Tackling society’s big problems with systems theory
Some of the biggest issues facing humanity — from global climate change, to water and power infrastructure, to monetary systems, social networks, and other complex systems — involve massive amounts of data that are daunting to analysts and policymakers. To help address these great challenges, MIT’s leaders decided a new approach was needed. That decision led to the creation of the new Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS) two years ago, as a way to support and coordinate research using analytical tools to tackle major societal issues. Ali Jadbabaie was recruited from the University of Pennsylvania to serve as interim director and help establish the new center and its doctoral program. Now, with the program well underway, Jadbabaie has come to MIT full-time and become the associate director of IDSS and the director of one of its parts, the Sociotechnical Systems Research Center. Jadbabaie’s work has spanned many disciplines and departmental...