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CUHK's Partner State Key Laboratories Are Renamed as State Key Laboratories
Five Partner State Key Laboratories (SKLs) of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) are renamed as State Key Laboratories on 20 September, enabling them with more flexibility to collaborate with different mainland universities and research institutions. The Minister of Science and Technology, Mr. Wang Zhigang, presented plaques to the 5 CUHK SKLs including State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Research on Bioactivities and Clinical Applications of Medicinal Plants, State Key Laboratory of Synthetic Chemistry (in collaboration with The University of Hong Kong) and State Key Laboratory of Digestive Disease.
The research teams of CUHK SKLs aim to maintain the momentum for achieving international excellence with high impact research initiatives. The State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology (CUHK) received the highest rating "Outstanding" in recent reassessment exercise of SKLs. According to the review panel, the Lab has carried out impressive work and achieved world-class excellence in terms of research achievements, innovations, publications, inter-institutional collaboration, international networking, recognition and impact as well as nurturing of young talents.
The Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) also announced that the SenseTime Group Limited, which was founded in 2014 by Prof. Tang Xiaoou of the Faculty of Engineering, CUHK, is entrusted to establish the "National Open Innovation Platform for Next Generation Artificial Intelligence on Intelligent Vision", the 1st of such kind in Hong Kong officially recognized by MOST. Professor Tang received the plaque of the platform from Minister Wang at the presentation ceremony. For details, please click here for the University's press release.
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CUHK Participates in the Initiation of Global AI Academic Alliance
Professor Rocky S. Tuan, Vice-Chancellor and President of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) attended the 2018 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai on 16 September. The conference, on the theme of "A New Era Empowered by Artificial Intelligence", was co-organised by the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Cyberspace Administration of China, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and the Shanghai Municipal Government. It brought together the world's most influential artificial intelligence (AI) scientists, academicians, entrepreneurs and government officials to engage in high-level dialogues on leading AI technologies and focuses of the AI industry.
At the conference, CUHK joined hands with 15 universities around the world, including Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the University of Sydney, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Tsinghua University, Fudan University, Zhejiang University, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Harbin Institute of Technology, Beihang University, as well as SenseTime, the world's leading AI company, to initiate a Global AI Academic Alliance. An establishment ceremony was held at the opening of WAIC. The alliance was founded to boost cross-disciplinary exchanges and promote international collaboration on AI technology, constructing mechanisms and platforms to provide diversified opportunities for AI study, talent training and research developments.
The Alliance held a roundtable discussion of university presidents at Shanghai Jiao Tong University during the WAIC. President Tuan exchanged ideas with participating university leaders and academic members in the field of AI on topics ranging from academic research to high-end talent training. The founder of SenseTime, Professor Tang Xiaoou of Department of Information Engineering of CUHK, hosted the roundtable discussion. Representatives attending the alliance roundtable included Professor Eric Grimson, Honorary President of the MIT, Professor Jiang Sixian, Party Secretary of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Professor Xu Ningsheng, President of Fudan University, Professor Wang Shuguo, President of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Professor Pan Jianwei, Executive Vice President of the University of Science and Technology of China, Dr Michael Spence, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sydney, and Professor Lin Shan, Vice President of Nanyang Technological University of Singapore.
Professor Tuan also gave a speech and joined the discussion sessions at the thematic forums of the WAIC. Specific topics included AI innovation environment and the collaboration connecting academia, research and industry. At the Main Forum of WAIC, Professor Tang of CUHK delivered a speech entitled "AI (Love) without Boundaries" to share his thoughts on the global artificial intelligence industry.
Based on the University's world-leading research excellence, CUHK has identified four major areas in its strategic plan as research priorities. Intelligent Reasoning is one of the cross-cutting themes in these areas which focuses interdisciplinary research directions to reach the next level of excellence and fulfil societal needs on a national and global scale. Please click here for the University's press release.
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CUHK Enhances Partnership Development with Fudan University
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) convened its fourth annual meeting of Partnership Steering Committee with Fudan University on 4 September. The meeting was co-chaired by Professor Rocky S. Tuan, Vice-Chancellor and President of CUHK and Professor Xu Ningsheng, President of Fudan University. Over 30 representatives from both universities attended the meeting, during which they sought new opportunities whilst reviewing the progress and devising plans for further collaboration. Participating CUHK members included Prof. Fok Tai-fai, Pro-Vice-Chancellor; Prof. Wong Suk-ying, Associate Vice-President; Prof. Steven Ngai, Department Chairperson of Social Work; Prof. Tang Sze Wing, Department Chairperson of Chinese Language and Literature; Prof. Joyce Ma, Professor of Social Work; Prof. Timothy Kwok, Professor of Medicine and Therapeutic; Prof. Shelly Tse, Associate Professor of The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care; Prof. Kelvin Tsoi, Research Associate Professor of the Stanley Ho Big Data Decision Analytics Research Centre; and Ms. Wing Wong, Director of Academic Links (China).
Members of each joint project under the Committee in areas including aging, big data, public health, language, tourism management, humanities and history, and general education, reported their respective project progress at the meeting. Prof. Tuan pointed out that the systematic coordination developed under the CUHK-Fudan Partnership Steering Committee can effectively enhance the exchange and linkage between the two universities, facilitating the bilateral scientific research collaborations.
Fudan University is one of the key partner institutions of CUHK in mainland China. Since the establishment of partnership in 1985, both universities have carried out a wide variety of collaborative projects ranging from student activities and scholar exchange, to research collaboration and joint projects. The Partnership Steering Committee was set up in 2015 to forge effective and sustainable relationship.
