Forming the Student Chapter of System Dynamics Society

["Ozge Pala"]

Dear all,

This mail is about forming a closer link between students of system
dynamics. My name is Ozge Pala. I am a Ph.D. student at Tilburg
University, the Netherlands. During the 1997 System Dynamics
Conference in Istanbul, I realized that there is no strong link
between the students of SD. Then I thought that it might be a good
idea to form a student chapter within the society. I have contacted
Prof. Barlas and Prof. Radzicki. Consequently, the issue was discussed
at the Policy Council and formation of a SD Student Chapter was
approved. After getting the necessary information on what should be
done to form a chapter, we started working on the idea with two
friends, Etienne Rouwette (Nijmegen, the Netherlands) and Burak
Guneralp (Istanbul, Turkey).

We propose to form a chapter with the following aim:

* To extend the knowledge of feedback systems among SD students all
over the world.
* To intensify the communication between and form a basis for
cooperation amongst the graduate students in their research projects.
* To arouse interest among undergraduate students towards System
Dynamics.
* To promote the communication between the students of SD and the
practitioners of the field.
* To form a medium to help SD students to get into contact with field
related graduate studies and job opportunities.

Forming such a chapter, we can have the following possible activities:

* An activity during the SD conference. It can be a workshop or
something else.
* Seminars with lectures and excursions.
* Generating a complete database of information of SD programs in
the world. The database can include information about addresses,
curricula, all professors and graduates.
* Also a database for job possibilities for SDers.
* Finding out interested professors and promoting more courses to be
held in English, which could increase the possibility of study
exchange.
* Workshops and summer academies to be organized in a country on a
certain topic. They would include lectures and excursions when
applicable.
* Competitions: (1) With an SD based game that the participants would
play and have a discussion at the end about possible strategies.
(2) It may be a real life problem to work on using SD. These could be
workshops arranged by companies.
* Graduate Students Gathering: This would give the graduate students
an opportunity to present their PhD topics and discuss with other
PhDs.

What must be done? The most important thing is that we need to get
into contact with the SD students from all over the world. At all
times, the chapter needs at least 10 student members. However, the
aim is, of course, to reach higher numbers and to form a medium for
us all. Once we form a link, we have to prepare a constitution and
apply to the SD Society for a chapter status. We have already
prepared a tentative constitution on which we would like to have
feedback. Once the chapter is established, it is in our hands to take
it into the future as the future practitioners of SD.

This way the student chapter will be a medium for gathering of students
who are interested in meeting with other students from other
universities, countries, arrange some workshops, present their work,
and get(give) contributions from(to) others. Does this sound
over-enthusiastic? I hope that it does. Do we ask for too much? I
guess not but moreover I hope not. I have seen it happening before,
e.g. amongst the industrial engineering students in Europe.

If you know others who would be interested but are not subscribers to
this mailing list, please forward this message to them. We are looking
forward to get your feedback and ideas on this issue.

Regards,
Ozge Pala
From: "Ozge Pala" <O.Pala@kub.nl>



------------------------------------------------------------

Ozge Pala

Tilburg University Tel: ++ 31 (13) 466 22 62
B 434 Fax: ++ 31 (13) 466 33 77
Warandelaan 2
5000 LE Tilburg
The Netherlands

"If it be now, tis not to come, if it be not to come, it will be now;
if it be not now, yet it will come: the readiness is all. Since no man
knows aught of what he leaves, what ist to leave betimes? Let be."
"Hamlet" Shakespeare
-------------------------------------------------------------

["Schalk Jacobs"]

Hello there, My name is Schalk Jacobs. I am also a student of SD, though not
formally registered with a university.

Would someone like myself also qualify for membership to the Charter. I see
it as an opportunity for exchanging ideas and models, thereby furthering the
learning process. For someone like myself, who only has the Internet as a
teaching media, the lack of interaction with other students definitely
limits the growth process.

Regards
Schalk Jacobs
busexcel@lantic.co.za

[Jamal Nasir]

The idea of Ozge Pala is excellent. I wonder why it wasnt done before.

Well Ozge, you got one interested PhD student. I am working on a highway
management system (a DSS in Powesim) for the Swedish National Road
Administration.
Please let me know about the membership and progress in student chapter
in SD society.

*******************************************************
J A M A L N A S I R
From: Jamal Nasir <jamal@mot.chalmers.se>
Dept. of Systems Management
CHALMERS UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
S-412 96 Gothenburg, SWEDEN
Tel: +46 31 772 2491(Off.), +46 31 488093(Res.)
Fax: +46 31 772 2497
http://www.mot.chalmers.se/staff/jamal.html
<http://www.mot.chalmers.se/staff/jamal.html>
********************************************************

["Bob Cavana"]

hi Ozge

this sounds a great idea. please forward your suggestions of how we
might help at the next international system dynamics conference to be
held in Wellington, New Zealand on 20-23 July 1999.

please suggest some activities for the next conference and Jac Vennix
(prof at the University of Nijmegen & programme chair) & I will try
and incorporate them into the conference

all the best & congratulations on taking this important initiative

regards, Bob

Bob Cavana
From: "Bob Cavana" <Bob.Cavana@vuw.ac.nz>
Conference Chair
1999 International System Dynamics Conference
Wellington, New Zealand

["=?iso-8859-2?Q?Marek_=A9usta?="]

Great Ozge !

We in Czech republic are forming a new faculty of Organizational learning
and System dynamics on the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen. Accordin=
g
to my informations this is going to be the first faculty of it=B4s kind i=
n
Eastern Europe and students will need to exchange their projects, knowled=
ge
and experiences with others all around the world. I am also a Ph.D. stud=
ent
and a leader of the project mentioned above so I want to join your group.

Sincerely
Marek Susta
marcus@proverbs.cz