Interview with the Dean of Information Hub

Professor Tsung Fugee, who joined the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in 1997, has a strong research record in quality engineering and management. He has been elected Fellow of the American Society for Quality (ASQ) for his significant contributions to quality, becoming one of only four ASQ Fellows in the Greater China Region. Today, he has another identity. He is working as the Acting Dean of the Information Hub of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou). The following part is the transcript of a recent interview with Porfessor Tsung.

1. What do you think HKUST's internal and external motivations for building the Information Hub in the Guangzhou campus are?

Since I joined HKUST in 1997, there have been many opportunities for expanding our university, but we've never made a move to set up a 2nd campus outside Hong Kong. So why now? Why "HKUST 2.0"?

One reason is about Internal needs – There are several interdisciplinary initiatives like AI and data science that we've always wanted to introduce, but it's difficult to build something really new on top of an existing system and campus. We call this the innovator's dilemma. Now we have the additional resources and space to make these initiatives a reality in Guangzhou.   

Another reason is about External trends – We can see that the digital economy is booming in the greater bay area. We believe that now is a great time to be there to tackle real world problems first-hand during the period of digital transformation and make a real impact.

Ultimately, the key is to expand boundaries – both physically, by expanding to Guangzhou(mainland), and also intellectually, by expanding research frontiers.

2. Why did you agree to serve as the Acting Dean of the Information hub?

At first, I’d like to thank the University for its trust. To me, it's not just another job or assignment.

It is obvious to me that it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in building a new and great University.

In fact, I tell every colleague in the Hub, when you look at the campus construction in Guangzhou, it may look like the builders are just piling up bricks, but in fact, they're helping to build a university. With every task, big or small, you, as well, are helping to build something great.

3. What is the role of the Information Hub in HKUST(GZ)? How is it connected with the other three hubs?

By calling ourselves Hubs, not schools, we are emphasizing our connections with each other.

One aspect of this connectivity is domain driven: We play a Supporting role to the other Hubs and almost all thrusts, like bio-medical, advanced material, smart manufacturing, intelligent transportation, fintech etc. that need AI, DSA, IoT, and CMA.

Another aspect is data-technology driven. We also play a central role in developing fundamental and general methodologies and techniques for possible applications in the other hubs and thrusts.

4. How did you plan the structure of the Information Hub? Why AI, DSA, IoT, and CMA?

Our vision is to address global challenges arising from human interactions with information and technology. We have known from the start that AI and Data Science will play an important role in tackling these challenges.

The Internet of Things also plays a prominent role in linking AI and Data Science to the physical world by enabling the digitization of products and systems.

The role of Computational Media and Arts may not be so clear at first sight. But we quickly realized that CMA would play a pivotal role in the Hub to connect with the human side, as the true/ultimate success of the digital transformation is contingent on the interaction of information technology with humans, culture, and the arts!

5. Why should students or professors choose the Information Hub?

The Information Hub is not just a typical school of computing or a bigger computer science department. We uniquely put the four thrusts in one Hub. The hub will be organized such that professors and students in different thrusts can easily connect, communicate, and collaborate with each other. For example, AI + IoT and DSA  + CMA. Every professor and student joining the Hub will transcend the confines of traditional disciplines and will be equipped to tackle global challenges from a new perspective.

6. One of the highlights of HKUST(GZ) is its interdisciplinary nature. How will the Information Hub promote interdisciplinary education, and how will this be achieved?

Our curriculum will require students to take core courses from every Hub.

For example, I am preparing the Info Hub core course INFH5000 with Prof. Xiaowen Chu and Prof. Rong Zhang (he's also a Design thinking instructor). In this course, students from different thrusts and hubs will learn more about information science and technology. The course will adopt an active learning/blended learning/flip classroom approach and include panel discussions with experts from industry. It will be an exciting course.

And it's not just the courses that are interdisciplinary. We hire professors from different disciplines for each thrust. In our faculty recruitment, besides a typical faculty search committee, each thrust also identifies several sub-domains and forms separate Domain expert committees to identify candidates with diverse backgrounds. For example, CMA recruits professors and students from both the media domain and arts domain, and DSA looks for people from the computer science, statistics, and optimization domains. 

7. You mentioned the concept of DQ talent in a previous interview , can you explain this more?

Yes, I mentioned before that in the old days it was believed that you need to have a high IQ to be successful. However, in a complex society, where most problems cannot be solved by the individual, Emotional Intelligence (EQ) can actually matter more than IQ. However, in recent days, a third crucial factor has emerged. When (almost) everybody has a smartphone and everybody talks about AI and big data, whoever has a higher Digital Intelligence will have an absolute advantage. 

Digital Intelligence (DQ) is the competency to live in a digital world and face the challenges of digital life. When I am talking about DQ, I am not talking about everybody being a programmer or computer scientist. Instead, I am talking about something that should be common sense or at least common training for those prepared for the (very near) digital future as digital citizens.

For example, I mentioned that I am preparing the Info Hub core course INFH5000. The topics will cover the future of AI and big data (not just what you might see in a Sci-Fi movie), and computational thinking. Students will also learn about data ethics, data privacy, bias and inequity, legal issues, Cyber/data security, etc. – these are all about building DQ. This course is highly recommended.

8. Do you have any advice for students who want to apply to the programs in the Information Hub?

Be brave, be forward-looking. Don't step back simply because you do not have a CS or closely related background.

We welcome motivated and passionate students from diverse backgrounds, ranging from Computer Science, Statistics, and Engineering to Business, Design, and the Arts.

What we are looking for is potential.

9. What are some of the paths of development information hub graduates might take?

‘To academia’ and ‘to industry’ are two major paths for students to take.

I mentioned expanding research boundaries by connecting different disciplines. The Information Hub will also help to expand personal frontiers. Because the research we do (no matter fundamental or more applied) is very close to some critical missions in industry like the digital transformation of various industries, the boundary between academia and industry is blurred. Students from the Info Hub may freely move between academia and industry – which is actually already happening in this field.

To the end, the students from the Information Hub will be encouraged to have a focus area linking their research to tangible problems in a specific domain.

For example, AI research with biomedical applications (let’s call it AI+) or biomedical research with AI techniques (let’s call it +AI), depending on the students' interests. There are many such ‘thrust + domain’ combinations.

10. What hardware support will the Information Hub have in the new campus?

The Information Hub will make use of central research facilities shared between the two campuses, including an advanced Data Center in the Guangzhou campus.

Prof. Tsung Fugee's Research Interest:

• Quality Analytics
• Industrial Big Data
• Statistical Process Control (SPC), Monitoring, and Diagnosis
• Helping Solve the World's Problems Using Quality, Analytics, and Innovation

To find out more about Information Hub, please visit our website: https://infh.hkust-gz.edu.cn/en