Researcher

Igor Kononenko

Also known as I. Kononenko

Igor Kononenko is an AI researcher whose work spans machine learning and explanations for model predictions. He earned computer-science degrees at the University of Ljubljana and shared a 1988 national innovation award for ASSISTANT 86, an inductive-learning system. His career includes ReliefF research, a coauthored book on machine learning and data mining, and a method for explaining classifier predictions through feature contributions. He is a professor emeritus at the University of Ljubljana, where he founded the Laboratory for Cognitive Modeling in 2001.

Works
167
Citations
16,493
h-index
35

Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 15 October 2026.

Timeline

  1. 1982–1990

    Computer science at Ljubljana

    He earns a B.Sc. in 1982, an M.Sc. in 1985, and a Ph.D. in computer science in 1990, all at the University of Ljubljana.

  2. 1988

    An award for ASSISTANT 86

    He and Bojan Cestnik and Ivan Bratko receive the Boris Kidrič National Award for Innovations in 1988 for ASSISTANT 86, a system for inductive automatic learning.

  3. 2001

    A cognitive modeling lab

    He establishes the Laboratory for Cognitive Modeling at the University of Ljubljana's Faculty of Computer and Information Science in 2001. His fields include machine learning, artificial intelligence, neural networks, and cognitive modeling.

  4. 2003

    Analyzing ReliefF and RReliefF

    In 2003, he and Marko Robnik-Šikonja publish a theoretical and empirical analysis of ReliefF and RReliefF in Machine Learning.

  5. 2007

    A machine learning book

    He and Matjaž Kukar publish Machine Learning and Data Mining in 2007, an introduction to machine learning and the algorithms used in data mining.

  6. 2010

    Explaining classifier predictions

    In 2010, he and Erik Štrumbelj present a method for explaining classifier predictions through individual feature contributions, using coalitional game theory.

  7. 2024

    Professor emeritus at Ljubljana

    He is professor emeritus at the University of Ljubljana, a title the university awards him in December 2024.

Sources and credits

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  1. Igor Kononenko Curriculum Vitae sujt.fri.uni-lj.si. Checked 15 October 2026.
  2. V okviru Tedna Univerze podelitev nazivov zaslužna profesorica in zaslužni profesor | Univerza v Ljubljani uni-lj.si. Checked 15 October 2026.
  3. Igor Kononenko fri.uni-lj.si. Checked 15 October 2026.
  4. Machine Learning and Data Mining - Igor Kononenko, Matjaz Kukar - Google Books books.google.mg. Checked 15 October 2026.
  5. An Efficient Explanation of Individual Classifications using Game Theory jmlr.org. Checked 15 October 2026.