On John Sterman’s “System Dynamics at sixty”: rigor, relevance and implications for education

Rigor and relevance are fundamental criteria for quality modeling of complex systems. This piece is a plea for more qualified practice of professional modeling. Suggestions are made for fostering and spreading professional competency of high-quality model-building. Best modeling practices and best testing practices ultimately are one. The prerequisites for such practices, conceptual and technical, can be trained. The article makes suggestions for education to achieve modeling excellence. This contribution part of a scientific discourse following John Sterman’s “System dynamics at sixty: the path forward”, published in: System Dynamics Review, Vol. 34(1-2):5-47.