PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Nikola Kirilov Kasabov

Also known as Nikola Kirilov Kassabov, Никола Кирилов Касабов, Nik Kasabov

Nikola Kasabov is a computer scientist known for evolving connectionist systems and for NeuCube, a brain-inspired spiking neural network architecture used in labs in 50 countries. He earned a PhD in mathematical sciences at the Technical University of Sofia in 1975, joined the University of Otago in New Zealand in 1992, and became founding director of the Knowledge Engineering and Discovery Research Institute (KEDRI) at Auckland University of Technology in 2002. The Royal Society of New Zealand gave him its Silver Medal in 2001, the International Neural Network Society (INNS) gave him its Gabor Award in 2012, and he served as INNS President in 2009 and 2010. Obuda University in Budapest awarded him a Doctor Honoris Causa in 2018. He is Professor Emeritus of Knowledge Engineering at Auckland University of Technology.

Born
1948
Badges

Years link to their sources.

Timeline

  1. 1971–1991

    Degrees and AI school in Sofia

    He earns an MSc in electrical engineering with a specialization in computer science at the Technical University of Sofia in 1971 and a PhD in mathematical sciences there in 1975. From 1988 to 1991, he is associate professor of computer science at the university and director of its International Graduate School in Artificial Intelligence.

  2. 1992–2002

    Knowledge engineering at Otago

    He joins the University of Otago in New Zealand as a senior lecturer in 1992 and is a professor there from 1999 to 2002. He is founding director of its Knowledge Engineering Laboratory, and his book Foundations of Neural Networks, Fuzzy Systems, and Knowledge Engineering appears in 1996.

  3. 2001

    Royal Society of New Zealand fellow

    In 2001, he becomes a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand and receives its Silver Medal for contribution to science and technology.

  4. 2002–2007

    Founding KEDRI at AUT

    In 2002, he becomes professor and chair of knowledge engineering at Auckland University of Technology and founding director of its Knowledge Engineering and Discovery Research Institute (KEDRI). Within his ECOS framework, he introduces the Dynamic Evolving Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (DENFIS), and his book Evolving Connectionist Systems: The Knowledge Engineering Approach appears in 2007.

  5. 2009–2012

    INNS president and Gabor Award

    He serves as President of the International Neural Network Society (INNS) in 2009 and 2010. In 2012, he receives the INNS Gabor Award.

  6. 2016–2019

    NeuCube and spiking networks

    In 2016, a paper of his on deep learning of spatio-temporal data receives the Neural Networks Best Paper Award. In 2019, he authors the monograph Time-Space, Spiking Neural Networks and Brain-Inspired Artificial Intelligence. His NeuCube, a brain-like evolving spatio-temporal data machine built on spiking neural networks, is used in labs in 50 countries.

  7. 2018

    Honorary doctorate at Obuda University

    Obuda University in Budapest awards him a Doctor Honoris Causa in 2018.

  8. As of October 2026

    Emeritus professor at AUT

    He is Professor Emeritus of Knowledge Engineering in the School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematical Sciences at Auckland University of Technology and founding director of KEDRI. He is also a visiting professor at the Institute for Information and Communication Technologies of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and at Dalian University in China since 2022.

Career

  1. Since 2022Bulgarian Academy of SciencesVisiting Professor
  2. Since 2022Dalian UniversityVisiting Professor
  3. Since 2002Auckland University of TechnologyProfessor and Chair of Knowledge Engineering, Founding Director
  4. 1992–2002University of OtagoSenior Lecturer, Professor
  5. 1988–1991Technical University of SofiaAssociate Professor of Computer Science

Education

  1. 1975Technical University of SofiaPhD in mathematical sciences
  2. 1971Technical University of SofiaMSc in electrical engineering

From the biography.

  1. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other universityIncludes Nikola Kirilov Kasabov. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other university. We compare doctorate and 5+ year employment links, career timing and current workplaces for 187 major-prize and 1,111 best-paper winners.
  2. The company share of AI researchers’ top papers was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974Includes Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. We estimate where the people shaping AI worked when their most-cited papers appeared: the company share was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974, and Google led all organizations in 2020–2024.
  3. More people shaping AI studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than at any other institutionIncludes University of Otago. We estimate where the people shaping AI studied and where their careers led. Massachusetts Institute of Technology leads with 467 former students, including 291 recorded doctorates.
  4. Google had the most people shaping AI every year from 2014 to 2025Our estimates of which organizations employed the most people shaping AI each year from 1955 to 2025, tracing the shift from university labs to companies.

Colleagues

People with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

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  1. Nikola Kasabov - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org. Checked 22 October 2026.
  2. Kasabov, Nikola K(irilov) 1948- | Encyclopedia.com encyclopedia.com. Checked 22 October 2026.
  3. Prof. Nik Kasabov | Enhance Your Knowledge Today — KNOWLEDGE ENGINEERING CONSULTING knowledgeengineering.ai. Checked 22 October 2026.
  4. Nikola Kasabov videolectures.net. Checked 22 October 2026.
  5. Prof. Dr. Nikola Kasabov - OU uni-obuda.hu. Checked 22 October 2026.
  6. EAIS 2017 msc.fe.uni-lj.si. Checked 22 October 2026.