Hong Kong Institute of AI for Science at CityUHK leads AI-driven research with academic and industry partners

HKAI-Sci aligns with the HKSAR Government’s vision to build a robust AI ecosystem in Hong Kong, said Ms Lillian Cheong, Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, HKSAR Government. 

Ms Cheong witnessed the ceremony for the establishment of the HKAI-Sci and the MoUs signing ceremony on 21 October alongside  Professor Freddy Boey, President of CityUHK.

Ms Cheong noted at the ceremony that the Nobel Prizes in Physics and Chemistry this year highlighted AI’s critical role in pushing the boundaries of science, making the HKAI-Sci initiative all the more timely. 

“In the new AI-driven era of data computing, CityUHK is committed to transforming its outstanding research achievements into innovative solutions to global challenges through close collaboration with its academic and industry partners,” said Professor Boey, who also stressed how HKAI-Sci matched with Government policy on transforming Hong Kong into an international hub for innovation. 

Professor Ma Wei-ying, Director-Designate of the HKAI-Sci, said CityUHK would foster an open and inclusive research environment, encouraging innovative thinking and interdisciplinary collaboration. 

“By establishing a collaborative network with academic and industry partners, we will jointly promote innovation and the application of AI in the scientific domain and cultivate talent with a global perspective in science and technology innovation,” he said. 

Renowned scholars specialising in the fields of AI and science delivered congratulatory messages, either in-person or pre-recorded, to celebrate the establishment of the HKAI-Sci and highlight future collaboration with the Institute. 

Professor Tobin J. Marks of Northwestern University and a member of the US, German, Italian, European, and Indian National Academies of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the US National Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the US National Academy of Inventors, emphasised that in order to get the most from AI for Science, it is essential to have well-networked interdisciplinary teams. 

Professor Zhang Ya-qin, Dean of the Institute for AI Industry Research (AIR) of Tsinghua University and a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said he believed that the Joint Research Centre to be established between CityUHK and AIR will build new paradigms and new foundations, and cultivate new talent for AI scientific research. 

Professor Gao Wen, Director of Peng Cheng Laboratory and a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, expressed his confidence that the partnership with CityUHK will lead to groundbreaking advancements in AI research and development. 

Professor Zhang Hong-jiang of the Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence and Source Code Capital, and an international member of the US National Academy of Engineering, said he believed that the Institute will become a cradle for nurturing new talents in AI for Science, cultivating outstanding individuals with interdisciplinary knowledge and innovative thinking. 

Professor Iain McCulloch of the University of Oxford expressed his excitement about supporting the Institute, which is poised to be a trailblazer in the field, serving as a hub for interdisciplinary innovation.

Marking its 30th anniversary as a university, CityUHK has invigorated its dedication to nurturing talent in science and technology innovation and deep-tech start-ups by recently setting up the Academy of Innovation, the Institute of Digital Medicine and the College of Computing.