IIIS and CQI Inaugurated at Tsinghua University

January 15,2011 Views: 0

January 15, 2011, the Inauguration Ceremony of Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences (IIIS) and Center for Quantum Information (CQI) took place at the FIT Building, Tsinghua University. Academician Binglin Gu, President of Tsinghua University and Academician Andrew Chi-Chih Yao, Dean of IIIS unveiled the plaques together. Prof. Xu Chen, Executive Vice Secretary of Party Committee of Tsinghua University hosted the ceremony. Academician Jiaguang Sun, Vice President of NSFC, and Mr. Chaozi Lei, Deputy Director of the Division of Science and Technology from Ministry of Education addressed at the ceremony while Prof. Xue Wang, Vice Dean of the Department of Precision Instruments, remarked on behalf of schools and institutions of Tsinghua University. Prof. Amy Yuexuan Wang, Deputy Dean of IIIS, and representatives from the Graduate School, Academic Affairs Division, Student Affairs Division, HR Department, Office of International Cooperation and Exchange, Publicity Department, Financial Division, Construction and Campus Planning Office, Equipment Division, Department of Computer Science and Technology, Department of Automation, Department of Electronic Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study and other schools and departments together with IIIS faculty, postdoctoral research fellows, students from Special Pilot CS Class and graduate students joined the ceremony.

 

President Gu (right) and Academician Yao (left) unveil the plaque of IIIS

President Gu (right) and Academician Yao (left) unveil the plaque of CQI

Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences (IIIS) was established on December 30, 2010. The Dean, Prof. Andrew Chi-Chih Yao is a world-leading computer scientist, winner of the A.M. Turing Award in 2000, member of the US National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The Institute aims to become one of the leading research centers on interdisciplinary information sciences in the world as well as to offer a habitat for the research and education of theoretical computer science and quantum information science in China. IIIS is an umbrella institute hosting two research organizations, namely Institute for Theoretical Computer Science (ITCS) and Center for Quantum Information (CQI). ITCS emphasizes on the interaction between theoretical computer science and mathematics, while CQI focuses on the interaction of computer, information science and physics. IIIS also hosts two international research centers, namely Tsinghua-MIT-CUHK Research Center for Theoretical Computer Science (CTCS) inaugurated in June, 2010 and the upcoming Tsinghua-Michigan Joint Center for Quantum Information (JCQI).

Academician Yao remarked at the ceremony

In his remarks, Prof. Yao said that Tsinghua has strong advantages in information science and solid foundation in discipline development. The establishment of IIIS indicates a new opportunity and is of great significance. The development of information science and technology has paved the way for modern civilization. And computers, communication technologies and Internet, which are indispensable in our modern society, pervade all parts of human activity. The further development of information science in the 21st century depends on the exploration of new fundamentals and methods, the most effective method of which lies in the interaction between information science and other disciplines. IIIS at Tsinghua University led by Prof. Yao is devoted to promoting the innovative development of information science and cultivating the next generation of scientific talents in China. It provides a novel platform for the interaction of information science and other disciplines, physics, mathematics, as well as life science and social sciences in particular in the future.

Academician Sun remarked at the ceremony

Mr. Lei remarked at the ceremony

Academician Jiaguang Sun believed that the establishment of IIIS and CQI means that Tsinghua has built foundation for strengthening quantum information research and gained access into world competitions in this field. He also mentioned the substantial support from the central budget to the research team led by Prof. Yao, which indicates both opportunities and challenges. In his remarks, Mr. Lei said, the establishment of IIIS and CQI is not only a milestone of Tsinghua University, but also a great event in China’s efforts in advancing higher education, science and technology. With Prof. Yao as the Dean, IIIS will surely make great contributions to the development of information science both in China and around the world.

President Gu remarked at the ceremony

President Gu expressed his thanks to Prof. Yao for his efforts in innovative research and talent cultivation. Since he left Princeton to become a Professor at Tsinghua University in 2004, Prof. Yao has been leading ITCS in its efforts to nurture the talents of students and researchers as well as to create knowledge for the advancement of computer science. Theoretical computer science is largely an abstract mathematical discipline that seeks to better understand the nature of computation. As an essential part of the discipline of computer science in world-leading universities, it provides theoretical basics for the development of computer science and technology. Therefore, we have witnessed impressive research results on interdisciplinary information sciences. Led by Prof. Yao, ITCS is building up an international faculty team, which has played an important role in teaching, research, talent recruitment and academic exchanges. In the International Academic Review on Computer Science and Technology of Tsinghua University in August 2010, the committee has been impressed by the creation and progress of the Institute for Theoretical Computer Science under the leadership of Prof. Andrew Yao. They have been pleased to see the high level international academic activities developing around ITCS, which include the visits by a series of world-class experts in computer science, the student intern programs, and the establishment of collaborative programs with world leading institutions.

Prof. Wang remarked at the ceremony

The research team led by Prof. Yao has already had considerable positive impact on Tsinghua’s computer science program as part of its endeavor to become a world-class program. And this will be carried forward with the development of IIIS. As said by Prof. Xue Wang, schools and institutions at Tsinghua will join hands with IIIS in fully promoting the exchange and cooperation of disciplines, thus cultivating comprehensive talents with extensive background.

From left to right: Xu Chen, Chaozi Lei, Andrew Chi-Chih Yao, Binglin Gu, Jiaguang Sun, Luming Duan, Amy Yuexuan Wang

First Row (from left to right):
Yuanyuan Duan, Lisheng Luo, Hong Gao, Chaozi Lei, Binglin Gu, Andrew Chi-Chih Yao, Xu Chen, Luming Duan, Amy Yuexuan Wang, Fenjie Long, Hua Yang
Second Row (from left to right):
Jiaqiang Li, Bo Wang, Yan Gao, Xue Wang, Bing Zhu, Nianle Wu, Xiqin Wang, Maosong Sun, Jianping Wu, Tianyuan Xiao, Shimin Hu, Jinsong Zhao, Hong Chen, Shijie Yu,
Hui Xiang, Xinyu Pan, Kihwan Kim, Xiaofeng Wu

Group Photo