News

Professor ZHANG Chengqi Appointed as Director of Shenzhen Research Institute in the PolyU Shenzhen Research Institute

We are delighted to announce that Professor ZHANG Chengqi, Chair Professor of Artificial Intelligence in DSAI, has been appointed as Director of Shenzhen Research Institute in the PolyU Shenzhen Research Institute with effect from 1 January 2025. PolyU Shenzhen Research Institute was established in 2000 as PolyU’s extended campus in Shenzhen. It has been incorporated into the University strategy in all aspects of space deployment, management and research; and has become the focus of PolyU's development in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) region.

Welcome On Board - Associate Professor and Presidential Young Scholar Dr CHENG Ran

We would like to extend a warm welcome to Dr CHENG Ran, joining DSAI as Associate Professor and Presidential Young Scholar on 16 December 2024. Dr Ran Cheng received his BSc degree from Northeastern University, China, in 2010, and his PhD degree from the University of Surrey, U.K., in 2016. Before joining The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, he was an Associate Professor at the Southern University of Science and Technology, China. His research focuses on advancing Computational Intelligence to tackle modeling and optimization challenges in complex systems. His primary research interests include evolutionary computation and representation learning, with an emphasis on developing efficient and scalable computational methods. Dr Cheng is the recipient of the IEEE Computational Intelligence Society Outstanding PhD Dissertation Award (2019), the IEEE Transactions on Evolutionary Computation Outstanding Paper Award (2018, 2020), the IEEE Computational Intelligence Magazine Outstanding Paper Award (2021), and the IEEE Computational Intelligence Society Outstanding Early Career Award (2025).

LU Zhoudao wins Outstanding Student Award of Department 2024/25

LU Zhoudao, a student of the Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Financial Technology and Artificial Intelligence programme, has been selected as the winner of the Outstanding Student Award of Department 2024/25. The Outstanding Student Award Scheme awards full-time final-year students who excel in both academic and non-academic pursuits during their studies annually. Apart from having outstanding academic merits, the awardees are well-rounded with aspects such as strong leadership abilities, good personal qualities and conduct, active involvement in extra-curricular activities and community services, and a global outlook. The Outstanding Student Award Presentation Ceremony 2024/25 is scheduled for April 2025.  

Prof. TAN Kay Chen recognised in the list of “Highly Cited Researchers 2024” by Clarivate Analytics

Prof. TAN Kay Chen, Interim Head and Chair Professor of DSAI, has been recognised in the list of “Highly Cited Researchers 2024” by Clarivate Analytics, under the category of Computer Science. This annual list recognises researchers for significant impact in their respective research fields. Each researcher selected has authored multiple highly-cited papers that have ranked in the top 1% by citations for their fields and publication year in the Web of Science over the past 11 years. This year, a total of 6,636 researchers from 59 countries and regions from a diverse range of fields have been named as Highly Cited Researchers.  

Department of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Makes Its Debut at PolyU Info Day 2024

The Department of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DSAI) proudly made its inaugural appearance at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University Information Day 2024, held on October 12, 2024. The event introduced our programmes to secondary school students, parents, and individuals interested in pursuing further studies. Established in July 2024, DSAI will be a part of the newly formed Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences (FCMS), which is set to officially launch on January 1, 2025. The Info Day kicked off with an FCMS opening ceremony officiated by Professor H.C. Man, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, and Professor Raymond Wai-yeung Wong, Dean of the Faculty of Science. They were joined by the heads and interim head of the three departments joining the faculty, including Professor Kay Chen Tan, Interim Head of the Department of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence; Professor Defeng Sun, Head of the Department of Applied Mathematics; and Professor Qing Li, Head of the Department of Computing. A significant moment during the ceremony was the illumination of a lightbox displaying the faculty acronym, FCMS, symbolizing the bright future that awaits the new faculty. Our programmes attracted considerable interest, with around 280 visitors attending the undergraduate programme seminars focused on the Bachelor of Science (Hons) Scheme in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. In addition to the seminars, our consultation booth welcomed thousands of visitors. Prospective students and their families engaged with our department members, gaining insights into the curriculum, learning experience, and career pathways available in the rapidly evolving field of data science and artificial intelligence.

5 PolyU DSAI Scholars Ranked as the World's Top 2% Scientists

Five PolyU DSAI staff members have been ranked as the World’s Top 2% scientists 2024 by Stanford University. The report was prepared by a team of experts led by Prof. John Ioannidis, the eminent Professor at the Stanford University. Notably, 4 of the DSAI members were included based on both their career-long citation impact and single recent year citation impact. For more information, please visit: https://elsevier.digitalcommonsdata.com/datasets/btchxktzyw/7   Name (in alphabetical order of surname)  Subject Field   Prof. HUANG Jian  Statistics & Probability   Prof. KUMAR Ajay  Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing  Prof. TAN Kay Chen  Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing  Dr WU Xiao-Ming  Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing  Prof. ZHANG Chengqi  Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing

Orientation for New Taught Postgraduate Students

On 4 September 2024, the Department of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DSAI) successfully conducted an orientation for the new cohort of Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Computing students. The event aimed to provide essential information and resources to help students navigate their postgraduate journey. The session commenced with a welcoming address from Interim Head Prof. KC Tan, who encouraged students to innovate and collaborate in their studies. Associate Head in Teaching Dr. Jiang Binyan then introduced the Department, highlighting the key management and teaching staff of the programme. Following this, Dr. Korris Chung, the Programme Leader, provided a comprehensive briefing on the curriculum and expectations of the programme. Dr. Hua Wen, Deputy Programme Leader, provided practical advice on studying at PolyU and living in Hong Kong. The orientation concluded with an interactive Q&A session, allowing students to engage with the teaching staff and clarify any questions they had about their studies. This event marked a promising start 

Orientation for New Senior Year Students

The Department of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DSAI) hosted the orientation for the incoming senior year (SY) freshmen of BSc (Hons) in Financial Technology and Artificial Intelligence on 29 August 2024. The event aimed to familiarize new students with the programme and the resources available to them.   The session kicked off with a warm welcome from Ir Professor H.C. Man, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, who recorded a special welcoming video for the students. Following this, Interim Head Prof. KC Tan welcomed the new students and encouraged them to embrace the opportunities ahead.   To mark a vibrant start to the new academic year, Dr BY Jiang, the Associate Head in Teaching, introduced the programme structure, leadership and advising system that will support students’ academic journey. Additionally, the Student Affairs Office (SAO) and the Office of Undergraduate Studies (OUS) provided essential information on campus resources, student services, and general university requirements.   The orientation concluded with an engaging Q&A session, allowing students to clarify any queries and gain insights into their new academic environment. We wish our new students will have a fruitful and inspiring learning journey at DSAI.

Warm Welcome to Chair Professor Zhang Chengqi

We would like to extend a warm welcome to Professor Zhang Chengqi, joining DSAI as Chair Professor of Artificial Intelligence on 10 September 2024. Professor Zhang earned his Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence from The University of Queensland in 1991, and Doctor of Science degree (Higher Doctorate) in Artificial Intelligence from Deakin University in 2002. He was the founding Director of the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Priority Research Centre for Quantum Computation & Intelligent Systems from 2008 to 2017 and has been a Distinguished Professor in Artificial Intelligence since then. He has also held various leadership roles at UTS, including Executive Director of UTS Data Science, Associate Vice President (Research Relationships China), and Pro Vice-Chancellor (China Enterprise). Professor Zhang specializes in Distributed Artificial Intelligence and Data Mining, has 384 publications with more than 33,500 citations and an h-index of 70 (Google Scholar). His work has appeared in prestigious international journals like Artificial Intelligence and IEEE Transactions. He received the NSW Science and Engineering Award in 2011 and the IEEE ICDM Outstanding Service Award in 2021. Professor Zhang has been invited to serve key positions in various professional organizations, including Fellow of the Australian Computer Society, Senior Member of the IEEE Computer Society, and Chair of the IEEE Computer Society Technical Committee on Intelligent Informatics. He is the Conference Chair for the International Joint Conferences on Artificial Intelligence in 2024.

Establishment of Department of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence on 1 July 2024

In an exciting development for the future of technology and innovation, the Department of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DSAI) is officially established on 1 July 2024. DSAI will initially be hosted under the Faculty of Engineering.   The department is poised to become a leader in the rapidly evolving fields of Data Science (DS) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Its inception reflects the growing importance of data science and artificial intelligence in our society. By fostering an environment of learning and innovation, DSAI aims to contribute significantly to the field, producing graduates who are not only proficient in technical skills but also possess the critical thinking and problem-solving abilities necessary for success.   The department looks forward to welcoming its students and faculty members, who will together embark on a journey of discovery and innovation.