Ya-Qin Zhang

Ya-Qin Zhang (simplified Chinese: 张亚勤; traditional Chinese: 張亞勤; pinyin: Zhāng Yàqín; born in 1966) is a scientist, technologist and business executive. He is the founder and Chairman of Blue Entropy LLC, a Seattle-based technology consulting firm. He will join Tsinghua University as the Chair Professor of AI Science in July 2020, starting the Tsinghua institute for Advanced Industry Research (AIR) to focus on new technologies for the fourth industrial revolution, such as autonomous driving, AI-IoT, and industrial AI.[1]

Ya-Qin Zhang
Born1966
Shanxi, China
Alma materGeorge Washington University (Ph.D.); University of Science and Technology of China (B.S.&M.S.)
Known forArtificial Intelligence expert, business executive
Children2
Scientific career
Doctoral advisorRaymond Pickholtz and Murray Loew

Zhang was President of Baidu Inc.(NASDAQ:BIDU) from September 2014 to October 2019.[2][3] Before joining Baidu in 2014 as the President of the company, Zhang was previously a key executive of Microsoft for almost 16 years, including Corporate Vice President for mobile and embedded Products in Redmond, Washington, Managing Director of Microsoft Research Asia, and Chairman of Microsoft China.[4] His Sina Weibo had over 12 million followers at its peak in 2009.

Zhang has made contributions to the software and Internet technology and industry through his 550 publications, 62 US patents.[5] His seminal research in digital video and communications has been extensively used in global standards and products.[6] He is elected to the Fellow of American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2019,[7][8] and was inducted to Australia National Academy of Engineering (ATSE) as the only foreign fellow in 2017. He became an IEEE Fellow in 1997 at the age of 31, making him the youngest scientist winning this honor in the 100+ year history of the organization.[9] He received the industry pioneer award from IEEE for his seminal contributions and technical leadership in digital video and communications in 2004. Upon his winning of "Outstanding Young Electrical Engineer Award" in 1998, Zhang received a congratulation letter from former US president Bill Clinton, praising him as "an inspiration for others".[10][11]

Zhang currently serves on the Board of Directors of three high-tech companies, and holds board membership and adjunct professorship in five prestigious universities. He was named one of the top 10 CEOs in Asia, 50 global shapers, Executive of the year, IT innovator leader award by IT Times, Business Week, CNBC, Global business and Vision magazine. One of the prominent figures in artificial intelligence and autonoumous driving,[12][13] Zhang serves on the board of stewardship for the future of mobility of the Davos World Economic Forum,[14] and is the Chairman of the Apollo Alliance, the largest open platform for autonomous driving in the world. Zhang is a founding member of UNDP (United Nations Development Program) Private Sector.[15]

Zhang was born in Taiyuan, Shanxi, in January 1966,[16][17] and is married with two children.

Education

At age 12, Zhang was admitted to the University of Science and Technology of China as a special gifted young, then the youngest college student in the country.[18][19]

At age 17, Zhang obtained a B.S. degree from University of Science and Technology of China, and 2 years later, acquired a M.S. degree from the same school, all majoring in electrical engineering. By age 23, he had earned a D.Sc, Electrical Engineering from the George Washington University, working on digital image coding and satellite communications.

Career

Microsoft Corporation

Over his 16-year tenure at Microsoft, Ya-Qin Zhang has taken various key positions, including the Managing Director of Microsoft Research Asia (1999-2004), Chairman of Microsoft China Limited (2007-2013), Corporate Vice President of Mobile and Embedded Products (2004-2006), Asia-Pacific R&D Chairman and Corporate Vice President until September 2014.

He was a co-founder of Microsoft Research China in 1999 as the inaugural Chief Scientist, and then became the managing director in 2000 after its founding director Kai-Fu Lee's promotion and relocation to Microsoft HQ. It was under Zhang's leadership that Microsoft Research China was elevated to Microsoft Research Asia in 2002, which has become a premier computer science research center in the world, with over 300 world-class scientists working on some of most innovative research and technologies in AI/machine learning, video and multimedia, computer vision and graphics, natural language processing, and cloud computing. MSRA was also the foundation for Microsoft Advanced Technology Center and Asia-Pacific R&D group, the largest R&D center for Microsoft outside of the US.[20]

In 2011, Zhang founded the Microsoft venture Accelerator in Beijing, and has become one of the most vibrant start-up engines in China with over 200 companies incubated over the years.

Zhang had also been the original architect of the Great Wall Plan, under which Microsoft invested roughly $25 million in Chinese education between 2002 and 2005, mainly to support curriculum development and faculty and managerial training at the country's then thirty-five software colleges.[21]

Baidu Inc

Zhang joined Baidu Inc. as president of the company in 2014 and retired in October 2019.[22] Baidu is a leading Internet company in search, mobility, AI and cloud computing.[23][24] As President, Zhang has led various key functions including technology infrastructure, consumer business, marketing and government relationship, and new business initiatives including finance, education, cloud, autonomous driving and global business.[25][26][12][27]

Tsinghua University

Zhang will join Tsinghua University as the Chair Professor of AI Science, with a joint appointment from the School of Computer Science and School of Vehicle and Mobility. He will create a research center for the Advanced Industry Research (AIR), focusing on scientific research and technological innovation for the fourth industry revolution, such as autonomous driving, AI+IoT, and neuromorphic computing.[1][28]

Awards, appointments and fellowships
  • Fellow of American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2019[5]
  • Member, Monaco Digital Advisory Council, 2019[29]
  • Fellow of Australia Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE), 2017
  • Top Ten AI Innovator of the year, Global Mobile Internet Congress (GMIC), 2017
  • Board of visitors, Columbia University, 2016[30]
  • Member, Private Sector Board, United Nation Development Program (UNDP), 2016
  • Intl Advisory board, Cornell University, 2015[31]
  • Honorary Fellow, Hong Kong Univ. of Science and Technology, 2012
  • International Advisory Board, National IT Center of Australia, Sydney, Australia, 2008-2011
  • Engineer of the Year, Asia Engineering Society, 2007
  • Best paper awards, IEEE (Trans. Multimedia, Trans. Video Tech, JSAC), 2000, 2003, 2004, 2007[32]
  • Industrial Pioneer Award, IEEE, 2004[33]
  • International Advisory Panel, Multimedia Supercorridor, Malaysia, 2004-2011
  • Advisor to National Science Foundation, China (2001-2004)
  • Editor-in-Chief, IEEE Trans. Circuits and Systems for Video Technology (CSVT),1997-1999[34]
  • The Outstanding Young Electrical Engineer of 1998, 1998[35]
  • Fellow of IEEE, 1997

Others

Zhang is a member of the Committee of 100, a group of leading Chinese-Americans to promote the cultural, scientific, social, and economic exchanges between the US and China.[36]

Zhang serves on the Strategic Committee of the France China Foundation. The France China Foundation encourages the development of relationship between French and Chinese leaders, to stimulate their interest in the other country and to inspire them to set up joint projects.[37]

He also sits on the board of visitors of Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science at Columbia University, where his son is a current student.[38]

References
  1. "张亚勤博士正式加盟清华大学". news.tsinghua.edu.cn. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
  2. 于小明. "Baidu president to retire in October - Chinadaily.com.cn". www.chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  3. "张亚勤功成身退，人生继续硬核 - 专栏 - 创业邦". www.cyzone.cn. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  4. "How Microsoft Contributed to the Rapid Growth of China's Silicon Valley in High Tech Clusters". Tiensoon's Binaries. 2017-03-29. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  5. "Ya-Qin Zhang". American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  6. Entrepreneurial and business elites of China : the Chinese returnees who have shaped modern China = Hai gui tui dong Zhongguo : Zhongguo dang dai hai gui chuang ye ji shang jie jing ying. Zhang, Wenxian, 1963-, Wang, Huiyao., Alon, Ilan. United Kingdom: Emerald. 2011. ISBN 9780857240897. OCLC 732968868.CS1 maint: others (link)
  7. "Baidu's president elected as academician of American Academy of Arts and Sciences". People's Daily.
  8. "Newly Elected Members". American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  9. "Bill Gates appointed Zhang Yaqin as Microsoft's global vice president". en.people.cn. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  10. Ling, Zhijun.; 凌志军. (2003). Growing up 成长 (Di 1 ban ed.). Haikou Shi: Hainan chu ban she. ISBN 7544311457. OCLC 55048951.
  11. Zhang, Yaqin.; 张亚勤. (2009). Bian ge zhong de si suo = Reflections in the time of transformation (Di 1 ban ed.). Beijing Shi: Dian zi gong ye chu ban she. ISBN 9787121097416. OCLC 502975037.
  12. "百度总裁张亚勤："下一项"技术是人工智能-新华网". www.xinhuanet.com. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  13. "百度总裁张亚勤：互联网未来发展的三个维度_科技_腾讯网". tech.qq.com. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  14. "Ya-Qin Zhang". World Economic Forum. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  15. "UNDP China Private Sector Advisory Board & Young Professionals Leadership Programme | UNDP in China". UNDP. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  16. "Microsoft's man in China defects to search powerhouse Baidu". South China Morning Post. 8 September 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
  17. Dai, Sarah (19 March 2019). "Baidu to speed up promotion of younger talent as 53-year-old president Zhang Yaqin opts for retirement". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
  18. "中国故事 张亚勤". tv.cntv.cn. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  19. Heim, Kristi (2008-08-08). "Ya-Qin Zhang, Microsoft's leader in China, prospers in changed nation". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  20. "Microsoft Research Asia 20th Anniversary" (in Chinese). Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  21. Buderi, Robert (2006). Guanxi (The art of relationships) : Microsoft, China, and Bill Gates's plan to win the road ahead. Huang, Gregory T. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0743273222. OCLC 63297981.
  22. "张亚勤职场3.0羡煞旁人，但背后每一步都是成就_中华网". tech.china.com. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  23. Simonite, Tom. "Search giant Baidu is eyeing markets outside China, says President Ya-Qin Zhang". MIT Technology Review. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  24. Synced (2018-09-13). "Baidu President Ya-Qin Zhang Talks AI Security". Medium. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  25. "Baidu ready to deploy self-driving vehicles on the road next year:pres - Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea". pulsenews.co.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 2019-10-28.
  26. "CNBC Interview with Ya-Qin Zhang, President of Baidu from the World Economic Forum 2018". CNBC. 2018-01-24. Retrieved 2019-08-01.
  27. "百度总裁张亚勤:智能+是互联网+的发展延伸--《金卡工程》2016年03期". www.cnki.com.cn. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  28. "原百度总裁张亚勤受聘清华讲席教授，牵头筹建智能产业研究院". baijiahao.baidu.com. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
  29. "Session #2 of the Monaco Digital Advisory Council". Extended Monaco. 2019-11-16. Retrieved 2019-12-27.
  30. "Ya-Qin Zhang". Columbia Engineering. 2019-02-01. Retrieved 2019-12-28.
  31. April 20; 2016. "Cornell inducts first China Advisory Board". Cornell Chronicle. Retrieved 2019-12-28.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  32. "CSVT Transactions – Best Paper Award Recipients | IEEE CAS". ieee-cas.org. Retrieved 2019-12-28.
  33. "Industrial Pioneer Award Recipients | IEEE CAS". www.ieee-cas.org. Retrieved 2019-12-27.
  34. ieeexplore.ieee.org https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/author/37279958300. Retrieved 2019-12-28. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  35. "Outstanding Young Professional Award". IEEE Eta Kappa Nu (IEEE-HKN). Retrieved 2019-12-28.
  36. "MEMBERS | Committee 100". www.committee100.org. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  37. "STRATEGIC COMMITTEE | France China Foundation". francechinafoundation.org. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
  38. "Ya-Qin Zhang Named Columbia Engineering's 2020 Class Day Speaker". Columbia Engineering. 2020-04-21. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
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