The multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary movement studyingCollaborative Networks (CNs) introduced terminologies, referencearchitectures, methodologies and models, with the aim of helping the design,creation, operation and maintenance of CNs, and its virtual organisations(VOs). Almost a decade ago, the IST European VOMap project reported a lackof 'well founded theory and models' for sustainable collaborative networks, andthis article is an attempt into this direction. The article defines and introduces'Cybernetics of Collaborative Networks' (C2N) as a field of CN-researchintended as a unified theory of CNs, formalising, synthesising, harmonising andsystematising individual CN-related results addressing management and controlproblems in CNs. Through this envisaged synthesis, the paper invokes anumber of relevant reference models and corresponding theories to outline apossible reference model and theory for self-designing CNs.