What it means to be a young CI researcher in the 21st century

The author talks about the experiences as a computational intelligence (CI) researcher. Building a tool set of nature inspired concepts and methods is a great challenge for young CI researchers, as it requires a broad level of knowledge combining areas of nature, like biology and psychology, with foundational principles of computer science such as algorithms and data structures, and also mathematics. Identifying links between real intelligence and computational models is an exciting adventure that demands creativity and patience. Questioning existing approaches in well-established fields develops the knowledge of a CI researcher. CIS can greatly assist by supporting important initiatives that really help and encourage the younger members to successfully come out the other side. A promising opportunity is for industrial partners to be involved in future projects to maximize impact and set economies heading on the road to recovery.