Metaphorum Conference 2025
Collective intelligence, agency and resilience
Manchester Business School, Manchester, UK
also online participation through Zoom
July 3rd - 5th 2025
Video Conference Update from Angela Espinosa 24 May 2025Musical Invitation
Organised by Metaphorum https://www.metaphorum.org
PLEASE NOTE THE SCEHDULE AS LINKED HERE IS BEING UPDATED AS NEW ABSTRACTS COME IN. HIT PAGE REFRESH TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE LATEST VERSION.
Call for participation
Following Berlin, we are working to create an interactive, participatory experience where presentations, workshops and opportunities to exchange ideas are nicely balanced.
This year’s conference will focus upon the way that Stafford Beer’s work affects our understanding of the broad theme of the conference.
The conference was originally called: ‘Humans at risk? Applying the Viable System Model and Team Syntegrity for steering Towards Agency and Resilience in the Age of Alien Intelligence and Instability’.However, realising the emergent synergies from registered participants, we've decided to embrace a more unified multi-disciplinary approach. On this basis we have clarified the title and our approach to the conference:
Collective intelligence, agency and resilience
The conference 's themes
So far, the emerging themes confirmed for the conference are:
1. VSM meets AI for Navigating the Unpredictable - Lead: Stephen Brewis
1.1. Environments for Decision Making: (VSM & The Operations Room). Lead: S. Brewis, M. Pfiffner, A. Espinosa, J. Walker, J. Perez-Rios, A. Jenkinson,
The 'provocateurs' will invite discussion of recent developments on this theme at the VSM application's research team 2024-2025. We will provide the reasons why we need to revisit Stafford Beer's pioneering ideas on the Operations Room (e.g., the Cybersyn project in Chile), the main criteria to design a state of the art environment for decision making, using the best of available technology. We aim to discuss on the opportunities and challenges of designing asuch a decision environment using also Artificial Intelligence.
1.2. The Cybernetic Bridge: Managing identity through surprise. Lead: S Brewis: One of the ongoing conversations which is becoming central to our interests is understanding how artificial intelligence is becoming central to decision-making, and the existential challenge organisations are now facing: more than ever, there is a growing paradox between providing autonomy to social agents to develop their own potential and creating a coherent and cohesive context to allow organisations to thrive and develop. In this session Steve will demonstrate how he has designed and implemented an information system to support VSM implementation, using also Artificial Intelligence.
2. Organisational Resilience in Action: Enhancing Viability in Dynamic Systems. Lead: Ayham Fattoum
One of the ongoing conversations in our community is about how to improve organisational resilience given that the global geo-political and economic environment is becoming increasingly stressed by wars, the catastrophic impacts of climate change, inequality and social upheaval. Maintaining an organisation's financial viability, improving sustainability, and contributing to social and environmental well-being requires increasing efforts. Resilience, the capacity to adapt, innovate and thrive amidst uncertainty while maintaining core values, is essential for long-term viability and sustainability. Exploring new paths for developing organisational resilience is essential, but as yet, there is a lack of proven approaches.
Learning from innovations in VSM and TS theory and praxis, participants will gain insights into steering through complexity effectively, creating systems that empower humans while leveraging the potential of intelligent agents. We aim to provide a balanced mix of theory, practice and interaction, ensuring participants leave with actionable insights and a deeper understanding of cybernetic approaches to organisational design. The methodology for the conference will focus on creating a rich space for networking and white space conversations.
3. Innovations in The Viable System Model and Team Syntegrity theory and practice Lead: A Espinosa & A Leonard
3.1. A Viable System Model (VSM)'s Master Class.Lead: M Pfiffner, J. Perez-Rios, W. Lassl, and A Espinosa
Students, VSM certified coaches, and practitioners are invited to discuss their experience applying the VSM and their ideas for methodological innovations, with VSM experts.
3.2. A Team Syntegrity (TS) experience. Leads: A. Leonard, J. Truss & J Alves
For participants wanting to experience the Syntegration the approach. The workshop will be followed with an on-line talk by Joe Truss discussing new developments in TS theory and practice.
3.3. Innovative developments on VSM Theory. Lead: A. Espinosa
We will be providing weekly updates on the emergent conference's program, and participants.
Our conference approach
This will be a face-to-face conference with some on-line participation: the on-line participation will be limited to presenting and/or participating in other speakers presentations (we can't guarantee full online participation in some of the planned workshops).
Our approach is based upon bringing participants together in effective conversational spaces to foster deeper discussions, multi-disciplinary solutions, networking, and collaboration across diverse sectors and experiences.
We welcome presentations, workshops, and other delivery designs that reflect the spirit of our collective inquiry.
You are invited to be creative in the way of presenting, aimed at inviting a rich debate: e.g., through posters, pre-recorded videos, engaging presentations., a play, an aritistoc artifact, or a movie... the choice is yours!
During the conference, we will make sure we include time for thorough dialogue with the participants in each session, and in the breaks.
Contribute your ideas
- For those presenting, please submit your abstract.
- For apprentices, certified VSM Coaches, and practitioners wanting to participate in the Master Class, please also submit an abstract summarising your experience applying the VSM e.g., the main learning lessons, the questions it raised
- If you're proposing a workshop, seminar, or group session, please submit an 'abstract' with your proposed discussions. [It doesn't need to be a proper abstract, but a mention on the case study you aim to discuss, your methodological choices, and the type of questions you'd like to discuss with the experts; this will allow us to schedule some time for you at the masterclass].
Selection criteria
SUBMIT YOUR PRESENTATION / WORKSHOP ABSTRACT
- How is your presentation/abstract/workshop related to the topic of the conference, or to any of the conference's themes?
- What are the top insights/ideas/messages that you want to share?
- How do you want to engage with the participants in your session (presentation, workshop, others)?
Regarding accommodation.
The Hyatt Regency (next door to the venue) is offering participants in our conference a discount code. Once registered you will get the code in your email. If you wish to take advantage of this arrangement, please register soon, as the hotel is filling up quickly so there is limited availability.
Timeline
Starting Call for Participation: March 13th 2025
Closing Call for Participation: June 20th 2025
Confirmation of acceptance: 1 week after submitting an abstract
Publications
Academic papers further developing the topic presented at the conference are welcomed! We will produce a special issue in Systems Research and Behavioural Sciences journal with the best papers from the conference (details to be announced shortly). There will be a 6 month period to complete the paper after the conference, including inputs from the conference’s conversations. We are also planning to launch a new Metaphorum online journal, with a cooperative and innovative approach to mentoring-reviewing papers and with the intention of sharing work in progress as online papers in the Creative Commons. More details will be announced at the conference.
Click Registration to buy tickets
We offer four ticket types:
Professional ticket: £300. Choose this ticket if you can deduct the ticket price or get your costs reimbursed. This will apply for most professionals and academics.
Private ticket: £200. Choose this ticket if you are paying the ticket privately by yourself.
The ticket includes access to the conference and the knowledge graph, soft drinks, coffee, tea and pastry during the day, and a lunch option. Pre- and post-conference activities are not part of this ticket.
Students scholarships: available by request - £90 (food and drinks).
On-line ticket: £50
