ThoughtWorks, a global software consultancy hosted the second edition of the Engineering for Research (E4R) symposium in Pune on January 19, 2019. This edition focused on the need and approaches to understand and compute complex systems. Discussions centred on how the noble missions of grand explorations and big science need engineering excellence to become a reality.
The E4R symposium hosted leading academicians, scientists, engineers and professionals from a diverse range of fields like physics, biology, economics and software engineering. The event saw representation from ISRO, University of Delhi, NIAS, IIM-A, IIT Mumbai and TCS Research who are at the forefront of the complex systems space.
Here are the four key takeaways from the symposium:
On the pursuit of studying complex systems, Dr. Sanjay Jain, Head of Department of Physics and AstroPhysics, University of Delhi and keynote speaker said, “Complexity is an integral characteristic of several systems that are crucial for human survival. The biosphere, a thin film on the earth’s surface, is one such system. This film harbours several other complex systems and much of what we value: all life, ecosystems, human civilization including societies, intelligence, technology and more. Today, the integrity of these systems and the film is in question, but the tools to understand such complex systems are in their infancy. For our own survival, we need to understand complex systems, and act to preserve, enrich and go beyond this thin film.”
On the partnership with technology companies, he added, “They bring a new kind of focus and energy to the study of complex systems. Tech companies also help build platforms to catalogue and monitor changes in these systems, and transparently integrate disparate data and models.”
To know more about ThoughtWorks Engineering for Research initiative, click here.
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