Sponsors/organizer: Northwestern Polytechnical University
Co-sponsors: Shaanxi University of Technology and City University of Hong Kong
Technical co-sponsors: Asia Pacific Neural Network Society, International Neural Network Society
Proceedings publisher: Springer Lecture Notes in Computer Science
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The 20th International Symposium on Neural Networks (ISNN 2026) will be held in Hanzhong, Shaanxi, China, from August 18 to 21, 2026. As the cradle of the Han Dynasty in the first golden age of Chinese history, Hanzhong is located in a fertile basin along the Han River between the Qinling and Daba mountain ranges in central China, with numerous historic and natural tourist sites. Following the successes of previous events, ISNN2026 aims to provide a high-level international forum for scientists, engineers, and educators to present the state of the art of neural network research and applications in related fields. The symposium will feature plenary speeches given by world-renowned scholars, regular sessions with broad coverage, and special sessions focusing on popular topics.
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Call for Papers and Special Sessions

Prospective authors are invited to contribute high-quality papers to ISNN2026. In addition, proposals for special sessions within the technical scopes of the symposium are solicited. Special sessions, to be organized by internationally recognized experts, aim to bring together researchers in specially focused topics. Papers submitted for special sessions are to be peer-reviewed with the same criteria used for the contributed papers. Researchers interested in organizing special sessions are invited to submit formal proposals to ISNN2026. A special session proposal should include the session title, a brief description of the scope and motivation, names, contact information, and brief biographical information of the organizers.
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Topic Areas

Topics areas include, but are not limited to, computational neuroscience, connectionist theory, and cognitive science, mathematical modeling of neural systems, neurodynamic analysis, neurodynamic optimization, adaptive dynamic programming, embedded neural systems, probabilistic and information-theoretic methods, principal and independent component analysis, hybrid intelligent systems, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, reinforcement learning, deep learning, brain imaging, neural information processing, neuroinformatics, bioinformatics, support vector machines, kernel methods, autonomous mental development, data mining, pattern recognition, time series analysis, image and signal processing, robotics, control systems, telecommunications, transportation systems, intrusion detection and fault diagnosis, hardware implementation, financial engineering, business intelligence, real-world applications.
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Paper Submission

Authors are invited to submit full-length papers by the submission deadline through the online submission system. Potential organizers are also invited to enlist five or more papers with cohesive topics to form special sessions. The submission of a paper implies that the paper is original and has not been submitted under review or is not copyright-protected elsewhere, and will be presented by an author if accepted. All submitted papers will be refereed by experts in the field based on the criteria of originality, significance, quality, and clarity. The authors of accepted papers will have an opportunity to revise their papers and take into consideration the referees' comments and suggestions. The proceedings of ISNN2026 will be published in the Springer LNCS series, and selected good papers will be included in special issues of SCI journals.
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Special session proposals deadline: January 1, 2026
Paper submission deadline: February 1, 2026
Notification of acceptance: March 1, 2026
Camera-ready copy and author registration: April 1, 2026