More information about the session and how to submit: https://alifeforscience.github.io

21-27 June 2026 at Petnica Science Center.

Most of the everyday phenomena we see around us can be categorized as “complex.” Such systems consist of many strongly interacting parts and yet, despite this, they exhibit a certain emergent qualitative unity which endows them with a distinct being, separate, although not independent, from that of their constituent elements.
These complex systems thus possess a kind of “simplicity” as well, which makes them intelligible and allows them to be studied in their own right. The sheer diversity of complex phenomena—from magnets to climate to the economy to the human brain—prevents them from being investigated under a single theoretical framework. Still, studies such as those of Lorenz and Mandelbrot in the 1970s began to reveal a surprisingly large number of common motifs across these systems, including transitions to chaos, fractal structures, pattern formation, and more.
The search for common features of complex systems still remains open. However, most efforts today are focused on understanding particular phenomena. The “Belgrade School of Complex Systems,” organized by the Faculty of Physics at the University of Belgrade (http://www.ff.bg.ac.rs/Engleski/index_eng.html), is an attempt to bring together experts from around the world working on various fields that fall under the broad category of complex systems in order to encourage the exchange of knowledge and promote collaboration between like-minded researchers that may be working in seemingly disparate fields.

More at: becomplex.net

Burlington, Vermont, USA | July 28-31, 2026

Call for Abstracts
The International Conference on Computational Social Science (IC2S2) is the premier conference bringing together researchers from different disciplines interested in using computational and data-intensive methods to address relevant societal problems. IC2S2 hosts academics and practitioners in computational science, social science, complexity, and network science, and provides a platform for new research in the field of computational social science.

More at: ic2s2-2026.org

As part of the European Social Simulation Association‘s life-long learning strategy, the ESSA Summer School 2026 will take place from Monday 17 to Friday 21 August 2026 at the James Hutton Institute, Aberdeen. Led by Gary Polhill, this one-week intensive course offers an introduction to agent-based modelling (ABM), connecting theories of complex systems with practical model design, programming, and experimentation in NetLogo.

Participants will learn how agent-based models can represent heterogeneous actors, dynamic environments, and emergent socio-ecological patterns. The course combines conceptual theory, coding exercises, and group projects to help participants understand the purpose, design, and implementation of ABMs for socio-environmental systems.

Key themes include:

• Complex systems thinking and agent-based theory
• Translating conceptual systems into computational models
• Programming ABMs in NetLogo and developing clear model structures
• Setting up experiments, analysing results, and communicating model findings

The summer school is designed for PhD students, researchers, and practitioners interested in modelling socio-ecological systems, environmental policy, behavioural dynamics, and other complex adaptive systems.

More at: large-scale-modelling.hutton.ac.uk