On September 12-15 an international scientific conference dedicated to N. Luhmann’s system theory, “Environments. Observed with Social Systems Theory” was held. It was organized by the Next Society Institute of Kazimieras Simonavicius University and the Inter-University Center in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

During the conference, speakers from more than 30 different countries’ higher education institutions explored the multifaceted concept of “environment” in the context of social systems theory and presented the latest interdisciplinary theoretical and empirical studies in the fields of ecology, politics, economics, communication, law, education, and sociology.

The Rector of Kazimieras Simonavicius University, Prof. Dr. Jolanta Bieliauskaitė, together with the leaders of the Next Society Institute, selected the paper “The steering function of the state in techno-economic transformations for sustainability ” delivered by Lukas Fuchs from the Eindhoven University of Technology as the best conference presentation. His work captivated the committee with its precise argumentation, theoretical foundation, and innovative insights.