
Although current challenges imposed by digital transformation and sustainable development can be overcome by implementing digital skills (e.g. programming, data analysis, machine learning), digital skills alone are not sufficient. There is also the need to promote computational thinking in education and further enhance youth capabilities by teaching them how to view a system/policy holistically, as well as further develop critical thinking, problem solving and communication skills.The SYSTEMA project was conceived to address the initiative of the European Commission, focused on Sustainable Development and Digital Transformation. The partners of the SYSTEMA project believe that the core ability to achieve the transversal skills necessary in the 21st century is to fully understand the dynamics of such problems by the means of Systems Thinking (ST).
The main objectives of the project are:
- 1. Address the “Extending and Developing the competences of educators and other personnel who support adult education” adult education priority and other horizontal priorities such as “Supporting individuals in acquiring and developing basic skills and key competences” and “Environmental and climate goals” by:developing key competencies focusing on (a) systems thinking skills to improve information-processing, self-direction, problem-solving and communication (b) computational and mathematical skills to translate systems thinking skills into actionable models in the fields of sustainable development and digital transformation leveraging the latest ICT technologies to improve the quality of training developing a comprehensive training approach that will support educational organizations to identify the strengths and weaknesses of their skills development systems.
- 2. Provide advanced training that will include: the ability to know how to observe and grasp the “circular” nature of the world we live in building a higher awareness of the role of the “systems” structure in determining their behaviour understanding the role and impacts on the behaviour of a system due to its feedback loops understanding of the presence of systemic delays between actions and impacts recognising the existence of potentially unexpected consequences for actions
- 3. Prepare and train, through the Systems Thinking (ST) approach, a pool of people that will become the trainers of next generations and who will in turn be needed in public and private organizations across Europe.
- SYDIC (Italy)
- INDIRE (Italy)
- University of Macedonia (Greece)
- The Academy of Code (Ireland)
- Center for Social Innovation – CSI (Cyprus)
- KOMPASS (Germany)
- aSviS (Italy)

This publication (communication) reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. [Project number:2020-1-IT02-KA204-080082]