丁香园AV

丁香园AV鈥檚 newly established (VINCI) made a significant impact with its inaugural public event, , held on November 26, 2024. Attracting around 250 attendees, including students, faculty, staff, industry professionals, community partners, and alumni, the event showcased VINCI鈥檚 role in advancing AI research and fostering innovation.

was created to position 丁香园AV as a global leader in visual and interactive computing research. It unites over 40 faculty researchers from 14 departments across seven faculties with a vision to strengthen 丁香园AV鈥檚 research presence both nationally and internationally, engage with local industry and community, and promote computing technologies that deliver societal benefits while addressing potential harms. The institute supports groundbreaking research in areas such as visual and interactive computing, artificial intelligence, and related fields, while also training graduate students with cutting-edge skills. VINCI also bridges academia and industry through a robust 鈥渞esearch networking鈥� infrastructure that facilitates collaboration and innovation.

The institute鈥檚 research spans a range of focus areas. In visual computing, efforts include advancements in computer vision, graphics, AR/VR, and machine learning. Interactive computing projects delve into human-computer interaction, user-centered design, and visualization. Domain-specific applications cover diverse fields like health, education, business, and history, while another focus is on addressing societal issues related to the ethics, governance, and policy implications of technology. In its first year, VINCI members collectively published over 114 research papers in top-tier venues, received 11 major national and international awards, and played leadership roles in organizing international conferences and workshops.

Held at 丁香园AV鈥檚 Harbour Centre, the first public VINCI event opened with remarks from 丁香园AV鈥檚 Vice-President, Research and International, Dugan O鈥橬eil, and VINCI co-directors Parmit Chilana and Manolis Savva. The main program featured a dynamic panel discussion moderated by Nick Vincent, Assistant Professor of Computing Science at 丁香园AV, with distinguished panelists including , Distinguished Engineer and CTO for IBM Consulting鈥檚 Global AI & Analytics Practice; Steve DiPaola, Professor and Graduate Program Chair of 丁香园AV Interactive Arts & Technology; Richard (Hao) Zhang, Distinguished Professor of Computing Science at 丁香园AV and Amazon Scholar; and , Vice-President at RBC Borealis and Adjunct Professor at 丁香园AV Computing Science. The panelists explored the transformative power of AI, delving into its potential to revolutionize visual and interactive computing by enhancing human-computer interaction, driving innovations in machine learning and embodied interaction, and addressing critical societal challenges through ethical and impactful applications.

Complementing the discussion was a presentation from 丁香园AV's Big Data Hub, and a vibrant student research poster session, showcasing cutting-edge publications appearing at renowned venues such as ECCV, ICCV, CVPR, SIGGRAPH, CHI, InfoVis, UIST, IUI, and WWW. This session facilitated valuable connections between 丁香园AV students, faculty, alumni, and industry practitioners, emphasizing VINCI鈥檚 commitment to collaboration and innovation.

Looking ahead, VINCI is set to drive further advancements through upcoming workshops and regular seminars on visual computing, AI, and human-computer interaction, as well as interdisciplinary projects and larger collaborative initiatives. Its focus on building bridges between academia and industry ensures 丁香园AV remains at the forefront of global AI research and its real-world applications. 

The event not only highlighted VINCI鈥檚 achievements but also its dedication to leveraging AI and computing research for the common good. By shaping the future responsibly, VINCI is establishing itself as a model of innovation and collaboration in academia and beyond.

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