Taking on the Big Issues and Climbing the Mountains Ahead: Challenges and Opportunities in Asia

At the 2007 International System Dynamics Society Conference, Professor Jay Forrester posed a challenge: “We need books addressed to the public that are understandable, relevant, important and dramatic”. We need to overcome the “constraints of academe” that inhibit path-breaking work. We need to address “the big issues”. We need to march “upward from the present aimless plateau and start climbing the mountains ahead”. This was a message that was intended to inspire and empower, not to criticize. Responding to Professor Forrester’s challenge, this paper first describes the work of three inspiring role models, Dennis Meadows, Junko Edahiro and John Sterman. They have demonstrated how books can have an impact on people’s lives, how “big issues” can be addressed, how the constraints of academe can be overcome and how mountains can be scaled. Second, it offers grounds for optimism about the future of system dynamics modeling in Asia, gained from my sojourn at the National University of Singapore. Third, it describes three “mountains ahead” to be scaled and highlights the work of individuals who have already begun the journey.