Center for Complex Systems in Transition (CST)

The Stellenbosch Centre for Complex Systems in Transition (CST) is a Stellenbosch University ‘flagship’ initiative established in 2015.

This initiative brings together complexity thinking, sustainability science and transdisciplinary research methodology.

Research at the CST is largely conducted in collaborative inter- and transdisciplinary teams that draw in expertise from different disciplines as well as from policy, practice and local stakeholders. Much of the research is funded by external project grants, and students are part of the larger project teams which provides additional opportunities for learning and research support.

CST has the following cross-cutting research themes:

  1. Governance
  2. Entrepreneurship & Innovation
  3. Social-Ecological Resilience
  4. Decoupling & Resource Flows
  5. Complexity & Systems Modelling
  6. Transdisciplinarity

These cross-cutting themes are applied to the following empirical research fields:

  • Food Systems
  • Water Systems
  • Energy Systems
  • Urban Systems

The centre is funded in part by Stellenbosch University, and in part by the National Research Foundation, plus project funding from a range of sources. The CST is located at the STIAS Wallenberg Centre in the Old Stables.

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