  One may define a complex system as a system in which phenomena emerge as a
consequence of multiscale interaction among the system's components and their
environments. The field of Complex Systems is the study of such
systems--usually naturally occurring, either bio-logical or social. Systems
Engineering may be understood to include the conceptualising and building of
systems that consist of a large number of concurrently operating and
interacting components--usually including both human and non-human elements. It
has become increasingly apparent that the kinds of systems that systems
engineers build have many of the same multiscale characteristics as those of
naturally occurring complex systems. In other words, systems engineering is the
engineering of complex systems. This paper and the associated panel will
explore some of the connections between the fields of complex systems and
systems engineering.
