Pioneer in game development appointed honorary doctor

"This is partly because he is often referred to as an authority, but also because he is such a fantastic person to work with," says José Font, associate professor at the Department of Computer Science and Media Technology at Malmö University.

Togelius has been editor-in-chief of IEEE Transactions on Games (the most prestigious scientific journal in computer game development) and has led many international conferences and workshops. His books are used in both academia and popular science and are read by researchers and developers around the world.

“Julian has worked closely with us at MAU Game Lab for almost a decade through joint research projects, supervision, and strategic guidance. His contributions have helped us position our lab as an internationally recognised player in AI and gaming,” says Font.

Togelius also has other projects and collaborations underway in Sweden. In June, he was in Malmö as the head of a summer school on AI and game development (in collaboration with Malmö University), and he is also involved in efforts to establish a national initiative on AI and gaming in Sweden.

How does it feel to become an honorary doctor at Malmö University?

I'm very happy about it! It's recognition from my hometown – I was born and raised in Malmö. The path to where I am now has been very winding, but it has always been characterised by a curiosity to explore intelligence in various forms.

How do you succeed as a researcher, in your opinion?

To succeed, you need to be lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time and believe in what you are doing – not worry about the fact that some people in the research world don't take what you do seriously. When I started, many people thought that AI for computer games was frivolous research.

How does the research climate in the United States compare to Sweden?

There are many good ideas and smart people in Sweden, but if comparing to the United States and the research environment there, the big difference is volume. Often, you need a critical mass to achieve groundbreaking results. Good ideas are explored in collaborations.

In my lab, I have five full-time doctoral students and four part-time ones. To create a good research environment, you need a proper team at all levels: from students right up to professors.

Sweden is a fascinating pioneer when it comes to computer games. Both those involved in indie stuff and the larger studios have a very good reputation around the world. Politically speaking, it comes from a similar environment to the Swedish music miracle. People have had computers at home, and it has been a permissive and safe environment where you have been allowed to experiment and make mistakes without ending up on the street.

Julian Togelius' honorary doctorate lecture will take place on Wednesday 15 October at 15.15 in the Orkanen restaurant.