Driving AI Research: CUHK-Shenzhen Unveils Municipal Key Lab and Collaborative Lab with Quwan Tech
On 21 May 2024, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen) inaugurated two new laboratories: the Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Cross-modal Cognitive Computing and the CUHK(SZ)-Quwan Joint Research Laboratory. The Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Cross-modal Cognitive Computing is guided by the core research philosophy of "theory leads technology, technology drives application, and application supports industry." The lab is dedicated to addressing key issues in cross-modal cognitive computing, focusing on multimodal perception platforms, foundational cognitive model platforms, and cross-modal interactive generation platforms. The CUHK(SZ)-Quwan Joint Research Laboratory will concentrate on developing large-scale cross-lingual speech generation models tailored to enterprise needs. These laboratories mark significant milestones in the university’s collaboration with the city of Shenzhen and research enterprises.
The Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Cross-modal Cognitive Computing is the 11th municipal key laboratory established by CUHK-Shenzhen, primarily operated by the School of Data Science and the School of Science and Engineering. The lab aims to tackle core problems in cross-modal cognitive computing with a focus on theoretical breakthroughs and technological applications. The lab is committed to pioneering original research, pushing forward international cutting-edge studies, and contributing to the development of the Greater Bay Area. Under the leadership of Professor Haizhou Li, a fellow of the Singapore Academy of Engineering and the Executive Dean of the School of Data Science, and Professor Xiaoping Zhang, a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and the Chair of the lab’s academic committee, the lab comprises over 20 leading researchers and academic staff.
The establishment of the CUHK(SZ)-Quwan Joint Research Laboratory is another significant step in CUHK-Shenzhen’s collaboration with over 20 enterprises and institutions. This new lab will leverage the strengths of both CUHK-Shenzhen and Quwan Technology, focusing on large-scale speech models and cross-lingual speech generation for video applications. Engineers from Quwan Technology will work alongside university researchers, facilitating the practical application of research findings and enabling students to engage directly with industry professionals. This hands-on collaboration provides students with valuable insights into research applications and market trends. The partnership will also promote technological innovation and commercial development through industry-university-research collaboration, and contribute to the technological and economic development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. CUHK-Shenzhen has built nearly 90 high-impact research platforms and actively promotes industry-academic collaborations, undertaking over 240 horizontal research projects with a total funding exceeding RMB 340 million. The School of Data Science alone has established two provincial (Guangdong) key laboratories and two municipal (Shenzhen) key laboratories, encompassing a wide range of research fields and teams dedicated to advancing scientific knowledge and innovation.