On May 25, the Seminar on the Development Strategy of School of Artificial Intelligence (SAI) was held in the Central Campus of Jilin University with attendees of Prof. Li Kai, academician of US National Academy of Engineering and professor of Princeton University (online), Prof. Xu Zongben, academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and professor of Xi’an Jiaotong University (con-call), Prof. Zhang Chengqi, Vice President of University of Technology Sydney, Prof. Liu Jiming, Vice President of Hong Kong Baptist University, Prof. Zha Hongbin, Peking University, Prof. Chen Xilin, CAS, Prof. Hu Shimin, President of Tsinghua University, Prof. Zhang Xi, academician of CAS and President of Jilin University, Prof. Zheng Weitao, Vice President of Jilin University, Prof. Chen Hong, and heads from the relevant administrative offices and SAI. The seminar was chaired by Zheng Weitao and the welcome speech was delivered by Zhang Xi.

Zhang Xi, on behalf of Jilin University, welcomed the experts and thanked them for their long-term support for the development of the university. In his speech, he pointed out that AI is developing rapidly, involving multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary fields, and gradually becoming a national strategy, which is expected to become the core technology leading scientific and technological change and a global competitive focus. Jilin University has a long history of AI research. The establishment of SAI is not only based on the accumulation of history, the inheritance of the scientific spirit of the older generation, but also to adapt to the national development strategy. He emphasized that SAI, as the first pilot institute of reform, should attract high-level talents through the “tenure track” system and build an important center for talents cultivation and academic research. Through the intersection and integration of AI and other disciplines, we should constantly enrich the connotation of disciplines, expand its extensions, and promote the common development of multi-disciplines. Zhang Xi expressed the hope that the experts would not only share their insights on the new paradigm of AI research, the formation of disciplinary advantages, the acceleration of the construction of faculty and the cultivation mode of innovative talents, but also put forward valuable suggestions for the development of AI related disciplines. He emphasized that the relevant departments and administrative offices of Jilin University should proceed from the overall situation, cherish opportunities to help and support the construction and development of SAI.

Prof. Chang Yi, Dean of the SAI of Jilin University, introduced the discipline, scientific research development plan and talent recruitment system of SAI in detail in his report on the “Scientific Research Development Program of the School of Artificial Intelligence of Jilin University” and the “Measures for the Administration on Tenure Track in the School of Artificial Intelligence of Jilin University”. He also expounded the school’s plan on teaching system and curriculum setting in the report of “Undergraduate Program of AI Major”.

The experts fully affirmed the ideas and specific plans of “Measures for the Administration on Tenure Track in the School of Artificial Intelligence of Jilin University”, the “Scientific Research Development Program of the School of Artificial Intelligence of Jilin University (2019-2025)” and the “Undergraduate Program of AI Major”. In addition, some constructive suggestions wereput forward on the research of AI, the construction of faculty, the mode of talents cultivation and the service system of SAI after in-depth discussion.