Macao Polytechnic Institute is pleased to announce that it has conferred an honorary professorship on Professor Xiong Zhang. Professor Xiong is a computer scientist and works at Beihang University. As an honorary professor of MPI, Professor Xiong will help strengthen inter-varsity academic collaboration and reinforce MPI’s research development in the Applied Sciences. The conferment ceremony was held on 6 May 2016, together with Professor Xiong's academic lecture on “The Era of Big Data”. Professor Xiong received the letter of appointment from MPI President Professor Lei Heong Iok. They both noted the long-term collaboration between MPI and Beihang and anticipated that new heights will be reached after this event.

Professor Xiong serves as a professor and PhD supervisor at the School of Computer Science and Engineering of Beihang University. He is the chief scientist of the “Smart City” project in the national 863 Programme. Professor Xiong has been noted for his prominent contributions to higher education and outstanding achievements in teaching and research. He is the recipient of various national awards which included, amongst others, a National Science and Technology Progress Award and a National Teaching Achievement Award.

In his academic lecture on “The Era of Big Data”, Professor Xiong explored the impact of Big Data on science and technology and the society, as well as the changes it may bring about to our career and our life. He presented a number of Big Data projects, demonstrating the different aspects of Big Data, especially its potential in building a smart city. This lecture was attended by MPI’s faculty members in the field and filled with heated discussion on the topics covered.

For more than a decade, Professor Xiong has maintained a close academic relationship with MPI, being the bridge between MPI and Beihang and promoting MPI’s teaching and research in Computing. With the conferment of an honorary professorship on Professor Xiong, MPI anticipates that this close link will be further fortified, enabling a broader space for academic collaboration between the two institutions.