History
Les origines de l'ISS
L’Institut d’ingénierie des systèmes et des systèmes durables (ISESS) a été créé pour répondre à un défi mondial croissant : la complexité grandissante des systèmes qui sous-tendent les sociétés modernes. Les réseaux d’infrastructures, les systèmes urbains, les stratégies de résilience climatique, les transitions énergétiques et les institutions de gouvernance sont profondément interconnectés. Pourtant, de nombreuses institutions continuent d’aborder ces défis à travers des cadres fragmentés et sectoriels qui ne parviennent pas à saisir la dynamique des systèmes complexes.
L'ISESS a été créé pour combler cette lacune en promouvant l'application des principes de l'ingénierie des systèmes au développement durable, aux infrastructures et à la prise de décision institutionnelle. S'appuyant sur les traditions de l'ingénierie des systèmes initialement développées dans les secteurs de l'aérospatiale, de la défense et de l'industrie, l'institut adapte ces approches analytiques rigoureuses aux défis sociétaux contemporains.
Le concept d' ISES est né d'années de recherche interdisciplinaire et d'expérience professionnelle dans les domaines de l'ingénierie, des systèmes urbains, des opérations humanitaires et des politiques de développement durable. Son fondateur a constaté que relever des défis complexes – de la résilience climatique à la performance des infrastructures en passant par le développement urbain durable – exige des cadres analytiques intégrés capables de comprendre les interdépendances entre les systèmes techniques, environnementaux et institutionnels.
Aujourd'hui, l'ISES sert de plateforme pour la recherche appliquée, la formation des cadres, le conseil stratégique et l'innovation collaborative. Grâce à des partenariats avec des gouvernements, des universités, des organisations internationales et des acteurs du secteur privé, l'institut s'efforce d'améliorer la manière dont les systèmes complexes sont analysés, conçus et gouvernés.
En alliant rigueur scientifique et engagement pratique, l'ISES contribue à un effort plus large visant à positionner l'ingénierie des systèmes comme une discipline fondamentale pour le développement durable, les infrastructures résilientes et une gouvernance efficace dans un monde de plus en plus complexe.
​The Institute for Systems Engineering and Sustainable Systems (ISESS) was established to address a growing global challenge: the increasing complexity of the systems that underpin modern societies. Infrastructure networks, urban systems, climate resilience strategies, energy transitions, and governance institutions are deeply interconnected. Yet many institutions continue to approach these challenges through fragmented and sector-specific frameworks that fail to capture the dynamics of complex systems.
ISESS was created to bridge this gap by advancing the application of systems engineering principles to sustainability, infrastructure systems, and institutional decision-making. Drawing from traditions of systems engineering originally developed in aerospace, defense, and industrial systems, the institute adapts these rigorous analytical approaches to contemporary societal challenges.
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The concept of ISESS emerged from years of interdisciplinary research and professional experience across engineering, urban systems, humanitarian operations, and sustainability policy. Its founder recognized that addressing complex challenges - from climate resilience and infrastructure performance to sustainable urban development - requires integrated analytical frameworks capable of understanding interdependencies across technical, environmental, and institutional systems.
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Today, ISESS serves as a platform for applied research, executive education, strategic advisory, and collaborative innovation. Through partnerships with governments, universities, international organizations, and private-sector actors, the institute works to strengthen how complex systems are analyzed, designed, and governed.
By combining scientific rigor with practical engagement, ISESS contributes to a broader effort to position systems engineering as a foundational discipline for sustainable development, resilient infrastructure, and effective governance in an increasingly complex world.
Our work is organized around four complementary pillars of impact:
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Sustainability & Resilience Research
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Generating evidence-based knowledge, frameworks, and innovative solutions for sustainable development and resilient systems.
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Systems Thinking & Capacity Development
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Strengthening the capabilities of leaders, professionals, and institutions to address complex socio-technical challenges through systems-based approaches.
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Decision Intelligence & Advisory Solutions
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Providing strategic advisory services, analytical tools, and decision-support frameworks that improve planning, governance, investment, and performance management.
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Strategic Partnerships & Innovation Networks
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Fostering collaboration among governments, academia, development organizations, industry, and communities to accelerate innovation and collective impact.
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The ISESS Impact Model
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Research → Capacity Development → Decision Intelligence → Partnerships & Innovation
Through this integrated model, ISESS transforms systems-engineering knowledge into practical solutions that strengthen resilience, sustainability, effective governance, and long-term societal well-being.
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ISESS Institutional Values
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​Our Values
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​The work of the Institute for Systems Engineering and Sustainable Systems (ISESS) is guided by a set of core values that shape how the institute conducts research, engages with partners, and contributes to knowledge and society.
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Scientific Integrity
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​ISESS is committed to advancing knowledge through analytical rigor, evidence-based research, and the application of robust engineering and systems methodologies.
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Systems Thinking
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Complex challenges require holistic perspectives. ISESS approaches sustainability, infrastructure, and governance issues through systems analysis that recognizes interdependencies across technical, environmental, institutional, and social dimensions.
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Integrity and Independence
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​The institute maintains intellectual independence and transparency in its research and advisory activities. This ensures that the insights and recommendations produced by ISESS remain credible and grounded in evidence.
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Collaboration and Knowledge Exchange
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ISESS believes that meaningful solutions emerge from collaboration across disciplines and institutions. The institute actively fosters partnerships among researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and communities.
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Practical Impact
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​While grounded in research, ISESS is committed to producing knowledge that informs real decisions. The institute strives to ensure that its work contributes to tangible improvements in infrastructure systems, sustainability strategies, and institutional capacity.
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Global Responsibility
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ISESS recognizes that many sustainability challenges transcend borders. The institute promotes solutions that support resilient systems, environmental stewardship, and equitable development at both local and global scales.
Biography
Dr. Anicet Adjahossou
Founder and Executive Director​
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Dr. Anicet Adjahossou is a systems engineer, infrastructure specialist, and sustainability researcher whose work focuses on applying systems engineering principles to complex socio-technical systems. His research and professional activities address the design and governance of resilient infrastructure systems, sustainable urban development, climate resilience, and the management of interconnected resource systems.
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Dr. Adjahossou holds a Ph.D. in Systems Engineering from Colorado State University, where his research focused on applying Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) to the analysis and modeling of integrated human settlement systems. His interdisciplinary academic background also includes graduate degrees in engineering management, civil engineering, and urban and regional planning.
Over the course of his career, Dr. Adjahossou has worked at the intersection of engineering, infrastructure systems, and international development. He has contributed to the design, planning, and coordination of complex infrastructure and resilience programs across multiple regions, particularly in contexts characterized by environmental risk, institutional complexity, and resource constraints.
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In addition to his professional work, Dr. Adjahossou has been actively engaged in research exploring systems-based approaches to sustainability challenges. His interests include complex systems modeling, infrastructure resilience, climate adaptation strategies, and the integration of engineering methods with policy and governance frameworks.
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Through the creation of ISESS, Dr. Adjahossou seeks to advance systems engineering as a discipline capable of supporting governments, institutions, and organizations in addressing the complex sustainability challenges of the 21st century. Under his leadership, the institute aims to bridge scientific knowledge with practical decision-making by combining research, executive education, strategic advisory services, and innovative analytical tools.
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His work reflects a broader commitment to strengthening how institutions understand and manage complex systems, ensuring that infrastructure, environmental stewardship, and governance frameworks evolve together to support sustainable and resilient societies.
Message du fondateur
Les sociétés modernes reposent sur des systèmes de plus en plus complexes – réseaux énergétiques, infrastructures urbaines, systèmes d’approvisionnement en eau, systèmes de transport et institutions de gouvernance – qui doivent fonctionner de concert de manière fiable, résiliente et durable. Or, les défis auxquels ces systèmes sont confrontés aujourd’hui – changement climatique, urbanisation rapide, pression sur les ressources et transformation technologique – prennent de l’ampleur et se complexifient.
Dans bien des cas, les institutions chargées de concevoir et de gérer ces systèmes ne disposent pas des cadres d'analyse nécessaires pour comprendre leurs interdépendances. De ce fait, les solutions sont souvent élaborées de manière cloisonnée, sans que l'on tienne suffisamment compte de l'impact des décisions prises dans un domaine sur le système dans son ensemble.
L’Institut d’ingénierie des systèmes et des systèmes durables (ISES) a été créé pour relever ce défi.
Notre objectif est de promouvoir l'application du génie des systèmes en tant que discipline pratique au service du développement durable, de la gouvernance des infrastructures et de la prise de décision publique. Le génie des systèmes offre des méthodes performantes pour comprendre les interactions complexes, évaluer les compromis et concevoir des systèmes robustes face à l'incertitude.
Par le biais de la recherche, de la formation des cadres, du conseil stratégique et d'initiatives collaboratives, l'ISES s'efforce de combler le fossé entre les connaissances scientifiques et les pratiques institutionnelles. Notre objectif est d'aider les gouvernements, les organisations et les collectivités à appréhender la complexité et à concevoir des systèmes favorisant la résilience à long terme et le développement durable.
En définitive, le travail d'ISES repose sur une conviction simple : des résultats durables émergent de systèmes bien conçus et bien gouvernés.
Dr Anicet Adjahossou
Fondateur et directeur exécutif