Born in Banja Luka (of then Yugoslavia) Mirsad Hadzikadic came to the United States in 1984 to study for and ultimately receive his Ph.D. degree in computer science from Southern Methodist University where he was a Fulbright Scholar. With degree in hand, in 1987 he became an Assistant Faculty Professor of Computer Science at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In 1989 he returned to his native country with every intention of staying and pursuing his computer science career there. However, things had changed; the country that he left some five years before was transitioning from socialism to capitalism. It seemed that, in his words, “no one cared about research and development,” which was his passion, so he returned to the United States.
His return to the U.S. set him on a path towards an illustrious career in academia and business. He used his passion for research and development to bring together academia, industry and federal agencies with the aim to advance computing simulation, analysis, and modeling by addressing hard-to-solve world problems in a systemic approach. He remains a professor at UNC Charlotte, where he has been a leader and innovator of change serving as Chair of Computer Science and as the Associate Director and Director of the School of Information Technology. He also helped shepherd the transition from UNC Charlotte’s College of Engineering to an independent College of Computing and Informatics and served as its founding dean. He currently is the founding Executive Director of the Data Science Initiative and founding Director of the Complex Systems Institute. His want to learn and be a catalyst for social change led him to receive a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He has served as the Director of the Department of Medical Informatics and Department of Orthopedic Informatics of the Carolinas HealthCare System and the Manager of the Health Systems Integration Service Line at Deloitte and Touche. Never forgetting his roots, he founded and served as President of the Advisory Council for Bosnia and Herzegovina in Washington D.C. and the Bosnian-American Academy of Science and Arts.
Mirsad’s remarkable career continues to grow more impressive. His next move is no less prestigious than the Bosnian presidency. Last fall, Mirsad received a phone call from a dear friend in Bosnia asking, “how about you competing for the seat on the presidency?” Mirsad says this was the first time that he had ever consciously considered such a move. After ruminating on the idea, he sought the advice of others, the majority of whom said it couldn’t be done. Undeterred, he remembered the words of his friend who said: “there may not be another election within Bosnia as we know it because it will probably disintegrate.” That, he says, is what pushed him over the debt threshold of the decision. “If that is so, who am I, that I because of the comforts I have, decided not to even try?” said Mirsad on his decision to run for president.
Over the next several months and beyond, we will be chronicling his next mission in life, the drive to invoke change in his native land of Bosnia and Herzegovina as he runs for president.
Ko je Mirsad Hadžikadić?
Rođen u Banjaluci (u tadašnjoj Jugoslaviji), Mirsad Hadžikadić došao je u Sjedinjene Države 1984. godine kako bi studirao i na kraju doktorirao iz oblasti kompjuterskih nauka na Univerzitetu Southern Methodist gdje je bio Fulbrightov stipendist. Sa doktorskom diplomom u ruci, 1987. godine postao je vanredni profesor kompjuterskih nauka na Univerzitetu Sjeverne Karoline (UNC) u Charlotteu. 1989. godine vratio se u rodnu zemlju sa namjerom da tu ostane i nastavi karijeru u oblasti kompjuterskih nauka. Međutim, stvari su se promijenile; zemlja koju je napustio pet godina ranije prelazila je iz socijalizma u kapitalizam. Činilo se da, prema njegovim riječima, „niko nije mario za istraživanje i razvoj“, što je bila njegova strast, pa se vratio u Sjedinjene Države.
Po povratku u SAD, krenuo je putem istaknute karijere u akademskoj zajednici i biznisu. Svoju strast za istraživanje i razvoj iskoristio je kako bi okupio akademsku zajednicu, industriju i federalne agencije s ciljem unapređenja kompjuterskih simulacija, analize i modeliranja baveći se teško rješivim svjetskim problemima primjenom sistemskog pristupa. I dalje je profesor na UNC Charlotte, gdje je lider i inovator promjena, obnašajući ulogu predsjedavajućeg Katedre za kompjuterske nauke te zamjenika direktora i direktora Fakulteta za informacijske tehnologije. Takođe je pomogao u procesu tranzicije Koledža za inžinjering Univerziteta Sjeverne Karoline u nezavisni Koledž računarstva i informatike, obnašajući ulogu njegovog dekana osnivača. Trenutno je izvršni direktor i osnivač Inicijative za nauku o podacima te osnivač i prvi direktor Instituta kompleksnih sistema. Njegova želja da uči i bude katalizator društvenih promjena dovela ga je do magisterija iz javne uprave na Fakultetu za upravu „Kennedy“ univerziteta Harvard. Radio je i kao direktor Odjela za medicinsku informatiku i Odjela za ortopedsku informatiku na Carolinas HealthCare System, te kao direktor Službe za integraciju zdravstvenih sistema u Deloitte & Touche. Nikada ne zaboravivši svoje korijenje, osnovao je i bio predsjednik Savjetodavnog vijeća za Bosnu i Hercegovinu u Washington D.C.-u te Bosanskohercegovačko-američke akademije nauka i umjetnosti.
Mirsadova izvanredna karijera i dalje postaje sve impresivnija. Njegov sljedeći korak je ni manje ni više nego bosansko predsjedništvo. Prošle jeseni Mirsad je primio telefonski poziv dragog prijatelja iz Bosne koji ga je pitao: „Kako bi bilo da se kandiduješ za člana Predsjedništva?“ Mirsad kaže da je to bilo prvi put da svjesno razmisli o jednom takvom potezu. Nakon što je razmotrio tu ideju, potražio je i savjete ostalih, od kojih su većina rekli da se to ne može učiniti. Nepokolebljiv, prisjetio se riječi svog prijatelja koji je rekao: „Možda neće ni biti novih izbora u Bosni kakvu poznajemo, jer će se ona vjerovatno raspasti.“ To je, kaže, ono što je prevagnulo u donošenju odluke. „Ako je to tako, ko sam ja da zbog vlastite udobnosti odlučim da i ne pokušam?“ rekao je Mirsad o svojoj odluci da se kandiduje za predsjednika.
Tokom sljedećih nekoliko mjeseci i kasnije, bilježit ćemo njegovu sljedeću životnu misiju: težnju da donese promjene u svojoj rodnoj zemlji Bosni i Hercegovini kandidovanjem za predsjednika.