Xiamen University AI Research Institute was inaugurated today: led by Academician Chen Chun, an alumnus of the Department of Mathematics, and the most eye-catching feature is the "cross-disciplinary" research idea

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Another established university has launched an AI research institute.

Today (October 10), Xiamen University held an unveiling ceremony and officially launched the Xiamen University Artificial Intelligence Research Institute .

Chen Chun , an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and an alumnus of the Department of Mathematics at Xiamen University , was appointed as the honorary dean.

At the same time, more details of Xiamen University AI Research Institute were also disclosed to the public, covering basic theory, technological application, and industrial empowerment in terms of its subordinate organization and model, and also cross-disciplinary thinking.

It seems that although Xiamen University is not the fastest university to establish an AI research institute, it has given in-depth thought to the overall development of the institution.

What does Xiamen University AI Research Institute have?

Official data revealed that Xiamen University AI Research Institute:

It consists of a theory and technology center, an interdisciplinary and application center, and an industry empowerment center, covering theoretical and technological research on the basics of artificial intelligence.

At the same time, we will carry out interdisciplinary research by combining Xiamen University's advantageous disciplines such as economics, chemistry, oceanography, and public health.

The institute will also jointly build with first-class AI companies to develop interdisciplinary research platforms and a full-chain scientific research service system for production, education, research and application, to create an artificial intelligence research and industrialization center rooted in southwest Fujian and radiating across the country.

The specific research focus can be viewed from three aspects: software, hardware and cross-cutting:

• Software : swarm intelligence, big data intelligence, hybrid augmented intelligence, cross-media intelligence

• Hardware : semiconductor brain-like devices, artificial intelligence chips

• Cross-disciplinary : Intelligence + Chemistry, Intelligence + Ocean, AI + Business Management, AI + Public Health Medicine, AI + Intelligent Instruments

It has institutions including the Theory and Technology Center, the Cross-Disciplinary and Application Center, and the Industry Empowerment Center.

Who leads?

Academician Chen Chun.

He is currently a professor at the School of Computer Science and Technology of Zhejiang University, chief scientist of the National Digital Printing Engineering Technology Research Center, director of the National Train Intelligent Engineering Technology Research Center, and member of the Discipline Evaluation Group of the State Council Academic Degrees Committee.

Academician Chen Chun has also served as the dean of the School of Computer Science and Technology and the dean of the School of Software at Zhejiang University, and has long been engaged in cutting-edge work in the field of computer applications.

In addition, Academician Chen Chun also has undergraduate friendship with Xiamen University.

He graduated from the Department of Mathematics of Xiamen University in 1982, and later obtained a Ph.D. in computer applications from Zhejiang University.

How do you evaluate?

In fact, Xiamen University is the first university in China to promote research in AI-related disciplines.

It is the third university in China to establish the major of Intelligent Science and Technology , and one of the first 35 universities in the country to offer the major of Artificial Intelligence.

In 1988, Xiamen University also established the Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Computing Applications, with Academician Gao Qingshi serving as the director.

Before the revival of deep learning, domestic artificial intelligence expert and Tsinghua University academician Zhang Bei was its visiting professor.

Before the Xiamen University AI Research Institute was officially launched, there were already signs of this.

In June 2019, Xiamen University officially announced the abolition of Xiamen University School of Information Science and Technology and Xiamen University School of Software, and the establishment of Xiamen University School of Information.

Xiamen University School of Information has five departments: Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information and Communication Engineering, and Cyberspace Security.

At the same time, it was named "National Demonstration Software College", and the Xiamen University Software Engineering Center and the Xiamen University Artificial Intelligence Research Institute were established.

In addition, the Xiamen University AI Research Institute, which was unveiled today, can also be seen as a comprehensive summary of previous AI industry-university-research practice results.

On the one hand, Xiamen University is one of the most notable universities in China in promoting AI industry-university-research cooperation.

We have achieved many cooperative results with Tencent and Huawei in top international conferences and global AI competitions.

In last year's medical AI competitions such as liver segmentation, liver tumor segmentation, and global chest multi-organ segmentation, the Xiamen University x Tencent team won four championships worldwide, broke multiple world records, and was called the dream team in the field of human organ segmentation.

Tencent Youtu, Tencent's major AI visual output company, also has Xiamen University as its co-signature in many of the results of its collaborations at top conferences.

Ji Rongrong, a professor at the AI ​​Department of Xiamen University who has just been selected as a National Outstanding Young Scholar, was also selected at the AI ​​top conference CVPR 2020 with 11 papers, ranking among the top Chinese scholars.

Therefore, in the establishment of Xiamen University's AI Research Institute, this idea of ​​integrating industry, academia and research is also quite obvious.

On the other hand, in addition to promoting basic research in artificial intelligence and mathematical foundations, machine learning, cognitive neuroscience, etc., Xiamen University AI Research Institute has also clearly set a cross -disciplinary development route.

It also intersects with Xiamen University's existing advantageous disciplines, and is cross-applied with chemistry, oceanography, economics and management, public health and medical care, etc.

This is also consistent with the current consensus on the latest developments in AI.

Since the revival of AI, it has gone through stages such as algorithm theory, integration of software and hardware, and implementation to empower industries.

As AI is increasingly implemented, all aspects of industry, academia and research have realized that the advancement of AI will, like the electrification revolution, reshape traditional disciplines, empower traditional industries, and further push digitalization towards digital intelligence.

The Xiamen University AI Research Institute has also formally incorporated this trend of the times into its organizational and institutional settings, and may also drive and lead more universities and research institutions to carry out corresponding changes.

In short, AI industry-university-research cooperation is entering a new stage.