Presidential Welcome 2026

2026 marks the second year of my service as President of the International Neural Network Society (INNS). The past year was a period of intense and fruitful work, defined by exceptional growth across every facet of our Society. As Neural Networks provide the methodological foundation for the rapid expansion of Artificial Intelligence, our field's impact now reaches into nearly every sector, from engineering and finance to ethics, law, and education.

In response to this evolution, the Board of Governors (BoG) established a new organizational structure to better reflect the interdisciplinary nature of our work. We successfully revamped our Sections (formerly Chapters), which now include six active groups:

• AI for Neural Engineering (53 members)
• Explainable AI (51 members)
• AI for Critical Infrastructure (46 members)
• AI for Education (31 members)
• AI for Finance (22 members)
• AI Law and Regulation (18 members)

These Sections contributed significantly to the workshops at IJCNN 2025. I extend my sincere thanks to Coordinating Chairs Maryam Doborjeh and Seiichi Ozawa, as well as the individual Section Chairs, for their dedication.

Our INNS Webinar Series, launched in 2024, flourished in 2025. Under the coordination of Marcus Liwicki, we hosted 10 successful webinars. We thank Marcus for his tireless efforts in making this series a vital resource.

Our flagship journal, Neural Networks (Elsevier), also reached new heights with an Impact Factor of 6.3 and a CiteScore of 10.6. As we enter 2026, the journal begins a new leadership chapter with four Co-Editors-in-Chief: Mauro Forti, Robert Kozma, Tongliang Liu, and Taro Toyoizumi. We share our deepest gratitude with outgoing Editor-in-Chief DeLiang Wang, whose years of extraordinary service were foundational to the journal’s current prestige. Looking forward, the Board of Governors will review the Elsevier agreement during the March 2026 BoG meeting.

The INNS community has nearly doubled since 2024, now exceeding 3,800 members worldwide. This growth includes 40 Fellows and 41 Senior Members, and we are currently introducing a new Life Member category.

Supporting the next generation remains a primary goal. At IJCNN 2025, we presented six prestigious INNS Awards and provided travel support for 38 students through our Student Travel Grant and Doctoral Consortium programs. To further inspire global talent, we are also developing a new award to recognize Exceptional Educators.

IJCNN 2025 in Rome was a landmark success, hosting over 2,000 attendees and 8,000 authors. My thanks go to General Chair Danilo Comminiello and the entire organizing committee. Looking forward, we are excited for IJCNN at WCCI 2026 in Maastricht, Netherlands.

We are also preparing for the future under the leadership of G. Kumar Venayagamoorthy, who has been elected President for the 2027–2028 term and will serve as General Conference Chair for IJCNN 2027 in Cape Town, South Africa.

In line with our mission, we are expanding our reach into North Africa, specifically through new initiatives in Tunisia and Algeria. I remain personally committed to fostering inclusion, equity, and diversity, ensuring our Society reflects the global community it serves.

Amidst these successes, we also pause to honor the memory of three influential colleagues who passed away this year: Alexander Gorban, Steven Bressler, and our founding member and past President, Bernard Widrow. Their profound legacies will remain a permanent part of our Society's history.

I wish to acknowledge the hard work of our Vice-Presidents and the support of Conference Catalysts in our marketing efforts. Finally, I wish the entire INNS community a happy, prosperous, and successful New Year.