Charles François
Encyclopedia
Charles François, is a Belgian administrator, editor and scientist in the field of cybernetics
, systems theory
and systems science
, internationally known for his main work the International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics
.
After the Second World War he emigrated to the Belgian Congo
, where he stayed from 1945 to 1960, at first as an administrative officer in government and later on creating and developing his own commercial business. Later, he moved to South America to Argentina
in 1963, and managed the commercial Office of the Belgian Embassy in Buenos Aires from 1966 to his retirement in 1987.
François founded the Group for the Study of Integrated Systems (GESI), Argentine National Division of the International Society for the Systems Sciences
(ISSS), in 1976, being presently its Honorary President. He is an Honorary Member of the International Federation for Systems Research
(IFSR) and founding editor of the International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics
, Honorary President of the Latin American Association of Systemics (ALAS), Honorary Professor of ITBA, Buenos Aires, and visiting Professor at various universities in Argentina.
He became a member of systemic boards and integrates the editorial boards of various journals on Systems and Cybernetics.
In 2007 he received from the American Society for Cybernetics
, the Norbert Wiener golden medal as a tribute for his work on cybernetics.
through Norbert Wiener
's Cybernetics
. In 1958 he joined the Society for General Systems Research
now the International Society for the Systems Sciences (ISSS). Since 1970, François has participated in numerous meetings of various systems and cybernetics societies.
Many courses and seminars on systemics and cybernetics were given by Charles François in Argentina and also in Perú at the IAS; the last edition of them is his "Curso de Teoría General de Sistemas y Cibernética con representaciones gráficas", a CD-Rom with more than 280 drawings edited by GESI in 2007.
Books
Articles & papers, a selection:
Cybernetics
Cybernetics is the interdisciplinary study of the structure of regulatory systems. Cybernetics is closely related to information theory, control theory and systems theory, at least in its first-order form...
, systems theory
Systems theory
Systems theory is the transdisciplinary study of systems in general, with the goal of elucidating principles that can be applied to all types of systems at all nesting levels in all fields of research...
and systems science
Systems science
Systems science is an interdisciplinary field of science that studies the nature of complex systems in nature, society, and science. It aims to develop interdisciplinary foundations, which are applicable in a variety of areas, such as engineering, biology, medicine and social sciences.Systems...
, internationally known for his main work the International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics
International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics
The book International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics is an authoritative encyclopedia for systems theory, cybernetics, the complex systems science, which covers both theories and applications in areas as engineering, biology, medicine and social sciences...
.
Biography
Charles François was born in Belgium in 1922, and studied consular and commercial sciences at Brussels Free University.After the Second World War he emigrated to the Belgian Congo
Belgian Congo
The Belgian Congo was the formal title of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo between King Leopold II's formal relinquishment of his personal control over the state to Belgium on 15 November 1908, and Congolese independence on 30 June 1960.-Congo Free State, 1884–1908:Until the latter...
, where he stayed from 1945 to 1960, at first as an administrative officer in government and later on creating and developing his own commercial business. Later, he moved to South America to Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
in 1963, and managed the commercial Office of the Belgian Embassy in Buenos Aires from 1966 to his retirement in 1987.
François founded the Group for the Study of Integrated Systems (GESI), Argentine National Division of the International Society for the Systems Sciences
International Society for the Systems Sciences
The International Society for the Systems Sciences is a world-wide organization for systems sciences.- Overview :The initial purpose of the society was "to encourage the development of theoretical systems which are applicable to more than one of the traditional departments of knowledge."The idea...
(ISSS), in 1976, being presently its Honorary President. He is an Honorary Member of the International Federation for Systems Research
International Federation for Systems Research
The International Federation for Systems Research is an international federation for global and local societies in the field of systems science...
(IFSR) and founding editor of the International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics
International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics
The book International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics is an authoritative encyclopedia for systems theory, cybernetics, the complex systems science, which covers both theories and applications in areas as engineering, biology, medicine and social sciences...
, Honorary President of the Latin American Association of Systemics (ALAS), Honorary Professor of ITBA, Buenos Aires, and visiting Professor at various universities in Argentina.
He became a member of systemic boards and integrates the editorial boards of various journals on Systems and Cybernetics.
In 2007 he received from the American Society for Cybernetics
American Society for Cybernetics
The American Society for Cybernetics is an American non-profit scholastic organization for organization for the advancement of cybernetics as a science and the interdisciplinary collaboration and synthesis of cybernetics. The society contributes to the cooperation around the research and...
, the Norbert Wiener golden medal as a tribute for his work on cybernetics.
Work
In 1952 François came in contact with cyberneticsCybernetics
Cybernetics is the interdisciplinary study of the structure of regulatory systems. Cybernetics is closely related to information theory, control theory and systems theory, at least in its first-order form...
through Norbert Wiener
Norbert Wiener
Norbert Wiener was an American mathematician.A famous child prodigy, Wiener later became an early researcher in stochastic and noise processes, contributing work relevant to electronic engineering, electronic communication, and control systems.Wiener is regarded as the originator of cybernetics, a...
's Cybernetics
Cybernetics
Cybernetics is the interdisciplinary study of the structure of regulatory systems. Cybernetics is closely related to information theory, control theory and systems theory, at least in its first-order form...
. In 1958 he joined the Society for General Systems Research
Society for General Systems Research
The Society for General Systems Research is predecessor of the current International Society for the Systems Sciences , known to be one the first interdisciplinary and international co-operations in the field of systems theory and systems science...
now the International Society for the Systems Sciences (ISSS). Since 1970, François has participated in numerous meetings of various systems and cybernetics societies.
Many courses and seminars on systemics and cybernetics were given by Charles François in Argentina and also in Perú at the IAS; the last edition of them is his "Curso de Teoría General de Sistemas y Cibernética con representaciones gráficas", a CD-Rom with more than 280 drawings edited by GESI in 2007.
Publications
François has published some books and dozens of articles and papers:Books
- 1976, Cybernétique et Prospective, Namur : International Association of Cybernetics, 1976.
- 1978, Introducción à la Prospectiva Buenos Aires : Pleamar, 1978.
- 1985, El uso de Modelos Sistémicos-Cibernéticos como metodología científica, (Systemic-Cybernetic Models used as scientific methodology)
- 1986, Enfoques Sistémicos en el Estudio de las Sociedades (Systemic Approaches to the Study of Societies).
- 1992, Diccionario de Teoría General de Sistemas y Cibernética, Buenos Aires : GESI. The first work of its kind in Spanish (475 terms).
- 1997, International Encyclopedia of Systems and CyberneticsInternational Encyclopedia of Systems and CyberneticsThe book International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics is an authoritative encyclopedia for systems theory, cybernetics, the complex systems science, which covers both theories and applications in areas as engineering, biology, medicine and social sciences...
, edited by Charles François, München: K. G. Saur. The Academic board of this Encyclopedia includes members such as: John N. WarfieldJohn N. WarfieldJohn Nelson Warfield is an American systems scientist, who was professor and director of the Institute for Advanced Study in the Integrative Sciences at George Mason University.- Biography :...
, Robert TrapplRobert TrapplRobert Trappl is an Austrian scientist, and Professor at the Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Austria, known for his work in the field of cybernetics and Artificial Intelligence.- Biography :...
, Ranulph GlanvilleRanulph GlanvilleRanulph Glanville is a British freelance researcher and theoretician in both architecture and cybernetics.- Biography :Glanville studied architecture at the Architectural Association from 1964 to 1971...
, Anthony JudgeAnthony JudgeAnthony Judge, is mainly known for his career at the Union of International Associations , where he has been Director of Communications and Research, as well as Assistant Secretary-General...
, Markus Schwaninger, Heiner Benking, Matjaz Mulej, and Gerhard ChroustGerhard ChroustGerhard Chroust is an Austrian systems scientist, and Professor Emeritus for Systems Engineering and Automation at the Institute of System Sciences at the Johannes Kepler University of Linz, Austria...
. (2nd volume 2004)
Articles & papers, a selection:
- 1982, "A systemic study of socio-historical systems", paper 1982.
- 1999, "Systemics and Cybernetics in a Historical Perspective, ".
- 2000, Hidden long term systemic constraints in present day socio-economical global mutation of mankind, paper.
- 2002, Foreign Debt mechanism: The "Cow in the corral" paper.
- 2004, The need for an integrated systemic-cybernetic language for concepts and models in complex and vague subject areas:... lecture at the presentation of the 2nd volume of the second edition of the International Encyclopedia of Systems and CyberneticsInternational Encyclopedia of Systems and CyberneticsThe book International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics is an authoritative encyclopedia for systems theory, cybernetics, the complex systems science, which covers both theories and applications in areas as engineering, biology, medicine and social sciences...
, Humboldt University, Saur Library, Berlin, 2004.
External links
- Homepage from Charles François at the IFSR, with many links.