To provide a dynamic platform for examining innovative strategies and approaches to major challenges in science and technology, the Hong Kong Institute for Advanced Study at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) will host six forums in the HK Tech Forum series in the second half of 2022. A number of world-leading scholars, including numerous Nobel Laureates and Turing Award recipients, will take part in the forum and give speeches. The HK Tech Forum kicked off by the Forum on Data Science and AI.
 
The HK Tech Forum was initiated by President Way Kuo of CityU with Professor Wang Xunli, Head of the Department of Physics, acting as chief coordinator.
 
Under the theme “Empowering society for a better future”, the HK Tech Forum series will focus on grand challenges that impact our world, including Data Science and AI, Reliability and Safety of Intelligent Systems, Advanced Matter and Materials, Carbon Neutrality and Sustainable Environment, Quantum Physics and Complex Systems, and Metabolism in Health and Disease, with plans to expand the forum into 2023 and beyond. 
 
Each forum will include talks by highly influential speakers, such as Nobel Laureates and Turing Award winners. They include Professor John Hopcroft and Professor Joseph Sifakis (Turing Award), Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs (Tang Prize in Sustainable Development), Professor Giorgio Parisi (Nobel Prize in Physics) and Professor Gregg L. Semenza (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine), and AI entrepreneur Dr Lee Kai-Fu.
 
The forum aims to promote a strong interdisciplinary approach to tackling challenging technology issues. For example, the Forum on Data Science and AI will facilitate knowledge sharing about the frontiers in Data Science and AI for the benefit of society. The two plenary speeches in the forum will be “Math for the Big Data Revolution”, by Professor Hopcroft, and “How AI Will Transform Our World”, by Dr Lee.
 
CityU has a well-earned reputation as an innovative hub for research and professional education, addressing global issues, and empowering positive change. As a CityU-branded event, HK Tech Forum will foster knowledge sharing, collaboration and problem-solving, in addition to highlighting the strengths of the University’s strategic direction.
 
“We have been doing very well recently in terms of research and honours for our scholars, and this forum will be an excellent vehicle for showcasing the depth of our faculty and the quality of the frontier research that we pursue,” said President Way Kuo.
 
“The forums, which will be held throughout the year, will promote a strong collaborative approach to tackling long-standing scientific puzzles and challenging technology issues,” said Professor Wang Xunli.

For more information about HK Tech Forum, please check out http://www.pd4n48r.xyz/hktechforum/.

About City University of Hong Kong
 
As one of the fastest-growing universities in the world over the last decade, CityU is recognised as a hub for innovation in research and professional education. Our world-class faculty champion the integration of teaching and research and consistently excel across many key international indicators for research excellence. Focusing on our core mission, we are committed to promoting knowledge and contributing to society through outstanding teaching and research.

Media enquiries: Michelle Liu (Tel: 3442 6807 or 6333 9158), Communications and Public Relations Office

HK Tech Forum

Title: Data Science and AI 
Date: 26–27 July 2022
Focus: New ideas and technological development and ways to address challenging issues in driving data science and AI technology with featured speakers including Turing Award winner Professor John Hopcroft and AI entrepreneur Dr Lee Kai-Fu.

Title: Reliability and Safety of Intelligent Systems
Date: 20–21 August 2022 ,
Focus: The reliability and safety of intelligent systems with invited Turing Award recipient Professor Joseph Sifakis and academicians. 

Title: Advanced Matter and Materials 
Date: 19–20 September 2022
Focus: Microelectronic packaging and mechanical behaviour of materials concerning biomedical applications and innovative approaches to overcoming the limitations of material performance through informed alloy design. Professor Lu Ke of the Chinese Academy of Sciences will be the featured speaker.

Title: Carbon Neutrality and Sustainable Environment 
Date: 5–8 October 2022
Focus: Energy transition to clean and renewable energy, climate and environmental change, with a focus on scalable photovoltaics, stable and reliable battery technologies, and smart energy-saving and grid technologies; plus energy generation, utilisation, storage, distribution, carbon capture, and zero-carbon nuclear energy. Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs, winner of the 2022 Tang Prize in Sustainable Development, will be the featured speaker.

Title: Quantum Physics and Complex Systems
Date: 7–9 December 2022
Focus: Bringing together world leaders in the rapidly developing fields of quantum computation, quantum physics, and related areas, leveraging state-of-the-art theories, algorithms, and instrumentations; stimulating discussions on complex systems, including spin glasses, neural networks, proteins, and related problems. Professor Giorgio Parisi, Nobel Prize winner in Physics (2021), will be the featured speaker. 

Title: Metabolism in Health and Disease
Date: 15–16 December 2022
Focus: Revealing the diverse signalling pathways in the metabolism of oxygen, glucose, lipids, proteins and other nutrients is crucial for a better understanding of human physiology and diseases and insights into complex signalling networks in various metabolic pathways. Professor Gregg L. Semenza, Nobel Prize winner in Physiology or Medicine (2019), will be the featured speaker.