Top Lingnan scientist Prof Sam Kwong Tak-wu elected Fellow of the 2023 National Academy of Inventors and Fellow of HKAES
Prof Sam Kwong Tak-wu, Lingnan University’s Associate Vice-President (Strategic Research) and Chair Professor of Computational Intelligence, has been elected as a 2023 class Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). Prof Kwong is one of only two Hong Kong scholars to receive this prestigious recognition.
The NAI Fellows Selection Committee chose Prof Kwong for induction for his spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on the quality of life, economic development, and welfare of society. Prof Kwong will receive his medal at the NAI 13th Annual Meeting in June 2024 in the US.
Prof Sam Kwong Tak-wu is the first scholar at Lingnan University to receive this honour during his tenure, and Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science, also a Fellow, said, “Prof Kwong has not only received numerous accolades in the academic field, earning extensive industry recognition, but also demonstrated his leadership in the scientific community.
“Currently serving as the President of the IEEE Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Society (SMCS), his research has had a profound global impact, making him a consistently highly cited researcher worldwide. Prof Kwong’s election as NAI Fellow affirms his outstanding achievements and reflects Lingnan University’s dedication and contributions to innovative scientific endeavours.”
Prof Kwong said, “I am deeply honoured to be elected as Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. This recognition not only reflects my individual accomplishments but also acknowledges the groundbreaking contributions of computational intelligence. In the face of the rapid technological advancements, computational intelligence plays a pivotal role across diverse fields and industries. I am committed to advancing my research in computational intelligence, delving into the limitless potential of this field, and making impactful contributions to society.”
In addition, Prof Kwong has just elected as Fellow of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences (HKAES) for the year 2023. Prof Kwong’s research project “Cross-modality interaction and remote perception theory and method for salient attribute mining” won the Second Prize of the Natural Science Award of the 2023 Science and Technology Award of the China Society of Image and Graphics.
A pioneer in computational intelligence, significantly influencing evolutionary computation, artificial intelligence (AI) solutions, and image/video processing, Prof Kwong has received numerous international honours for his fundamental contributions to his profession, including being listed as one of the World’s Top 2% Scientists by Stanford University, and named on the Clarivate list of “Highly Cited Researchers 2023”. He was named an IEEE Fellow in 2014 for his contributions to optimisation techniques in cybernetics and video coding. Prof Kwong became a Fellow of the Asia-Pacific Artificial Intelligence Association (AAIA) in 2022, and was President of the IEEE Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Society (SMCS) in 2021-2023.
Prof Sam Kwong Tak-wu has a prolific publication record with over 350 journal articles, and 160 conference papers with an h-index of 79 based on Google Scholar. He is currently associate editor of a number of leading IEEE transaction journals.
NAI Fellows is the highest professional distinction awarded to academic inventors. The 2023 Fellow class hails from 118 research universities and governmental and non-profit research institutes worldwide. They collectively hold more than 4,600 US patents. This year’s class includes 2 Nobel Laureates, 3 National Inventors Hall of Fame inductees, 22 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and individuals holding other honours and distinctions as well as senior leadership from universities and research institutions.
HKAES is a professional engineering organisation for engineers in Hong Kong, founded by Sir Sze Yuen Chung, Nobel Laureate in Physics Prof Charles Kuen Kao, and other eminent leaders. It is committed to establishing Hong Kong as an international leader in the development and application of science, engineering, and technology for the benefit of Hong Kong, mainland China, and the region. The Fellows are recognised industry leaders who have demonstrated excellence in engineering sciences or applications.
As an AI expert, Prof Kwong also delivered a lecture on “Creating a Better Future: Harnessing AI for Social and Environmental Responsibility” on 7 December for the fourth session of the Distinguished Scholars Seminar Series organised by Lingnan University’s School of Graduate Studies, analysing how the rapid rise of artificial intelligence and robots in recent years will affect human work and daily life.
Prof Kwong emphasises the importance of considering environmental and social responsibilities when developing AI technologies. He believes that researchers and societies should focus on how to make better use of technology and AI, rather than just pursuing technological advancements. “By taking a responsible approach to AI development, we can ensure that the benefits of these technologies are maximised while minimising any negative impacts.”
He had a lively discussion with the audience afterwards, emphasising the importance of examining how technology can contribute to enhancing human life.
Prof Kwong concludes with two important questions for further investigation: Do we need a machine to generate everything or not? Is data leading to AI, or is AI leading to data?
