Metaphorum 2025: Collective intelligence, agency and resilience.
Manchester Business School, Manchester, UK July 3rd – 5th 2025
The main selected themes were:- Theme 1: VSM meets AI for Navigating the Unpredictable – The Cybernetic Bridge: Managing identity through surprise.
Lead: Stephen Brewis - Theme 2: Organisational Resilience in Action: Enhancing Viability in Dynamic Systems. Lead: Ayham Fattoum
- Theme 3: Developments of the Viable System Model and Team Syntegrity: incorporating innovation in science, methodology and applications. Lead: Allenna Leonard & Juliana Alves
In addition we did run two workshops:
- Workshop 1: A Viable System Model (VSM)’s Master Class.
Lead: M Pfiffner, J. Perez-Rios (t.b.c.), A Espinosa - Workshop 2: A Team Syntegrity (TS) experience,
Leads: A. Leonard & J Alves
Recorded presentations
Find conference playlist at metaphorum youtube channel
Schedule
Thursday, July 3 |
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|---|---|
09:00 BST |
Onsite Registration and Networking |
10:00 BST |
Official opening and welcome by the organizers team Speakers: Angela Espinosa, Jon Walker, Allenna Leonard, Ayham Fattoum |
10:15 BST |
Problem Jostle Speakers: Jon Walker, Angela Espinosa, Ayham Fattoum, Allenna Leonard |
11:15 BST |
Coffee break |
11:30 BST |
Raul Espejo – Welcome to the Conference on ‘Collective Intelligence, Agency and Resilience” |
11:45 BST |
Observing interactions- a project background
Speakers: Igor Perko Designing for Regeneration: Activating Collaborative Intelligence in Living Systems Speakers: Jan De Visch |
12:45 BST |
Lunch |
13:45 BST |
The Viable System Model for Strengthening the Resilience of Rural Communities in Mexico City’s Water and Tourism System
Speakers: Zeltzin Pérez Matamoros Workshop: A Blueprint for a ‘state of the art’ (VSM) Environment for Decision Making Speakers: Steve Brewis, Angela Espinosa, Martin Pfiffner, Jose Perez Rios, Jon Walker |
14:45 BST |
Viable Sustainable Missions (2VSM): Toward Recursive Governance for Systemic Sustainability Speakers: Pedro Pablo Cardoso, Nirvia Ravena de Sousa |
15:45 BST |
Coffee break |
16:00 BST |
Climate Change and three models of governance to deal with it: Polycentricity, Experimentalist, and the Viable System Model
Speakers: Brian Lederer The Viable System Model as a Framework for National Sustainability: Insights from the UAE’s Governance Structure Speakers: Dr Iffat Sabir Chaudhry |
17:00 BST |
Closing of Day 1 |
19:00 BST |
Informal gathering – Later in the bar |
Friday, July 4 |
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|---|---|
09:00 BST |
Designing Adaptive Governance for the Water-Energy-Food Nexus: A Viable System Approach in the Face of Systemic Risks Speakers: Juliana Mariano Alves, Jon Walker |
09:30 BST |
How might system science improve human wellbeing? Speakers: Shann Turnbull |
10:30 BST |
Coffee break |
10:45 BST |
Protocols for Change
Speakers: Ivo Velitchkov Workshop: Enhancing VSM: Integrating Resilience and Human Values for System Viability Speakers: Stephen McGibbon, Ayham Fattoum, Andrew Basden |
11:45 BST |
Transduction and Identity: process and dynamics of adaptation in Viable Systems. Speakers: camilo osejo bucheli |
12:45 BST |
Lunch |
13:45 BST |
VSM Master Class (I)
Speakers: Angela Espinosa, Martin Pfiffner, Jose Perez Rios, Wolfgang Lassl Integrating Diversity of Meaning into VSM Diagnosis and Design Speakers: Andrew Basden |
14:00 BST |
‘Feeding the model’: field methods for the novice VSM practitioner Speakers: Michael Lingard |
14:15 BST |
An endeavour towards efficiency for discussion at the VSM Masterclass Speakers: Laura Joanne Donovan-Holmes, Laura Donovan-Holmes |
14:30 BST |
What is an effective VSM ‘elevator pitch’ to audiences unfamiliar with Systems Thinking? Speakers: James Brewer |
14:45 BST |
VSM for Segmenting a UK-Wide Multi-Stakeholder Project
Speakers: Taiwo Alaje From Alien Intelligence to Systemic Coherence: Toward Viable Human–AI Collaboration through VSM, GHAS, and the Science of Fit–Form–Function Speakers: Gary Smith |
15:00 BST |
Navigating the Wild West: Applying the Viable System Model from the Margins of Power Speakers: Malik Radwan |
15:15 BST |
VSM Master Class (II) Speakers: Angela Espinosa, Martin Pfiffner, Jose Perez Rios, Wolfgang Lassl |
15:45 BST |
Coffee break |
16:00 BST |
The final clue of viability … Is it hidden in Dorian Gray’s picture?
Speakers: Wolfgang Lassl The Process Industry Neurology Project Speakers: Chris Hamlin, Penny Hamlin |
17:00 BST |
Movement, music and perception” – a multimedia exploration of how technology changes perception, and what perceptual change means for viability Speakers: Mark Johnson |
19:00 BST |
Later at the bar, informal gathering |
Saturday, July 5 |
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|---|---|
09:00 BST |
AI as a Catalyst for Democratic, Bottom-Up Viable System Design: From Collective Intelligence to Orgn’l Resilience Speakers: Peter Tuddenham, Jonathan Huxley, Jon Walker |
09:30 BST |
“From green to smart buildings: towards a Multi-Level Cybernetic Perspective (MLCP) of Built Environment Transition Intermediaries (BETIs)” Speakers: Tom Chan |
10:30 BST |
Coffee break |
10:45 BST |
Fostering human intelligence, system intelligence and human accountability within the operations room – Eudemony as a measure of success.
Speakers: Ian Stokes Team syntegrity taster – A Leonard, J Alves Speakers: Allenna Leonard, Juliana Mariano Alves |
11:45 BST |
Cybernetic Leadership for AI Agents: A Viable System Model (VSM) Approach to AI Governance and Autonomy Speakers: Dr. Jan Wehinger |
12:45 BST |
Lunch |
13:45 BST |
Team syntegrity New Developments
Speakers: Joe Truss Bridging VSM and AI: Reviewing Progress, Shaping Futures with the Metaphorum AI Special Interest Group Speakers: Margeret Heath, Panos Panagiotakopoulos, Peter Tuddenham, Krishan Mathis |
14:45 BST |
Coffee break |
15:00 BST |
‘Beer’s legacy – its impact on organisations, education and society: “What do we tell the grandchildren?”’ Speakers: Allenna Leonard, Angela Espinosa, Jon Walker, Ayham Fattoum |
Participants list
| Name | Company | Position | Location | Avatar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ian Stokes | Director of Analysis, Insights, and Performance |  | ||
| Jonathan Huxley | ||||
| Adler Looks Jorge | Product Manager | Munich, Germany |  | |
| Ana Gabriela Ramírez Gutiérrez | Universidad Panamericana | Lecturer | Mexico |  |
| Taiwo Alaje | Exeter University Systems Apprenticeship | MSc student |  | |
| Alam Palda | University of Manchester | Postgraduate Student MSc International Disaster Management |  | |
| ALFADHAL ALHINAI | ||||
| Allenna Leonard | Cwarel Isaf Institute | Principal | Canada |  |
| Andrew Warner | Latitude 60 | Director | ||
| Andrew Basden |  | |||
| Angela Espinosa | Metaphorum | Director | Huddersfield, UK |  |
| Ariel Leonard | U.S. Forest Service | Forest Planner | United States |  |
| Arseny Krassikov | SOK | IT QA Lead | Finland |  |
| Ayham Fattoum | University of Manchester | Lecturer |  | |
| Brian Lederer | Metaphorum | Co-author of a paper on Climate Change and models of governance | ||
| BubblingKey |  | |||
| camilo osejo bucheli | Universidad de Nariño | Tenured professor | ||
| Chris Marshall | ||||
| Chris Hamlin | HancockHamlin ltd | Co-Founder and Lead Advisor |  | |
| Christine Grover | Barnardo’s | System Change Manager |  | |
| Czeslaw Mesjasz | ||||
| Dilki de Silva | ||||
| Dr James D Fox | ||||
| Ellen D. Lewis, PhD | University of Exeter |  | ||
| Gary Alexander | Norfolk, UK |  | ||
| Gerry Hearne | Office for Product Safety& Standards | Operational Policy Manager | London |  |
| Gary Smith |  | |||
| Dr Caitlin Walker | Training Attention | Director | Wirral |  |
| Ian Kendrick | IEAc, H3Uni, Cybernetics Society | CoLead | United Kingdom | |
| Dr Iffat Sabir Chaudhry | Al Ain University, United Arab Emirates | Deputy Dean of College of Business; Associate Professor |  | |
| Igor Perko | ||||
| Ivo Velitchkov | Independent Consultant and Researcher |  | ||
| Jonathan Willoughby | ||||
| Jack Mcevoy | ||||
| James Brewer | Department for Business and Trade (DBT) | Head, Rail Supply Chains / Systems Thinking Practitioner, Level 7 Apprenticeship Scheme with the University of Exeter |  | |
| Dr. Jan Wehinger | MHP – A Porsche Company | Partner |  | |
| Jan De Visch | Flanders Business School (Catholic University of Leuven)/Connect & Transform | Executive Professor/ Managing Director |  | |
| Jens Heil | ||||
| John Waters |  | |||
| Mark Johnson | Manchester University | Senior Lecturer in the department for Occupational and Environmental Health | University of Manchester |  |
| Jonathan Huxley | RFA retired | Captain RFA PhD |  | |
| Jose Perez Rios | Valladolid University, Spain | Full Professor |  | |
| Juliana Mariano Alves | Universidade Estadual do Tocantins | Professor |  | |
| Krishan Mathis | Munich |  | ||
| Krysta Parker | ||||
| Laura Joanne Donovan-Holmes |  | |||
| Laura Donovan-Holmes | ||||
| Leonie Solomons | Sunderland University | Professor | Sri Lanka |  |
| Louis Harel | pims.ai | Project Manager | London |  |
| Martin Pfiffner | mp consulting | Director | Switzerland |  |
| Margeret Heath | ||||
| Marcus Schwaninger | University of St. Gallen | Prof. | Switzerland |  |
| Michael Lingard | National Physical Laboratory | Principal Training Development Manager |  | |
| Neil Egerton | ||||
| Nirvia Ravena de Sousa | Universidad Federal de Para | Professor |  | |
| Otto Mariano Souza | Student | Brazil |  | |
| Pedro Pablo Cardoso | university of Exeter / De Montfort University | Honorary Lecturer / Programe Director |  | |
| Panos Panagiotakopoulos | Metaphorum AI SIG Chair | SIG Chair |  | |
| Steve Whitla | ||||
| Penny Hamlin | HancockHamlin ltd | Co-Founder & MD |  | |
| Peter Tuddenham | College of Exploration | CoExplorer | United States |  |
| Joe Truss | Team Syntegrity |  | ||
| Pedro Pablo Cardoso Castro | DeMontfort University / University of Exeter | Senior Lcturer |  | |
| Raul Espejo | WOSC | President | United Kingdom | |
| Rachel Underwood | ||||
| Malik Radwan | HWS | Project Manager |  | |
| Raul Gonzalez |  | |||
| Richard Hellen | ||||
| Roelien Goede | North West University South Africa, Potchefstroom | Critical Systems Heuristics scholar | South Africa |  |
| Sarah Davies | ||||
| Shann Turnbull | International Institute for Self-Governance | Principal |  | |
| Sonia Whitehead | ||||
| Stefan Wiesmann | sw consulting Stefan Wiesmann | Switzerland |  | |
| Stephen McGibbon | ||||
| Steve Brewis | The Infinite Game | CEO |  | |
| Tina Bishop | College of Exploration | Academic Director | Virginia, USA | |
| Tom Chan | School of Cybernetics, College of Systems & Society, Australian National University (ANU) | PhD Candidate/Researcher | Australia |  |
| Tom Baker | ||||
| Vanilla Beer | Vanilla Beer | Artist | England and France |  |
| Jon Walker | Metaphorum | Director |  | |
| Wolfgang Lassl | Qwinnt Management Institute | Vienna |  | |
| Jose Manuel Perez Rios | Valladolid University, Spain | Professor |  | |
| Zeltzin Pérez Matamoros | Intituto Politécnico Nacional | PhD Student |  |