How useful is the complex-system approach in the study of humans?
Future Challenges session organised by IAS Prinicipal Investigator Han van der Maas, as part of the IAS Festival
- Date
- 21 May 2026
- Time
- 10:00 -12:00
- Location
- Oude Turfmarkt 145-147
- Room
- Library
The attractiveness of the complex systems approach lies in its ability to explain complex phenomena, such as flocking, traffic jams, and magnetism, through simple mechanisms in basic models. Because this approach has proven successful across phenomena that span vastly different spatial and temporal scales, the question arises whether it can always be applied. What are the limitations of this approach? Do complex psychological and social problems fall outside its scope, or should we simply pursue it further and increase our investment in this line of research?
Speakers
TBD
About the organiser: Han van der Maas
Han van der Maas is Professor of Psychological Methods in the Department of Psychology at the University of Amsterdam. He is also an External Faculty Member of the Santa Fe Institute and a Principal Investigator and Board Member of the Institute of Advanced Study at the UvA.
His research focuses on formalizing and testing psychological theories. In 2022, he received an ERC advanced grant to study cascading transitions in psychosocial systems. In 2024, he published an open-access book with the Santa Fe Institute Press on complex systems in psychology.
Registration
Registration for this session will be available from February 1, 2026.
From 18 to 21 May 2026, the University of Amsterdam's Institute for Advanced Study celebrates its 10th anniversary with the IAS Festival: a week-long programme dedicated to reflection, exchange and forward-looking dialogue. The festival marks a decade of boundary-crossing interdisciplinary research while exploring the complex questions that will shape the years to come.
The programme includes the launch of a special anniversary publication "The Edge of Knowing", alongside a series of Future Challenges sessions that bring together leading thinkers from science, society, policy and the arts. Participants will have the opportunity to engage with urgent themes, transcending disciplinary boundaries and exploring new perspectives in lectures, discussions and interactive sessions.