Inaugural Lecture: Professor Rika Preiser

Join us for Prof Rika Preiser's professorial inaugural lecture – Worlds in the making: research on complexity and transformative change, hosted by the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences.

Professor Rika Preiser
Co-incumbent: UNESCO Chair in Complexity and Transformative African Futures
Centre for Sustainability Transitions
Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences
Title: Worlds in the making: research on complexity and transformative change

Event details
Date: Tuesday 4 August 2026
Time: 17:30 SAST
Venue: Room 1046, Van der Sterr Building, Victoria Street, Stellenbosch
Format: Hybrid event

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Worlds in the making: research on complexity and transformative change

How do we respond to a world characterised by uncertainty, interconnection and continual change? In her inaugural lecture, Prof Rika Preiser reflects on two decades of research at the intersection of complexity science, social-ecological systems, and sustainability and futures thinking. Drawing on complexity science as a way of understanding the evolving relationships that shape our world, the lecture explores how research can deepen our understanding of transformative change and contribute to the knowledge, perspectives and capacities needed to create more just, regenerative and sustainable futures.
 

Biography

Rika Preiser is a professor and co-incumbent of the UNESCO Chair in Complexity and Transformative African Futures in the Centre for Sustainability Transitions at Stellenbosch University (SU). She holds a PhD in Philosophy and MPhil degrees in Organisational Change and Media Ethics respectively, all earned at SU.

Her academic work is rooted in philosophy, brought to bear on sustainability research and social-ecological systems. Working at the intersection of complexity thinking and environmental philosophy, she explores participatory research methods and theoretical frameworks for understanding complex adaptive systems in ways that enable more ethical and responsible action under conditions of uncertainty and change. Her work focuses on developing relational and complexity-informed approaches to research and practice that build the capacities needed to navigate uncertainty and contribute to more just and sustainable futures.

As co-incumbent of the UNESCO Chair, Rika has contributed to high-level policy dialogues on African futures and transformative science at international science policy forums. She serves on the executive committee of the International Federation for Systems Research and the editorial boards of several leading systems journals.