UNESCO Co-Chairs in Complex Systems and Transformative African Futures
The UNESCO Chair in Complex Systems and Transformative African Futures is based at the Centre for Sustainability Transitions (CST). The Chair forms part of the global UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme and the UNESCO Global Futures Literacy Network, which promotes international collaboration and capacity-building through innovative research and inclusive knowledge-sharing.
Co-led by the CST’s Prof. Rika Preiser, who specialises in complex systems, and Tanja Hichert, an expert in futures studies and foresight, the Chair integrates theoretical and practical approaches to address urgent social-ecological challenges.
Prof Rika Preiser and Tanja Hichert
It aims to deepen understanding of complex interdependent systems, explore how change comes about, and create conditions for ecologically sustainable and socially just futures.
The UNESCO Chair focuses on advancing thought leadership in complex systems thinking and foresight practices to foster a paradigm shift towards transformative just social-ecological African futures. The Chair convenes collaborative platforms for teaching and mutual learning by engaging transdisciplinary approaches and diverse stakeholders to address societal challenges. The Chair also develops practical tools to address misalignments between societal and economic values, providing transformative spaces for critical reflection and reimagining changemaking. Activities include postgraduate teaching, short-term training, research, and workshops that showcase foresight methods and approaches for harnessing complexity awareness.
