On the cusp of new challenges
Exploration and Voyages page of Slobodan Maletic
I am a complex systems researcher based in Belgrade, Serbia, though I feel at home anywhere I travel. My professional background is in theoretical physics, and I have a Ph.D. from the University of Belgrade. I aim to transfer a research curiosity to integrate experiences in science, systems, and peoples (cultures)playfully like a professional amateur. My scientific interests are in complex systems' structure, modeling, dynamics, and functioning,with ongoing interests in extension toward integration and implementation science. Whether you’re interested in my scientific work, transfer the experiences,or moderate lab of mind games shared in my blogs, traveling, running… I’m ready to help!
I’m apt to pursue a mission to transform people’s perceptions of the complex world to nudge change.
Within the areas of theoretical and applied complex systems.
Structures are everywhere. Complex systems are everywhere. How are structures modeled? What is the structure of a complex system? How does structure affect a complex system's behavior, functioning, dynamics, and evolution? What kind of structural patterns emerge in complex systems? And can they be classified?
The research is focused on developing a quantitative and qualitative framework for reconstructing behavioral patterns of complex systems, based on the concepts from the algebraic topology. The research is applied to diverse complex systems like social phenomena, financial systems, dynamical systems, power grids, etc.
More details on my academic work can be found in following papers listed under different topic names.
Here is a list of my published books - links lead to online bookshops.
The combinatory lab of mind is a process that implements applied complexity science and algebraic topology through integrative dynamics thinking. I am working on a skillset and tools for building the playground structure for new ideas based on integrative dynamics thinking and relational thinking. It is devised as a training session and relational thinking exercises for modern knowledge workers, designers, and innovators and can be very broadly categorized into the field of Integration and Implementation Sciences. As the quote from my article in the book “Uncertainty: Making Sense of the World for Better, Bolder Outcomes“ says "... Reconstructing the complex present provides the foundation for the playground on which we can build the desirable future and mitigate uncertainty.“
Here are some examples of my work.
My lifelong personal project, "Exploration by Running," started with my first big adventure in 2023. The aim of this project is self-exploration accompanied by exploration of the world, people, cultures, and nature—all done on foot.
It's always the right time to discover what fulfills you and when you can be yourself. Moving through different environments and solving problems along the way, gaining knowledge through experiences, getting into situations that nudge mindfulness, training in embracing uncertainty, and much more are the outcomes of travel of any kind. I organized it by myself, and it was self-supported. The outcomes of the insights gained from these experiences inspire lectures and a book I am currently working on.
So far, completed projects include:
- 360km from Belgrade, Serbia, to the Ostrog monastery, Montenegro, in 2023
- 280km of circular route in Tuscany, Italy
- Exploration of the Silk Road cities and their surroundings in Uzbekistan
The inspiration of the Silk Road as a metaphor or idea revolves in my mind as a kind of leitmotif of my journeys.Alongside my craving for new experiences and occasional itching of my feet, traveling for me is more like a study during which, through respect, I embrace differences in thinking, cultures, and societies. As my travels accumulate, wherever I stay, I feel at home and more like a guest rather than a tourist.
These are some excerpt from my journeys.
I'm happy to announce that the Exploration by Running project will continue in 2024. The project involves running through Toscana, Italy, covering 280 km in ten days and exploring culture, scenery, and self.
This time, the project has an additional and important purpose—humanitarian action in collaboration with the Alliance of Cerebral Palsy and Polyomielyelitis of the Republic of Serbia to raise awareness about people with cerebral palsy.
Visit the website dedicated to cerebral palsy for more information on how you can get involved: www.cerebralnaparaliza.rs
I am forming a crew for rowing over 5,000 kilometers across the Atlantic Ocean, from the Canary Islands, Spain, to Antigua, the Caribbean in 2027. The Atlantic crossing will be self-supported and continuous, both in time (24/7) and space (no stops), though organized and supported by an experienced team from an ocean rowing company. The crew's challenging tasks include training in fitness and ocean rowing skills, securing sponsors, participating in a humanitarian campaign, and ultimately reaching the Caribbean as a reward. Interested crew members can send me a brief info about themselves (like age, profession, fitness level, possible experiences in adventures, rowing experience).
Formiram posadu za veslanje više od 5000km preko Atlantskog okeana, od Kanarskih ostrva u Španiji do Antigve na Karibima 2027. godine. Prelazak Atlantika će biti samoodrživ i neprekidan, kako vremenski (24/7), tako i prostorno (bez stajanja), ali će ga organizovati i podržavati iskusan tim iz kompanije za okeansko veslanje. Izazovni zadaci koji očekuju posadu uključuju fizičke treninge, obuku u veštinama okeanskog veslanja, obezbeđivanje sponzora, učešće u humanitarnoj kampanji i konačno dolazak na Karibe kao nagradu. Zainteresovani kandidati za članove posade mogu mi poslati kratke informacije o sebi (npr. godine, zanimanje, nivo kondicije, iskustvo u veslanju, iskustva u avanturama).
Please tell me about your next project and how we might collaborate.
