Lingnan AI expert Prof. Xin Yao elected Fellow of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering

Prof. Xin Yao, Vice-President (Research and Innovation) and Tong Tin Sun Chair Professor of Machine Learning at Lingnan University, has been elected a Fellow of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering (HKAE) for 2024. The induction ceremony for the 11 new Fellows was held on January 20, 2025. Prof. Yao is the third Lingnan scholar to receive this honor, following Prof. S. Joe Qin and Prof. Sam Kwong Tak-wu. Prof S. Joe Qin, President of Lingnan University, remarked, “Prof. Xin Yao, a widely recognized leader in Artificial Intelligence, is among the world-class scholars Lingnan University has successfully recruited. He is also the fourth member of the Lingnan faculty elected to the Academy in just over a year, underscoring the quality of our faculty. To nurture interdisciplinary talent, we plan to construct our first dedicated science building on campus, providing additional research offices and laboratories to support teaching and learning comprehensively. We believe these initiatives, led by Prof. Xin Yao and other distinguished scholars, will catalyze innovation and guide Lingnan toward becoming a comprehensive university in arts and sciences in the digital era. Our aim is to contribute to establishing Hong Kong as an international hub for higher education and support sustainable development in society.” Upon receiving this prestigious award, Prof. Xin Yao stated, “Data science and AI are rapidly advancing global industries. I believe that Artificial Intelligence will be prevalent in the future, and innovation in technology is closely linked to the development of human resources. I look forward to collaborating with other HKAE Fellows to explore and expand the application of AI, generating greater value for the community. Through the Lingnan University Institute for Advanced Study (LUIAS), I aim to forge partnerships with leading global researchers to address urgent societal challenges. We also aspire to nurture students who are innovative talents and critical thinkers regarding the social implications of technological advancements.” Prof. Xin Yao is a distinguished international scholar in Artificial Intelligence, having engaged in research on computational intelligence across various fields, including smart logistics and biology. He has taught at multiple renowned institutions, including the Southern University of Science and Technology and the University of Birmingham. He was the first Chinese recipient of the 2020 IEEE Frank Rosenblatt Award and has been listed among Highly Cited Researchers in 2016, 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024. Since 2021, he has consistently ranked among Stanford University’s World’s Top 2% Scientists in AI and Image Processing. Founded in 1994, the HKAE promotes collaboration, innovation, and excellence in engineering and contributes to societal advancement and the development of Hong Kong. In addition to supporting education and research, the HKAE conducts policy research and provides expert advice to the government and other organizations in engineering-related fields.