Introduction to
20th IRDO International Conference: INNOVATIVE, SUSTAINABLE & SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE SOCIETY 2025: Personal responsibility as a part of social responsibility and sustainability

The 20th IRDO International Conference brins together important topics on social responsibility, personal engagement, institutional frameworks and support initiatives and learning mechanism and responsibility in the digital world.

Plenary lectures set the stage by examining how systems thinking and strategic communication can foster both economic development and organizational resilience. Keynote speakers inspect sustainability of historical practices and the ways in which devoted observation can reveal pathways to possibility. Address practical strategies for accelerating Slovenia’s economic growth and showcase the design of Odgovoren.si, a mobile web portal aimed at promoting responsible behaviour.

The first section delves into legal frameworks and policy tools at national and international levels that reinforce values of personal responsibility and sustainability. Presenters contrast blind peer review with emerging models of transparent academic judgment, dissect corporate social responsibility in cruise tourism, and propose a planetary orientation for inclusive identity-building. A series of case studies scrutinizes greenwashing tactics—from advertising campaigns to Amazon’s high-profile claims—and unpacks the influence of sustainable finance disclosure regulations on investment flows. The interplay between economic prosperity and shifting political preferences also receives attention, as does the symbolic ethics of China’s modernization drive.

The section 2 addresses education, where innovators share experiences integrating personal responsibility into curricula. Research on student outcomes from Delhi NCR highlights the benefits of embedding social responsibility in classroom activities, while other talks explore the impact of artificial intelligence on teaching complexity. A large-scale youth empowerment initiative in the UAE demonstrates how case-based learning can inspire sustainable action, and a media literacy project reveals how children and parents perceive—and can counteract—misinformation.

Systems thinking and systemic innovation are in focus of section three as drivers of a fairer, greener economy. Scholars propose design frameworks for coping with global warming at various scales, and reflect on the “hourglass of sustainability” that balances individual and social orientations. Lateral thinking exercises, cybernetic metaphors such as Trojan Horses and Black Vortexes, and generative AI tools are all showcased as means to strengthen methods in system dynamics. Other presenters highlight the importance of reconnecting humans and nature, cultivating socially responsible leadership in poly-subject environments, and securing human well-being through creative financial models like “lifeboat money.”

In the fourth section Entrepreneurs and corporate strategies illustrate sustainable business models that embed social responsibility into everyday practice. From Romani entrepreneurs using smartphones to map waste streams, to pilgrimage operators rethinking traveller motivations, these case studies span industries and geographies. Discussions range from community resistance to casino development and innovations in the beauty sector, to the strategic value of EU regulatory updates and the role of historic silver-mining legacies in tourism. A concluding presentation argues that small, incremental actions—“micro-changes”—can catalyse systemic transformation.

The hybrid strand on digital responsibility and AI explores stretched over two sections, joining ethical, cultural, and environmental dimensions of emerging technologies. Speakers examine the challenges organizations face when adopting data-driven decision-making, and present evidence on the sustainability implications of generative AI. Several contributions focus on user requirements and content analysis for Odgovoren.si, while others confront the environmental dangers of AI, strategies for creating sustainable corporate cultures, and initiatives to enhance digital literacy among the elderly. A deep dive into responsible AI in the era of large language models culminates in a joint online and onsite debate on risks, ethics, and innovation. Topics of 3D printing and digital infrastructure are joined with harnessing water energy with advanced fabrication techniques, to unpacking the ethics of data collection on mobile devices. Participants examine how the Internet of Things, blockchain, and machine learning are reshaping cybersecurity and data privacy. Case studies include the 2025 Bybit hack and comparative analyses of weather modelling optimizations.

This year the conference attracted several young participants, many of them raising the issue of ethical and sustainable digital development and its effects on the nature and society, especially its effect on a personal level.

The conference purpose is what it does, it serves as a melting pot of experiences systems thinkers, Cybernetitians, experts, academics and students, born in the digital age and eager to understand the mechanisms, which could steer the personal digital responsibility in the direction on a sustainable path toward responsible society.

In the name of Programme and Organising Committee

Assoc. Prof. Igor Perko, PhD.