UESTC establishes artificial intelligence research institute

The University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC) establishes an artificial intelligence research institute on Sept 27. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC) in Chengdu, Sichuan province officially established an artificial intelligence research institute on Sept 27.

In line with China's national strategy to develop artificial intelligence, the move is also a major need for the university to optimize and adjust its organization styles of scientific research.

Wang Yafei, Party chief of UESTC, said the university will fully support the construction and development of the new institute through multi-disciplinary integration and collaborative innovation, and help promote the university's "Double First-Class" construction.

The term "double first-class" referring to "world-class university" and "world-class discipline", were approved by China's deepening reform lead group in 2016 as a new impetus for the development of China's higher education sector.

Wang believes that in the artificial intelligence core industry chain, no matter in the basic layer, the technical layer, or the application layer, every sector of each layer has a promising prospect. And "artificial intelligence +" will become a new form of industry.

Shen Hengtao, executive director of the institute, said the institute will serve as a bridge that links many related disciplines, give full play to the influence and driving force of artificial intelligence on various disciplines, and quickly transform the university’s advantages in the field of electronic information into artificial intelligence.

The institute will have several key directions, including intelligent robots, intelligent security, smart cities, smart medical, intelligent communications, and smart chips, he said.

In order to strengthen industrialization, Shen said the institute will adopt measures including close cooperation with industry, establishment of joint laboratories, and encouragement of technological transformation.

Shen said the institute will attract and bring in all kinds of outstanding talents and teams, so as to strengthen the basic scientific research on artificial intelligence and better apply the core technology to specific and various industry fields.

In recent years, UESTC has achieved rapid development in artificial intelligence, and has obtained important achievements in the related fields, such as communication, computer, automation, materials, electromechanical, life science, mathematics.

The university has established a number of interdisciplinary R&D institutions and platforms, including a robot research center, a future media research center, an information medical research center, and an intelligent network and communication research center.