Media

The Musketeer Foundation Institute of Data Science (IDS) at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) is pleased to announce the grand opening of its new office premises, marking a significant milestone as the institute celebrates its third anniversary. The opening was held on October 29 and officiated by distinguished guests, including Professor Xiang Zhang, President and Vice-Chancellor of HKU; the three founders of the foundation, known as the Musketeers donors, Mr. Stanley Chu, Mr. Lawrence Fung, and Mr. KC Leong.  Professor Max Shen, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research), and Professor Yi Ma, the Director of IDS, also participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

President's Remarks
President Xiang Zhang said at the Grand Opening, “AI is not only for STEM subjects like computer science or engineering, and it is actually for everybody in the campus. We believe that if we can really impact many different disciplines, be it education, arts, science, medicine, law, and even more areas, just as what the Institute’s mission has stated, it will be the reason why HKU can stand out from all, tall and visible”, acknowledging how the Institute’s unique positioning is valuable in steering more cutting-edge, impactful research works. Prof Zhang also puts high hopes on the future development of the Institute, with the office premises expansion along its third year of establishment. The era of AI, as Prof Zhang concludes, renders a golden opportunity for humans to generate more creativity, rather than sticking to routine, mechanical chores. This “exciting, challenging” age that the University is embracing indeed highlights the significance of an even more well-rounded research environment that IDS is heading towards, providing positive reinforcement for the Institute to carry on its mission as the nexus of data science research for HKU and beyond.

Modern and Collaborative Environment
The grand opening of the new premises symbolises IDS's ambition for a future filled with groundbreaking achievements and collaborative endeavors. The modern and innovative workspace, namely the Innovation Hub, the Research Sandbox, and the HKU IDS Seminar Room, has been designed to foster openness and interaction. This provides a dynamic environment for scholars, postgraduate research students, and researchers to engage in cutting-edge research and collaboration across disciplines.

One of the three Musketeers from The Musketeers Education and Culture Charitable Foundation, the Institute’s benefactors, Mr Ka-Chai Leong, commends the University and the IDS team for their dedication to “building talent, recruiting talent, growing talent, and connecting talent, for these are critical for competitiveness”, which makes the research community of the Institute standing strong and firm with its ever-expanding premises. Mr Leong, together with the other two Musketeers, expresses sincere wishes to the graduate students for their hard work towards research excellence. He emphasises to all young audience the importance of unity and remarks, “Our Foundation is looking forward to seeing IDS grow into a talent hub in the East, united in purpose and spirit.”

Professor Max Shen, Vice-President (Research) and Founding Director to the Institute, reiterated the aspirations of IDS to become a “world-leading research institute, first of the kind that will be innovative and pioneering in AI”, thanks to the generous donation of the three Musketeers. Professor Shen extended special thanks to the current Director of IDS, Professor Yi Ma, for his “endeavours of designing world-class graduate courses”, which will make “HKU IDS the role model for many of the data science institutes to learn and study.” Professor Shen emphasised the importance of IDS as a unique establishment, stating, “We want this Institute to be standing for a long time – just like leading labs in MIT and Stanford. I do think IDS will be the leading AI institute for all disciplines alike.”

Future Commitment and Global Impact
In the past three years, IDS has seen rapid growth in talent recruitment, increasing the number of HKU100 scholars from six in 2022 to 16 in 2024. IDS has also nurtured the next generation of researchers through its well-structured research postgraduate programmes. The Institute has become a pioneer for other research institutes within the University to follow, both in structure and management.

Going forward, IDS will spare its efforts on interdisciplinary areas between AI and subjects that are yet to have created critical mass in the community. IDS would also  focus on topics including AI in humanity, AI in medicine, AI in cybersecurity, and more. Furthermore, IDS is delighted to announce the new establishment of the research centre called Interdisciplinary Dynamics: Ethics, AI, and Society (IDEAS). IDEAS is an interdisciplinary research centre dedicated to exploring the ethical, legal, social, and governance aspects of AI.

As IDS embarks on its journey towards further interdisciplinary research and talent development, the Institute remains committed to driving innovation and excellence in data science for the benefit of the community and beyond. With a strong foundation and a vision for sustained growth, IDS is poised to make significant contributions to the field of data science on a global scale.

About the Institute of Data Science (IDS)
Established in August 2021 as the first research institute envisioned under the technological blueprint of the HKU, IDS has rapidly evolved into a dynamic and energetic hub for interdisciplinary research in cutting-edge data science areas. The Institute's journey from inception to its current standing as a leading research cornerstone has been made possible through the generous support of The Musketeers Education and Culture Charitable Foundation, which provided a significant donation of HK$150 million to kickstart IDS's establishment.

IDS's unique role as an independent, cross-disciplinary research institute sets it apart as a beacon of innovation and collaboration within HKU. With a focus on fundamental data science, Explainable AI, and Smart Societies, IDS drives impactful and transformative research initiatives that push the boundaries of knowledge and create a critical mass of expertise in data science.

For media inquiries, please contact:
HKU Musketeers Foundation Institute of Data Science
Miss Jenny Ng (Tel: 3910-2321; email: jennynym@hku.hk)