IDS Interdisciplinary Seminar: Analyzing time-dependent or sequential data by blending statistical and machine learning techniques

IDS Interdisciplinary Seminar:
Analyzing time-dependent or sequential data by blending statistical and machine learning techniques

Title: Analyzing time-dependent or sequential data by blending statistical and machine learning techniques
Speaker: Professor Guodong Li, Associate Director (Recruitment and Research), HKU IDS; Professor, Dept of Statistics & Actuarial Science, School of Computing and Data Science, HKU 
Date: Sep 19, 2024
Time: 10:30am – 11:30am

Venue: IDS Seminar Room, P603, Graduate House / Zoom
Mode: Hybrid. Seats for on-site participants are limited. A confirmation email will be sent to participants who have successfully registered.

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Abstract

Due to recent developments of information technologies, the data with much bigger sizes and much more complicated forms have been routinely collected from a wide range of scientific fields, and many of them are time-dependent or sequential data. Statistics and machine learning have both developed their own expertise to take care of such type of data: time series analysis and sequential data analysis.  These two sub-areas seem to be growing separately, though their targets are more or less the same, and it is of interest to explore the similarity and difference between them. The speaker has conducted researches on time series analysis since 2003 and on sequential data analysis since 2019. He would like to share several pieces of work in these two sub-areas, and some of them are even from the intersection of these two sub-areas.

Speaker

Professor Guodong Li
Associate Director (Recruitment and Research) @ HKU IDS;
Professor @ Dept of Statistics & Actuarial Science, School of Computing and Data Science, HKU 

Professor Guodong Li joined the Department of Statistics & Actuarial Science, The University of Hong Kong, in 2009 as an Assistant Professor, and currently is a Professor. Prior to this, Professor Li had worked at the Division of Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, as an Assistant Professor since he received his PhD degree in statistics from the University of Hong Kong in 2007. He got his Bachelor and Master degrees in Statistics from Peking University.

His research interests cover the following areas: time series analysis; quantile regression; econometrics; high-dimensional analysis, and machine learning.

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For information, please contact:
Email: datascience@hku.hk

Such a Beautiful Conclusion to Summer 2024 – 6 Incredible Young Souls Excelling in the Summer Research Programme 2024 (SRP2024)!

Such a Beautiful Conclusion to Summer 2024 – 6 Incredible Young Souls Excelling in the Summer Research Programme 2024 (SRP2024)!

Seize the best out of summer! HKU IDS took the pleasure to have received 6 young fellows under the Summer Research Programme 2024 (SRP2024) who were hosted at our Institute from June 3 – August 9, 2024. Organized by the Graduate School, HKU welcomed 102 talented students in total to participate in SRP2024, and 39 students have been awarded an Outstanding Completion Award. The most encouraging of all was that two of them have specially outstood the rest of their peers as to be given a conditional offer of the prestigious HKU Presidential PhD Scholarship (HKU-PS), reflecting on their extraordinary achievements during their time with their mentors amidst the truly interdisciplinary and collaborative environment at HKU IDS which facilitates high-quality research.

Warm welcome by HKU IDS for the orientation session upon their arrival in Hong Kong!

Delighted as we witness how the 6 gentlemen improved and grew during the course of the 10-week programme, our two participants made remarkable progress as remarked by their tremendous progress which was duly agreed with the judging panel from HKU Graduate School and discipline-specific faculty members who helped evaluate their performances in the Project Plan Oral Presentation and final Project Presentation.

How enjoyable our SRP2024 participants were while taking part in the different activities organized by Graduate School and HKU IDS!

Mr. Xusen Xiao from Peking University, supervised by Prof. Qingpeng Zhang

  • Outstanding Achievement: Conditional offer of HKU Presidential PhD Scholarship among the 39 recipients

Prof Yanchao Yang and Xusen, mentee of another HKU IDS faculty member, cheering for his great work as a recipient of the conditional offer of HKU-PS!

Participating in the Summer Research Program at IDS was a unique and enriching experience for me. Spending nearly two months in an unfamiliar city, while engaging in research, was both refreshing and challenging. Throughout the summer, my advisor and the faculty at IDS provided me with substantial support and guidance.

My advisor, Professor Qingpeng Zhang, is currently focused on developing knowledge-enhanced predictive decision analytics methods to analyze high-dimensional biological, clinical, and behavioral data for drug discovery, precision medicine, and public health. Despite my limited background in biology and medicine, my advisor and the postdoctoral researchers in the group had extensive discussions with me at the beginning, allowing me the freedom to choose the areas I was most interested in and pursue them. This summer research experience taught me how to apply my existing knowledge to new fields, enabling me to conduct research while simultaneously learning and exploring. It was a transformative experience that allowed me to fully engage in the research process, from topic selection to exploration, providing valuable insights for my future academic work.

In addition to the support from my advisor, the IDS community and environment were incredibly impressive. The IDS staff provided immense support throughout the program. They organized orientations and sessions where past participants shared their experiences, helping us quickly get to know each other and engage in discussions. They also assisted us in preparing our poster presentations and were always available to help, even responding to emails late at night. Additionally, IDS provided workspaces near our advisors’ offices for all summer research participants, offering a bright and spacious environment. Engaging with fellow students and having in-depth discussions with my advisor enriched my research experience.

The program also allowed me to form connections and friendships with other students participating in the Summer Research Program at IDS. We commuted from the dorms to the office together, dined out after work, and supported each other when faced with challenges. These interactions resulted in cherished friendships and invaluable experiences.

Overall, I am grateful to have completed the Summer Research Program at IDS. The knowledgeable mentors, supportive community, and new friends made this experience an unforgettable memory.

Mr. Liulu Peter Chen from Columbia University, supervised by Dr. Yue Xie

Peter presenting his poster after weeks of diligence, under the patient guidance of Dr. Yue Xie 

How have our HKU IDS scholars inspired you?

What impressed me most about this program was the instantaneous feedback from my IDS supervisors. The professors were willing to spend time with each student, holding regular individual meetings where we brainstormed together. It felt as though they were working alongside us as peers rather than as superiors, tackling challenges together. Although the program lasted only 10 weeks, my supervisors treated it as a serious, long-term endeavor. They listened to my requests and needs, providing various resources and collaboration opportunities from their research group to support my work.

What is so special about the HKU IDS research community?

IDS provides us with a cozy working environment, and the staff supports students with various activities and assistance to make the research process more enjoyable. Everything progresses smoothly.

Mr. Jiefeng Wu from Zhejiang University, supervised Prof. Yanchao Yang

Jiefeng showcasing his fruits of research to his peers and other research collaborators at the poster presentation session

I was most impressed by the final sea food and the orientation prepared by IDS. During the SRP, IDS not only prepared special clothes and work space for us, but also printed and designed posters for us, and provided very patient and helpful assistance. My mentor and his PhD students kept offline guidance with me every week and provided very excellent scientific research conditions. I think the most precious thing about this SRP for me is to meet students from all over the world, communicate with them about work, and have the opportunity to truly participate in scientific research.

Mr. Lei Fang from Peking University, supervised by Prof. Yingyu Liang

Lei putting his heart and souls into his assigned research project!

What has IDS/the programme impacted you the most?

The aspect of IDS that impacted me the most was the exceptional expertise of the faculty. The professors’ profound knowledge and their willingness to share insights significantly broadened my understanding of data science. Their guidance was instrumental in shaping my research and enhancing my analytical skills.

How do you perceive the support from IDS?

The support from IDS was unparalleled. The staff provided warm and consistent assistance throughout the research process. The availability of independent workstations and various amenities made it easier for us to focus on our research tasks. The supportive environment fostered by IDS staff was a key factor in making this experience productive and enjoyable.

How have our IDS scholars inspired you?

The IDS scholars inspired me through their dedication and passion for their respective fields. Their commitment to pushing the boundaries of data science research and their collaborative spirit were truly motivating. Observing their work ethic and innovative approaches has encouraged me to strive for excellence in my own research endeavors.

What have you cherished the most in the programme, and with IDS?

What I cherished the most about the programme was the sense of community and the collaborative atmosphere. Being surrounded by like-minded individuals who are equally passionate about data science created a stimulating environment for intellectual growth. Additionally, the various welfare benefits provided by IDS, such as access to resources and networking opportunities, greatly enhanced the overall experience.

Any other memorable moments at SRP2024 & IDS? 

One memorable moment was the project presentations. It was inspiring to see the diverse range of topics and innovative solutions proposed by my peers. We  wore the unified T-shirt  provided by IDS, which was quite interesting and standed us out from other students. I felt a sense of belonging during the last days staying in the department. The feedback sessions with the faculty were particularly valuable, as they provided constructive criticism and new perspectives on our research.

My time at IDS this summer was profoundly impactful and has left a lasting impression on me. I am deeply grateful for the support and opportunities provided by IDS, and I look forward to continuing my journey in data science with the inspiration and knowledge I have gained.

IDS Seminar: Brain-network-inspired computing for next generation efficient and sustainable AI

IDS Seminar: Brain-network-inspired computing for next generation efficient and sustainable AI

Title: Brain-network-inspired computing for next generation efficient and sustainable AI
Speaker: Professor Carlo Vittorio Cannistraci, Professor, Tsinghua Laboratory of Brain and Intelligence (THBI); Adjunct Professor, Department of Computer Science & School of Biomedical Engineering, Tsinghua University
Date: Sep 3, 2024
Time: 5:00pm – 6:00pm 

Venue: IDS Seminar Room, P603, Graduate House / Zoom
Mode: Hybrid. Seats for on-site participants are limited. A confirmation email will be sent to participants who have successfully registered.

Register Now

Abstract

The human brain is remarkably efficient, learning with just a few watts. In contrast, today’s large language models are voracious power consumers, demanding over 100 times the power expenditure of the human brain. Brain-inspired network science research can play a relevant role for designing low-consumption and efficient deep learning. We need to develop new concepts and theories for an ecological and sustainable approach to AI, and some of these new computing paradigms can be borrow from the brain and its complex systems biology. 

In the Center for Complex Network Intelligence (CCNI), which I lead at the Tsinghua Laboratory of Brain and Intelligence (THBI), we are interested to investigate three key brain network features adopted for efficient computing: connectivity sparsity, connectivity morphology and neuro-glia coupling.

In this talk, I will present the results that we have achieved this year. On sparsity, our study “Epitopological learning and Cannistraci-Hebb network shape intelligence brain-inspired theory for ultra-sparse advantage in deep learning”1 is published in The Twelfth International Conference on Learning Representations (ICLR) 2024. On sparse morphology, our study “Neuromorphic dendritic network computation with silent synapses for visual motion perception”2 is published in Nature Electronics. 

References

  1. Epitopological Learning and Cannistraci-Hebb Network Shape Intelligence Brain-Inspired Theory for Ultra-Sparse Advantage in Deep Learning. Y Zhang, J Zhao, W Wu, A Muscoloni, CV Cannistraci. The Twelfth International Conference on Learning Representations (ICLR) 2024
  2. Neuromorphic dendritic network computation with silent synapses for visual motion perception. E Baek, S Song, CK Baek, Z Rong, L Shi, CV Cannistraci. Nature Electronics, 1-12

Speaker

Professor Carlo Vittorio Cannistraci
Professor @ Tsinghua Laboratory of Brain and Intelligence (THBI)
Adjunct Professor @ Department of Computer Science & School of Biomedical Engineering, Tsinghua University
Carlo Vittorio Cannistraci is a theoretical engineer and computational innovator. He is a Professor in the Tsinghua Laboratory of Brain and Intelligence (THBI) and an adjunct professor in the Department of Computer Science and in the School of Biomedical Engineering at Tsinghua University. He directs the Center for Complex Network Intelligence (CCNI) in THBI, which seeks to create pioneering algorithms at the interface between information science, physics of complex systems, complex networks and machine intelligence, with a focus in brain/life-inspired computing for efficient artificial intelligence and big data analysis. These computational methods are often applied to precision biomedicine, neuroscience, social and economic science.
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For information, please contact:
Email: datascience@hku.hk

IDS Seminar: Discovering components, mechanism, and structure from data

Host: HKU Musketeers Foundation Institute of Data Science
Co-host: HKU Business School 

IDS Seminar: Discovering components, mechanism, and structure from data

Title: Discovering components, mechanism, and structure from data
Speaker: Dr Eddie Lee, Postdoc Researcher, Complexity Science Hub
Date: Sep 2, 2024
Time: 10:30am – 11:30am 

Venue: IDS Seminar Room, P603, Graduate House / Zoom
Mode: Hybrid. Seats for on-site participants are limited. A confirmation email will be sent to participants who have successfully registered.

Register Now

Abstract

How do we build mathematical models of complex social phenomena in the face of sparse data, methodological constraints, and multiple but incongruent scales of description? To address this question, we have developed approaches inspired by statistical physics to introduce a fresh perspective on conflict, political decision making, and information processing in firms. Our models not only illuminate the underlying social dynamics but also provide a bridge between diverse disciplines. Through the aforementioned examples, we will demonstrate how these models challenge conventional paradigms and foster interdisciplinary dialogue essential for understanding the evolution of complex societies. 

Eddie studies the role of information in the small and large living patterns around us. Examples range from the biology of neural tissue to the ecology of forests, the dynamics of armed conflict, and the processes of innovation and obsolescence in society. He is fascinated by how we paint those patterns on the shared canvas of mathematics and what the resulting similarities between the mathematical representations reveal about them. Do similarities reflect analogous function, universal dynamics, or are they (simply) artifacts of our representation? His work aims to answer these overarching questions that come together from the standpoint of information.

Speaker

Dr Eddie Lee
Postdoc Researcher @ Complexity Science Hub
Eddie is an Austrian Science Fund ESPRIT Fellow at the Complexity Science Hub and formerly a Program Postdoctoral Fellow at the Santa Fe Institute. He has a PhD in Theoretical Physics from Cornell University—where he received a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship—and a BA in Physics from Princeton University. He has been invited to panels on the science of violence (Santa Fe Council on Int’l Relations) and on the physics of the 2021 Nobel Prize (Santa Fe Institute) as well as lectures at the universities of Amsterdam, Potsdam, Northwestern, Oxford, and Bristol.
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For information, please contact:
Email: datascience@hku.hk

Welcoming Professor Hao CHEN, Chair Professor, on board in HKU IDS!

Welcoming Professor Hao CHEN, Chair Professor, on board in HKU IDS!

 

Warmest greetings to Professor Hao CHEN, our recently onboarded HKU-100 Scholar under our HKU-100 Global Professoriate Recruitment Campaign (data science cluster)! Professor Chen is our Chair Professor, jointly appointed by HKU IDS and Computer Science.

Professor Chen received his PhD in Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley. His current research interests are computer security, machine learning, and program analysis and testing. He directs the JC STEM Lab of Intelligent Cybersecurity. He is a fellow of IEEE. 

Let’s welcome Professor Hao CHEN to our HKU IDS research community, and we look forward to collaborating with him and his team towards the goal of deriving innovative applications of machine learning models and algorithms to security problems. For the full biography of Professor Chen, please browse: https://datascience.hku.hk/people/hao-chen/

Reaching a More Profound Understanding of AI Research with HKU IDS: Summer Course IDSS 2402 “Towards AI by Deep Neural Networks”


Reaching a More Profound Understanding of AI Research with HKU IDS:
Summer Course IDSS 2402 “Towards AI by Deep Neural Networks”

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Organized by HKU Musketeers Foundation Institute of Data Science and supported by the HKU Summer Institute, the Institute, together with two of our faculty members, successfully concluded the 2-week summer programme IDSS2402 – Towards AI by Deep Neural Networks, between July 23 and August 2, 2024! An academically intensive and thought-provoking learning journey with our HKU IDS Director & Professor, Chair of Artificial Intelligence, Professor Yi Ma (HKU IDS / Department of Computer Science) & Professor Yanchao Yang (HKU IDS / Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering). Students, divided into 8 groups in accordance with their academic backgrounds, enjoyed the exploration of intelligence and machine learning through studying the latest publicatins and working on technical projects of programming and experiments. 

According to the course evaluation survey, over 85% of the respondents agreed that the course instructors “were always well prepared for the class”, and that 90% in total of the participants either “strongly agreed”, or “agreed” that the lectures and course assignments in IDSS 2042 complemented each other well.

Students (94% of respondents) further responded that IDSS 2402 was “well-organized in a manner that helped [them] understand the underlying concepts”, revealing the fundamental importance of learning the different components of AI from its definition.

The course instructors have been positively fed back as having carefully designed their course materials, as they remarked that “lecture topics were insightful and topical”, and our professors delved into the topics of AI and robotics in a “comprehensive and coherent manner”. Despite being a 2-week summer programme, the course was “challenging” and “quite complicated”. 

Our HKU IDS course instructors, who were complimented as “excellent teachers”, “clear presenters”, and “professional researchers”, gave HKU IDS every encouragement to offering more interactive and high-quality courses to not only undergraduate students in summer, but also potential members to our research community through the research postgraduate programme. Just as how popularly received our first summer institute course, IDSS2401: Data Science for Societies, this second course IDSS 2402 also went a step further into exploring and rendering a high-level understanding of deep neural networks, high dimensional data analysis, embodied AI, and deep learning. All our IDSS 2402 students, so as the eight helpful teaching assistants who are PhD candidates and young researchers from our HKU IDS community, deserved a huge round of applause for their outstanding performances at the group presentations at the end of the course.  

Cheers to all who have devoted their sweats and laughters into the intensive HKUSI summer programmes organized by HKU IDS, and we sincerely hope that these have been eye-opening journeys for you to take on as you sail into the world of data science studies.

HKU IDS Scholar Prof Chao Huang Received the Prestigious “Brilliant Star” Award at the 2024 WAIC Yunfan Award!

HKU IDS Scholar Prof Chao Huang Received the Prestigious "Brilliant Star" Award at the 2024 WAIC Yunfan Award!

HKU IDS faculty members are remarkable achievers in academia! We are thrilled to announce that Professor Chao Huang, Assistant Professor at HKU IDS / Computer Science, had been selected for the “Brilliant Star” Award at the 2024 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) Yunfan Award (「WAIC雲帆獎2024 – 世界人工智慧大會組委會及機器之心」). The award serves to honour Prof Huang and his research group for their outstanding achievements and contributions in the area of AI open-source development.

Jointly organized by the WAIC Organizing Committee, the Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, the Global University AI Alliance, and the AI Young Scientists Alliance, the Yunfan Award is deemed a highly esteemed accolade that recognizes young talents in the field of artificial intelligence and data science.

Official News Coverage 

Our very heartfelt congratulations to Prof Huang for continuously striving for academic excellence! Prof Chao Huang’s research interests cover data mining and machine learning. For more information about Prof Huang, please browse: https://datascience.hku.hk/people/chao-huang/

Sailing through a Highly Interactive Journey on Applied Data Science: HKU IDS Summer Course IDSS 2401 “Data Science For Societies”

Sailing through a Highly Interactive Journey on Applied Data Science:
HKU IDS Summer Course IDSS 2401 “Data Science For Societies”

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Organized by HKU Musketeers Foundation Institute of Data Science and supported by the HKU Summer Institute, the Institute was delighted to host a batch of summer students in its first summer course, IDSS2401 – Data Science for Societies, between June 24 and July 5, 2024! We welcomed interested undergraduates with basic statistics and mathematics background across the Greater Bay Area and the globe, to join our two course instructors, HKU-100 IDS scholars including Professor Chao Huang (HKU IDS / Department of Computer Science) & Professor Alec Kirkley (HKU IDS / Department of Urban Planning and Design), in exploring the numerous possibilities in daily life applications of interdisciplinary data science research in making our city smarter and merrier. 

According to the post-programme evaluation form, 100% of the respondents agreed that the course instructors “were always well prepared for the class”, and that over 90% of the participants “strongly agreed” that IDSS2401 was helpful in providing them with knowledge and understanding on the underlying concepts surrounding the theme. 

 

Almost 90% of the respondents “strongly agreed” that the course “had met their expectations” and 95% of them would “highly recommend the course to other students”.  

 

Student complimented individual course instructors as “very enthusiastic professor who gives each discussion comprehensive comments, and that “lectures are extremely detailed and engaging”.  

The encouraging survey results reflected on the remarkable teaching quality and research expertise of our HKU IDS faculty members who are area experts on the lectures delivered at IDSS2401. The summer programme rendered a wealth of key concepts and applications of AI, with a focus on smart cities, healthcare, and topics in the computational social sciences, which successfully helped them develop a foundation in this exciting area of study, as revealed from their outstanding performances at the group presentations at the end of the course.  

Students were not only rewarded with a fruitful HKU experience with multiple cultural activities as well as a sense of comradeship among their study peers over the 2-week interval, but gained a thorough understanding on some fundamentals of data science and machine learning. We hope the summer programme was able to help students fully utilize their summer vacation, and we really look forward to the second SI programme IDSS2402 which shall commence really soon!  

AI, Law, and Philosophy Workshop

AI, Law, and Philosophy Workshop

Date: July 16, 2024 (Tues)
Time: 9:30am – 6:00pm
Venue: 11/F Cheng Yu Tung Tower, Faculty of Law, The University of Hong Kong

Abstract

Organizers:

Boris Babic, Associate Professor, The University of Hong Kong, IDS, Philosophy, Law
Haochen Sun, Professor, The University of Hong Kong Faculty of Law

Welcome Remarks

9:30 – 9:35am
Yi Ma, Director & Chair Professor of HKU Musketeers Foundation Institute of Data Science

Presentations

9:35 – 10:20am
Yong Lim, Associate Professor, Seoul National University School of Law

10:20 – 11:05am
Annette Zimmermann, Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin–Madison Department of Philosophy

Break (11:05 – 11:30am)

11:30am – 12:15pm
Nicholson Price, Professor of Law, University of Michigan Law School

Lunch (12:15pm – 2:15pm) 

2:15 – 3:00pm
Sangchul Park, Assistant Professor, Seoul National University School of Law

3:00 – 3:45pm
Boris Babic, Associate Professor, The University of Hong Kong, IDS, Philosophy, Law

Break (3:45 – 4:15pm)

4:15 – 5:00pm
Vincent Chiao, Associate Professor, University of Toronto Faculty of Law

5:00 – 5:50pm

Closing Panel and Closing Remarks

For information, please contact:
Email: datascience@hku.hk

Summer Research Programme 2024 (SRP2024) – A New Research Journey at HKU IDS!

HKU IDS hosts our new batch of participants at the Summer Research Programme (SRP) 2024!

The 10-week intense research training programme organized by the HKU Graduate School has commenced!

HKU IDS proudly receives a total of 6 outstanding undergraduate students are working with our HKU IDS Scholars, who are experts in interdisciplinary research fields from across disciplines, on research projects focusing on cutting-edge technologies in data science. 

SRP Student Mentor(s)
Zi Zhu Prof. Yanchao Yang
Jiefeng Wu Prof. Yanchao Yang
Prof. Xihui Liu (Co-mentor)
Liulu Chen Dr. Yue Xie
Prof. Qingpeng Zhang (Co-mentor)
Haolun Wang Prof. Difan Zou
Prof. Yanchao Yang (Co-mentor)
Xusen Xiao Prof. Qingpeng Zhang
Lei Fang Prof. Yingyu Liang


On June 28, 2024, HKU IDS warmly welcomed our SRP participants in our orientation session with office tour, welcoming messages from HKU IDS mentors, fun games, and a tea reception.

The SRP2024 participants also put their hearts and souls into preparing for their final oral presentations, via the Project Plan Oral Presentations.

The SRP students hosted at HKU IDS joined the other participants at the grand Opening Ceremony upon their arrival at HKU.

The Transferrable Skills Retreat was another compulsory session during which SRP students acquired important skills alongside their academic journey, prompting them to become better researchers.