News

Prof. Allen Au and Dr Lu Xingye’s team wins ZPRIZE 2023 for blockchain innovation again demonstrating groundbreaking research in zero-knowledge proofs

The research team led by Prof. Allen AU Man Ho, our Professor, along with Dr LU Xingye, Research Assistant Professor, and two PhD students, LIU Mengling and HENG Yang, have won an award in the international ZPRIZE competition for the second consecutive year for their pioneering work in zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs). Their groundbreaking work in this field has profound implications for enhancing privacy and scalability in blockchain and Web3 applications.   The annual ZPRIZE competition, spearheaded by the blockchain industry in 2022, promotes the advancement of ZKPs by open-sourcing winning submissions for the reference of the general public. ZKPs allow a “prover” to convince a person of the validity of a computation without leaking any information; it is hence referred to as zero-knowledge cryptography.   This year, the PolyU team triumphed in the “High Throughput Signature Verification” open division category, winning a cash prize of US$250,000. They were tasked with verifying the greatest number of Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) signatures in a given time using ZKPs. ECDSA signatures are used to prove the authenticity and integrity of digital messages over the internet and blockchain transactions on networks such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. Making it more efficient to verify those signatures inside a ZKP cryptographically is important for creating a better user experience and enables numerous real-world applications.   The PolyU team’s innovative approach can generate ZKPs for the digital signatures of 50 1KB messages on a regular laptop computer within ten minutes, laying a solid foundation for future applications of ZKPs in ECDSA verification. It also reduces the complexity of generating proofs for a 5MB message’s digital signature to a maximum of 6.2 million constraints compared to over 50 million constraints previously - a minimum eight-fold reduction.   As a pioneer in blockchain education and research in Hong Kong, PolyU has introduced Hong Kong’s first Master of Science in Blockchain Technology programme. It has also initiated doctoral programmes relating to financial technology, as well as bachelor’s degree programmes relating to FinTech and Artificial Intelligence (AI). On the research front, the University has established the Research Centre for Blockchain Technology, the first research centre in Hong Kong whose research studies full-stack blockchain technology. According to the “Best Universities for Blockchain 2022” rankings by CoinDesk, PolyU has been ranked the No. 1 university for blockchain in the world.

Undergraduates Won Group Competition Award and First Prize in ASC24 Student Supercomputer Challenge

A team of talented undergraduates has secured the Group Competition Award and First Prize in the ASC24 Student Supercomputer Challenge. This achievement highlights the exceptional skills and dedication of the team members. The team consisted of the following members: Team Advisor Dr SHI Jieming Assistant Professor, COMP Team Leader ZHANG Haolin Year 3 student, COMP Team Member BAO Yucheng Year 3 student, COMP Team Member CHEN Junru Year 3 student, COMP Team Member SUN Hansong Year 1 student, COMP Team Member ZHAO Qingsen Year 3 student, ABCT Observer FU Guanhe Year 1 student, COMP   The ASC24 preliminaries included two computational tasks: Large Language Model (LLM) Inference Optimization and Seepage Numerical Simulation. In the LLM Inference Optimization Challenge, the teams were tasked with building and refining inference engines using the popular open-source LLM, LLaMA2. Their objective was to achieve high-throughput inference on provided sample datasets. Out of over 300 participating teams, the PolyU team, along with 24 other teams, advanced to the finals and were awarded the First Prize.   In the finals, the students were randomly divided into five groups, with each group containing representatives from five universities. The PolyU team collaborated with Shanghai University, the Southern University of Science and Technology, Qilu University of Technology, and Southwest Petroleum University to achieve impressive optimisation of ParaSeis, demonstrating their teamwork and dedication.   Reflecting on their journey, team leader ZHANG Haolin shared the team's remarkable progress despite their limited prior experience in the field and resources. They diligently designed their clusters, optimised the 70B LLAMA model, and tackled an oil extraction challenge that demanded interdisciplinary expertise. Their efforts included deciphering an undocumented C++ project, understanding its components and underlying mathematical operations, and ultimately enhancing its performance. Through perseverance and a deep passion for engineering, the team learned and achieved success. This competition was more than a test of their technical skills—it was a testament to their dedication to computer science. They embraced the challenge and felt honoured to have their efforts recognised with the award and group competition prize.  

Year 1 student XIANG Yufan Emerges as Overall Champion at the 2024 Programming Contest of CUHK-Shenzhen

We are proud to announce that our Year 1 undergraduate student, XIANG Yufan Frank, emerged as the champion in the DIV-2 track and the overall champion of the 2024 Programming Contest of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen).   The programming contest was organised by the School of Data Science at CUHK-Shenzhen, which drew 380 contestants from universities and secondary schools in Hong Kong, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen to compete with each other on an individual basis in two tracks, DIV – 1 and DIV – 2. The contest followed the format of the International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC), where participants were tasked with solving ten problems.   Frank demonstrated exceptional skills and problem-solving capabilities, emerging victorious in the DIV-2 track. Not only did he secure the overall championship in both tracks, but he also distinguished himself as the only participant in solving a total of nine problems in the competition, an extraordinary accomplishment.   Expressing his feelings after winning the championship, Frank shared that he acknowledged the significant difficulty gap between the first five questions and the latter five. Despite the challenge, he persevered and successfully applied a specialised hash technique to solve a particularly challenging string problem named Problem H, which he was the only participant to crack.

Turing Award Laureate Prof. Joseph Sifakis Discussed Artificial Intelligence's Present and Future in 50th Anniversary Distinguished Talk Series

Our department proudly kicked off the highly anticipated 50th Anniversary Distinguished Talk Series on the evening of 5 April 2024. The inaugural talk was delivered by Prof. Joseph SIFAKIS, a distinguished researcher and recipient of the Turing Award in 2007.   We are honoured to have Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, present at the talk. The event successfully commenced with a diverse audience of approximately 300 participants, including PolyU staff, students, alumni and technology enthusiasts from various institutions.   Currently serving as the Emeritus Research Director at Verimag Laboratory, Prof. SIFAKIS has an impressive background in the design of reliable systems across domains such as avionics, space systems, telecommunications, and production systems. In 2007, he received the Turing Award, which is recognised as the highest distinction in computer science, for his contribution to the theory and application of model checking, the most widely used system verification technique.   In this talk titled "Artificial Intelligence: Where We Are, Where We Are Going," Prof. SIFAKIS discussed the current state and future prospects of artificial intelligence (AI). He first addressed the confusion surrounding the ultimate goal of AI, with some advocating for Artificial General Intelligence achieved through machine learning. However, he argued that the current state of AI is still limited, primarily providing building blocks for intelligent systems, such as question-answering assistants. He then discussed the pathway to achieving human-level intelligence, establishing trustworthiness in AI systems and seeking complementarity between human and machine intelligence. After the presentation, the audience responded overwhelmingly positive, with attendees eagerly asking questions and sharing thoughts. It is believed that the discussion provided valuable insights for anyone interested in artificial intelligence.   The 50th Anniversary Distinguished Talk Series, organised as part of the department's golden jubilee celebrations, aims to provide valuable insights and foster discussions on various topics pertaining to computing and technology. Renowned speakers from the field have been invited to share their expertise and experiences, offering attendees a unique opportunity to engage with some of the brightest minds in the industry.  

4 COMP Scholars Received Honorable Mention in 2024 AI 2000 Most Influential Scholar

 We are delighted to announce that three academic staff members and a PhD graduate from our department have recently been recognised as the 2024 AI 2000 Most Influential Scholars (Honorable Mention). Their contributions to artificial intelligence between 2014 and 2023 have earned them this prestigious recognition.   Dr WU Xiaoming, Associate Professor 2024 AI 2000 Most Influential Scholar Honorable Mention in AAAI/IJCAI Dr YANG Lei, Associate Professor 2024 AI 2000 Most Influential Scholar Honorable Mention in Computer Networking Dr FAN Wenqi, Assistant Professor 2024 AI 2000 Most Influential Scholar Honorable Mention in Information Retrieval and Recommendation Dr LI Qimai, PhD graduate 2024 AI 2000 Most Influential Scholar Honorable Mention in AAAI/IJCAI   The AI 2000 Most Influential Scholar Annual List aims to identify the top 2,000 highly cited research scholars in artificial intelligence over this decade (2020 - 2029). It highlights scholars who have made lasting contributions and have had a significant impact on the field. The list also seeks to encourage the recognition of young and active scholars who are driving advancements in AI.   The selection process for the AI 2000 Most Influential Scholar Annual List involved analysing the citation count of publications appearing in the top venues of each domain over the past decade. The scholars were ranked based on their citation count, with the top 10 scholars from each domain named "AI 2000 Most Influential Scholars" and the subsequent scholars recognised as "AI 2000 Most Influential Scholar Honorable Mention."

Call for Nominations: Outstanding Alumni Award of PolyU Department of Computing 2024

The Department of Computing (COMP) is pleased to announce that the Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award (OPAA) of PolyU Department of Computing 2024 is now calling for nominations until 24 April 2024 (Wednesday).   The departmental OPAA aims to publicly recognise outstanding graduates of COMP for their professional achievements and significant contributions to the community and their alma mater. The departmental awardees will be officially honoured by the department and be nominated for the Faculty Awards or above.   Award Categories and Selection Criteria There are four achievement categories, namely “Professional Achievement”, “Entrepreneurial Achievement”, “Scholarly Achievement” and “Community Service Achievement”. Selection is based on the nominee’s accomplishments in his/her personal achievements in the field, contributions to the community, and support and contributions to PolyU. Special recognition to young alumni awardees in the award category is added. A candidate who is aged under 40 by the end of the award year can be considered under the Outstanding PolyU Young Alumni Award stream. The Award will be conducted at three levels: Department level, Faculty/School level and University level. The recipients of the Department Award will be nominated for the Faculty Award. All Faculty/School awardees will be considered for the University Award.   Eligibility The nominated candidate must be a bona fide graduate who has successfully completed the full-time or part-time programme offered by PolyU (or its forerunners: Hong Kong Government Trade School, Hong Kong Technical College, Hong Kong Polytechnic; and its constituent units: School of Professional Education & Executive Development and Hong Kong Community College) which led to academic award accredited by the respective Institution.   The proposer can be a PolyU graduate, Honorary Graduate, University Fellow, PolyU staff, current PolyU Council and Court member and current Advisory Committee member. There is no limit to the number of nominations to be submitted by each proposer. However, the proposer cannot be the candidate himself/ herself or a direct relative of the candidate.   Panel of Judges and Result Announcement Selection for the Department Award will be conducted by May 2024. A panel of judges, comprising both internal and external members, will be formed to examine the nominations and assess candidates’ qualifications and performance for the awards. The result will be announced on our website and social media platforms in early June.   Nomination Please return the completed nomination form to comp.marketing@polyu.edu.hk with all required supplementary documents on or before 24 April 2024. Download Nomination Form Enquiries Department of Computing The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Email: comp.marketing@polyu.edu.hk

COMP UG Students Excel at The 2023 ICPC Asia-East Continent Final Contest

The 2023 International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) Asia-East Continent (EC) Final powered by Huawei was held from 12 to 14 January 2024. Our talented undergraduate students, including XU Le (Year 3), Frank XIANG (Year 1), and SUN Hansong (Year 1), formed a team and achieved a remarkable feat by securing the bronze medal in the contest. Additionally, our Year 3 student, CHEN Junru, emerged victorious in the subsequent individual competition, claiming the prestigious first prize among over 794 final participants by ranking as one of the top 10 contestants. In recognition of his outstanding achievement, he was awarded a cash prize of RMB 10,000.   The ICPC Asia EC Final was an intensive regional contest held within the broader framework of the ICPC. It served as a crucial qualifying round for university teams from the East Asian region to advance to the ICPC World Finals. The contest attracted teams from top universities across the EA region and gathered a diverse mix of participants from various cultural and educational backgrounds. During the contest, participating teams were presented with algorithmic problems and given a fixed time frame of 5 hours to showcase their problem-solving ability by using specific programming languages such as C++, and they also needed to strategise on dividing tasks based on individual strengths and coordinating their efforts. Teams were primarily ranked based on the number of problems solved, with tiebreakers determined by the total time taken to solve the problems, along with penalties for incorrect submissions.   While XU Le, Frank XIANG, and SUN Hansong expressed their happiness at being recognised, they also believed they could achieve a higher ranking at the contest if they performed at their usual level. They remain determined to improve their skills and aim for even better results in future competitions.

Establishment of the Centre for Large AI Models (CLAIM)

The University has officially approved the establishment of the Centre for Large AI Models (CLAIM) under the Research Centre for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. Prof. LI Qing, Chair Professor of Data Science and Head of COMP, and Prof. ZHANG Lei, Chair Professor of Computer Vision and Image Analysis, will be the Co-Directors of the centre.   The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has had a profound impact on numerous academic disciplines and practical applications. As data continues to grow exponentially, computing resources improve rapidly, and advancements in AI algorithms emerge, the trend towards larger AI model sizes has become increasingly significant. In response to this trend, CLAIM has been established to meet the high demand for computing resources necessary for training large AI models. Its primary objective is to provide PolyU researchers with the essential infrastructure to train these models effectively. Furthermore, CLAIM aims to foster advancements in AI research and application across various fields, including art, science, and engineering.   In addition to its core objectives, CLAIM will also play a crucial role in promoting the sharing of AI technology within the university. It will facilitate the customisation of models to meet specific requirements. Recognising the transformative potential of large AI models across diverse fields, this initiative will create a collaborative and innovative environment for interdisciplinary AI-related research within PolyU and beyond.

Kickoff Ceremony Marks the Start of COMP Golden Jubilee Celebration

In 2024, Department of Computing has reached a significant milestone and will be celebrating its 50th anniversary since its establishment in November 1974. To commence the jubilant celebrations, a kickoff ceremony for the 50th anniversary was held on 25 January 2024. The ceremony unified members of the PolyU and COMP community, including the Faculty Dean, industrial leaders, outstanding alumni, judges of the anniversary logo design competition, staff members, and student representatives of research postgraduate, taught postgraduate and undergraduate programmes, all joining hands to mark this special occasion.   We were honoured to have the following officiating guests present at the ceremony: Ir Prof. H.C. MAN, Dean (ENG), DoS (IGDS), DoRIAM, DoU3DP & Cheng Yick-chi Chair Prof. of Manufacturing Engg Mr Vincent MA, CEO of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park Limited Prof. LI Qing, Chair Professor of Data Science and Head of COMP Prof. CAO Jiannong, Dean of Graduate School, Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Professor in Data Science, Chair Professor of Distributed and Mobile Computing, Director of RIAIoT, Director of UBDA Prof. CHEN Changwen, Chair Professor of Visual Computing Prof. TAN Kay Chen, Chair Professor and Associate Head (Research and Development) Dr Henry CHAN, Associate Professor and Associate Head (Partnership & Collaboration) Mr Darron SUN, Head of Information Technology, Hong Kong Housing Society   Prof. H.C. Man, the Honorary Chair of COMP 50th Anniversary Organising Committee, warmly welcomed all participants. He expressed his amazement at how quickly time has passed. He recalled the rapid development of the department in the past ten years, acknowledging the tireless efforts of COMP colleagues in securing competitive research grants, producing significant research outputs with societal impact in the disciplines of AI, Data Science, Fintech, coding, etc, and providing all-round programmes that match the development needs of the city and the country. He has confidence that our Department of Computing will soon be a leading institution in the world.   Mr Vincent MA, also the Honorary Chair of COMP's 50th Anniversary Organising Committee, as well as a distinguished alumnus of COMP, shared his memories of enrolling in the undergraduate programme offered by the department in the 80s and his professional experience in the industry. As he witnessed the evolution of the industry over the years, he highlighted the importance of a vibrant and continuous learning mindset to exploit new technology development for societal advancement and personal growth. Looking ahead to the future, he firmly believes PolyU graduates will contribute significantly to the development of innovation and technology for decades.     Prof. LI Qing reflected on the department's growth in his speech, highlighting key milestones such as the introduction of programmes at different levels and areas over the years. He emphasised our department's pivotal role in driving innovation and conducting research that benefits society. In regard to the upcoming activities for the COMP 50th anniversary, he expressed excitement about the activities and invited all members of the COMP community to actively participate in the celebratory events.   During the kickoff ceremony, a COMP 50 Digital Time Capsule was launched, witnessed by the officiating guests and the participants. After its public release in the near future, the time capsule will serve as a platform for friends, colleagues, students, and alumni to share their memories of our department and submit messages that will be revealed in 5 years' time. The digital time capsule will be closed and sealed during the gala dinner in early November 2024.

Prof. WANG Dan has been selected as 2023 Distinguished Member of ACM

The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) has recently announced the induction of 52 Distinguished Members in recognition of their significant contributions to the field of computer science. Among the honorees is Prof. WANG Dan, our Professor, whose exceptional work in data-driven applications and platforms for cyber-physical energy systems has earned him this prestigious distinction.   Prof. WANG’s work contributes to the conversion of our energy systems into information-based decision-making systems. He tackles the challenge issues in cyber-physical energy systems and improves our understanding on how to capture and optimize the behaviors of physical systems, and how to manage the resources, data, and analytics in a unified and efficient way to support data-driven optimization and control. His work has been adopted by industry such as Henderson, Huawei, IBM, COOS, and many others. He won the industry TechConnect Innovation award. Prof. WANG works closely with Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) of the Hong Kong Government and his work supported the Global AI Challenge event in 2022.   ACM, the world's largest educational and scientific computing society, selects Distinguished Members based on their career achievements and participation in ACM. Nominees must possess at least 15 years of professional experience in the field, maintain a professional ACM Membership for at least five years within the last decade, and have demonstrated significant accomplishment or impact in their respective domains.