Foreword

Message from the Program Organizing Committee

Welcome to our ISAHP 2014 meeting! The theme for this symposium is "Beyond Decision Making" which refers to our idea that it is the time for AHP/ANP to get out of the toolbox of multi-criteria decision-making experts and to become the tool of everyday decision-makers. After all, this was the original intention of AHP/ANP creator, Dr. Thomas L. Saaty. A methodology that would help the world to be more rational when making decisions.

For this reason, ISAHP 2014 aspires to be the turning point for AHP/ANP to be accepted as the natural way of making rational decisions in all disciplines. Granted, we do not expect hierarchical thinking to be the only tool used by world decision-makers but rather the main organizing tool due to its intuitive ­­­simplicity and natural integration with other decision-making methods.

We have worked very hard to make this symposium a reality and we have counted with the enthusiastic collaboration of the whole AHP/ANP community. Not only the members of the organizing community (program and track chairs whose work has been the hardest) but also from AHP/ANP scholars and practitioners worldwide. Consistent with the theme of the symposium, we are pleased to report that approximately one third of our presenters are students. Furthermore, we have made a special effort to also involve master-level students, the next generation of AHP/ANP advocates, in this symposium.

Our efforts have been productive and we are confident that you will find new opportunities to participate, meet, and collaborate with other AHP/ANP colleagues among the approximately 200 expected ISAHP 2014 attendees. Enjoy the Symposium!

Enrique Mu
Conference Chairman

Birsen Karpak
Program Co-Chair

Antonella Petrillo
Program Co-Chair