On July 13, 2024, at the Shangri-La Hotel Guangzhou, China, the Faculty of Computing (FC) at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Guangzhou KEO Information Technology Co., Ltd., the owner of AiScholar, during a landmark event celebrating AiScholar’s 10th Anniversary. The event, which also marked the Inaugural Ceremony of the AiScholar Academic Committee, brought together nearly 500 leaders, experts, and scholars from government, domestic and foreign academic circles, and industry. The AiScholar Academic Committee is committed to building a high-level platform for interdisciplinary communication, cooperation, and industry-university-research collaborative innovation. It brings together many domestic and foreign academicians and top experts to provide forward-looking advice and professional guidance for deepening international academic exchanges and promoting scientific and technological innovation.
Professor Dr. Wan Mohd Nasir Wan Kadir, the Dean of the Faculty of Computing at UTM, and Mr. Cen Fengjie, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AEIC, Guangzhou KEO Information Technology Co. Ltd., officially signed the LOI, emphasizing their commitment to enhancing global engagement and visibility for UTM researchers. Among the distinguished attendees was Prof. Dr. Azlan Mohd Zain, a prominent artificial intelligent (AI) researcher at UTM, who highlighted the significance of this collaboration in advancing research excellence. Special acknowledgement was given to Mr. Liu Guoxing, chairman of AiScholar, Prof. Dr. Lyu Mingfang, and Ms. Esther Wu Qing, along with the strong AEIC team of dedicated experts, for their significant contributions to the success of AiScholar, aligning with KEO’s strategic direction.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nor Azman Ismail played a crucial role in initiating this collaboration. He emphasized the potential benefits, stating, “The collaboration with AiScholar and Guangzhou KEO IT will significantly enhance UTM researchers’ global engagement and visibility.” This partnership will leverage AiScholar’s extensive network and resources to provide UTM’s academic community with greater access to international platforms and opportunities. By aligning with AiScholar and Guangzhou KEO Information Technology Co., Ltd, the Faculty of Computing at UTM continues its strategic efforts to foster global connections and elevate UTM’s standing in the academic and research world.
The event also saw the presence of several top academicians and researchers from top-ranking universities, further underlining its importance. Professor Dr Ali Reza Kamali is a Fellow of Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), an expert in materials science and engineering from the University of Cambridge, UK, and Professor Dr Shugen Ma (IEEE Fellow, AAIA Fellow) from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, who is renowned as a leading figure in Robotics and Autonomous Systems, were among the notable attendees. Their participation signifies this collaboration’s high regard and recognition within the global academic community.