Visual computing expert Professor Chen Tsuhan to lead research at NUS
The National University of Singapore (NUS) has appointed Cornell University Professor Chen Tsuhan as Deputy President (Research and Technology) and Distinguished Professor, from 1 June 2018.
Prof Chen is a celebrated expert in computer vision, machine learning and pattern recognition. He has published more than 300 technical papers and holds close to 30 US patents. Prof Chen is the David E. Burr Professor of Engineering at Cornell University, US, a position he has held since 2009. From 2009 to 2013, when he served as Director of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Cornell, he promoted the School to top ranking positions and launched several initiatives to boost innovation as well as foster research and teaching excellence. He also directed the Advanced Multimedia Processing Laboratory, which conducts research in areas including computer vision and pattern recognition; multimedia coding and retrieval; as well as biometric authentication.
Prof Chen is also Chief Scientist at AI Singapore, a national programme to enhance Singapore’s artificial intelligence competencies to drive the digital economy, which is hosted at NUS. He holds a PhD degree in electrical engineering from the California Institute of Technology, US.
Prof Chen said, “NUS, as the leading higher education institution in Singapore, has the responsibility to conduct world-class research and develop advanced technology for Singapore as well as for the world. I am honoured to be part of this endeavour. As Deputy President (Research and Technology), I feel extremely humbled by the privilege of both leadership and stewardship. I see my new role in serving the NUS community, and championing NUS research and technology as an integral part of NUS’ mission in higher education.”
Prof Chen believes strongly in collaborative research. As the Cheng Tsang Man Chair Professor and Dean of the College of Engineering at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore from 2015 to 2017, he pioneered several support schemes to encourage inter-school multidisciplinary programmes in line with the domain areas spelled out in the national Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2020 Plan. These initiatives included the Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Centre, the Data Science & Artificial Intelligence Research Centre and the Innovative Centre for Flexible Devices.
NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye said, “NUS is poised for exciting times ahead, and we are pleased to have Professor Chen Tsuhan, who is an expert in visual computing and a prolific inventor, to augment the expertise of the University’s leadership team as we expand NUS’ innovation and enterprise network in the region and beyond. At NUS, we will continue to explore new frontiers of science and technology through innovation and excellence, with the aim of creating impact and value for the benefit of Singapore and Singaporeans, as well as the region and the society at large.”
“Together with NUS leadership, we will brainstorm to identify strategic areas for the future, that is, the ‘next big things’. In these areas, we will strive to provide appropriate platforms and resources, recruit and nurture future leaders, and create partnerships between research institutes and schools across the University, in Singapore and beyond,” said Prof Chen, who will report to Senior Deputy President and Provost, Professor Ho Teck Hua.
Please refer to the Annex for the biography of Prof Chen Tsuhan.
