Cybernetics and Environmental Digital Twins for Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Hôtel Dupanloup
1 rue Dupanloup
45000 Orleans
France
Presentation
The "Systems in Sync: Cybernetics and Environmental Digital Twins for Interdisciplinary Collaboration" summer school is an innovative 5-day program at the intersection of engineering, information science, and human science. This immersive event aims to provide participants with both theoretical foundations and hands-on experience in designing and managing the technological and social systems that underpin environmental digital twin projects.
Cybernetics, as the science of systems, feedback, and control, serves as the backbone of the program, with a unique approach that bridges technological infrastructures and human collaboration systems. Participants will explore first-order cybernetics to understand technological feedback loops, second-order cybernetics for managing interdisciplinary and stakeholder-driven projects, and third-order cybernetics to assess user interaction and ecological impacts.
Designed to be accessible to non-specialists while offering depth for experienced researchers, the summer school combines expert-led sessions on cybernetic principles with project-based learning. The practical component emphasizes mapping multidimensional interactions between technology and society using a light version of Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) and specialized software. By the end of the program, participants will have developed comprehensive models integrating both the precision of digital twins and the adaptability of social systems.
This summer school offers an unparalleled opportunity for academics and professionals to engage with cutting-edge concepts and tools for real-world applications. Whether you are a scientist, engineer, or policy-maker, this event provides a collaborative and interdisciplinary platform to address the challenges of sustainable digital twin implementation.
This international Summer School is organised in the framework of the ARD CVL Junon Programme.
CONVENOR
Guillaume Dechambenoit
French Geological Survey (BRGM)
Preliminary programme
Day 1 (Monday 7th July): Foundations of Cybernetics and Process Mapping
Morning Classes:
- Opening Session (9:00 AM – 10:30 AM):
- Introduction to the workshop, overview of the environmental digital twin framework.
- Brief introduction to cybernetics and the importance of systems thinking.
- Goals and expectations for the week.
- First-Order Cybernetics (10:45 AM – 12:15 PM):
- Focus on feedback loops, control systems, and system stability.
- Exploration of how these principles apply to technological systems within environmental digital twins.
- Case studies of first-order cybernetic models in environmental contexts.
- Process and Notation Systems (BPMN Introduction) (12:30 PM – 1:30 PM):
- Introduction to process notation (light BPMN) for system mapping.
- Discussion of why process notation is essential in environmental digital twins.
- Practical examples of how to use BPMN in a multidimensional system.
Afternoon Workshop:
- Software Introduction and Process Cartography (2:00 PM – 5:00 PM):
- Hands-on initiation to the custom software for process mapping.
- Participants will work in groups to apply BPMN to a simplified system related to their project.
- Focus on learning to capture system feedback loops (technological systems) using first-order cybernetic principles.
Day 2 (Tuesday 8th July) : Expanding Systems: Modeling Technological Interactions
Morning Classes:
- Technological Systems and Real-Time Data in Digital Twins (9:00 AM – 10:30 AM):
- Introduction to real-time data acquisition, integration, and feedback in environmental digital twins.
- Practical applications of data-driven models in managing environmental systems.
- Exploration of data flow and feedback management in complex systems.
- Cybernetic Models in Environmental Systems (10:45 AM – 12:15 PM):
- Deeper dive into how feedback and control mechanisms can drive environmental sustainability.
- Examples of successful environmental monitoring and digital twin projects using cybernetic models.
- The role of feedback-driven decision-making in real-world environmental applications.
Afternoon Workshop:
- Cartography of Technological Systems (2:00 PM – 5:00 PM):
- Groups will map a specific technological process from their environmental digital twin project using BPMN.
- Integration of real-time data flow and control mechanisms into the process map.
- Participants will identify key feedback points and control systems within the technological component.
Day 3 (Wednesday 9th July): From Technological to Social Systems
Morning Classes:
- Second-Order Cybernetics: Systems with Observers (9:00 AM – 10:30 AM):
- Introduction to second-order cybernetics, focusing on systems where the observer (human/social elements) is part of the system.
- Key concepts: reflexivity, autonomy, and self-organization within social systems.
- Transitioning from technological to social systems within digital twin frameworks.
- Project Coordination and Management with Cybernetics (10:45 AM – 12:15 PM):
- Focus on how second-order cybernetics provides tools for better coordination, communication, and management in interdisciplinary projects.
- Exploring self-regulating teams, adaptive project management, and feedback-driven collaboration within the context of environmental digital twins.
- Cybernetic approaches to stakeholder engagement and governance.
Afternoon Workshop:
- Mapping Social Systems and Coordination Mechanisms (2:00 PM – 5:00 PM):
- Groups will map the social systems involved in their environmental digital twin project using BPMN.
- Identification of human actors, decision-makers, and governance structures.
- Mapping feedback loops between technological systems and the social system (e.g., data-driven decision-making processes).
Day 4 (Thursday 10th July) : Digital Twins, Ecological Impact, and User Interaction
Morning Classes:
- Cybernetic Interaction with Users and the Environment (9:00 AM – 10:30 AM):
- Third-order systems: Exploring how digital twins interact with their environment and the broader ecological system.
- Feedback loops between digital twin data and environmental outcomes: How digital twins can influence real-world environmental improvements.
- User-Centric Cybernetics: Involving Stakeholders (10:45 AM – 12:15 PM):
- Engaging users and stakeholders in digital twin projects: ethical considerations, inclusivity, and feedback-driven improvement.
- How to ensure that digital twin projects are shaped by and responsive to the needs of their users and the communities they serve.
Afternoon Workshop:
- Mapping User and Ecological Interaction Systems (2:00 PM – 5:00 PM):
- Groups map the interaction between digital twins, users, and the environmental context.
- Identification of key feedback points where user interaction can drive system improvements, ensuring that digital twin data supports positive ecological change.
Day 5 (Friday 11th July) : Synthesis, Presentations, and Closure
Morning:
- Group Presentations and Feedback (9:00 AM – 11:00 AM):
- Each group presents their final system maps, strategies, and insights from the week’s work.
- Expert panel provides feedback and discusses potential real-world applications.
- Closure Session: Workshop Wrap-Up and Future Outcomes (11:15 AM – 12:30 PM):
- Review of key learnings from the 5-day workshop.
- Discussion on future outcomes: How participants can apply these insights in their own projects.
- Open forum for participant reflections and next steps.
Lunch Break: (12:30 PM – 1:15 PM)
Afternoon:
- Final Social Time and Cross-Group Discussions (1:15 PM – 3:30 PM):
- Informal discussions between participants, fostering collaboration and exchange of ideas.
- Opportunities for networking, sharing experiences, and discussing interdisciplinary approaches.
Location
Hôtel Dupanloup : 1, rue Dupanloup - 45000 ORLEANS - FR
The conference venue is unique. Located right next to the Orléans’ cathedral, the episcopal palace of Orléans, built between 1635 and 1641, locally known as the Hôtel Dupanloup, is a classical French building which served until 1905 of residence to the bishops of Orléans. Since 2014, the renewed palace hosts the International University Center for Research and Le Studium Loire Valley Institute for Advanced Studies.
Participants will be welcomed in this exceptional surrounding, blending Middle Age and Renaissance cultures with modern design and will have the opportunity to discover French cuisine and wines.
General Information
Summer School Venue |
Hôtel Dupanloup, 1 rue Dupanloup
45000 Orléans, France
Dates |
Monday 7 July to Friday 11 July 2025
Language |
The official language of the Summer School is English
Welcome pack and Name Badge |
Upon arrival you will receive a welcome pack that includes the printed material of the Summer School and your name badge will be given to you at the reception . Please wear your name badge at all times during the Summer School and to all official Conference events.
Invitation Letters |
An official letter of invitation facilitating the obtention of an entry visa can be sent upon request . In order to receive an invitation letter for visa purposes, send an email to maurine.villiers@lestudium-ias.fr. Please note that :
- we only issue an official letter once the payment of the registration fee has been validated.
- such letters do not represent a commitment on the part of the Organisers to provide any financial assistance.
Certificate of attendance |
After the summer school, in order to receive a certficate of participation, send an email to maurine.villiers@lestudium-ias.fr
Hotels |
List of recommended Hotels in Orléans
Restaurant |
How to get there ?
By train: |
* Orléans centre station
1.5 hour trip from Paris (Austerlitz)
* Les Aubrais station (4km from Orleans town centre)
Tramway A, 10 minutes trip to Orléans centre station
> Plan your trip by train: https://www.sncf-connect.com/en-en/
By car: |
GPS: 47.90243, 1.91179
Please note that you can't park in the courtyard in front of the Hotel Dupanloup.
Paid car parks nearby :
Parking Cathédrale, Rue Saint-Pierre Lentin, 45000 Orléans
Parking Hôtel de Ville, 4 Rue Fernand Rabier, 45000 Orléans
By plane: |
*Arrival at Roissy Charles De Gaulle (CDG) airport:
Take RER B in direction to Saint Rémy Les Chevreuse, step out at Gare du Nord Stop
Take Metro 5 in direction to Place d'Italie, step out at Gare d'Austerlitz Stop
> Then take a train to Orléans (see "by train" section above)
*Arrival at Paris-Orly (ORY) airport:
Take Metro 14 in direction to Saint-Denis - Pleyel, step out at Bibliothèque-François Mitterrand Stop.
Take RER C in direction to Gare de Pontoise, step out at Gare d'Austerlitz Stop
Step out at Gare d'Austerlitz Stop
> Then take a train to Orléans (see "by train" section above)