committed to creating a comprehensive and valuable set of resources that will accelerate the adoption of Complex Systems into modules and programmes around the world, and we would love it if you would join us in the creation and deployment of these valuable resources.