“Macau Big Data Research Centre for Urban Governance” Established by CityU to Create a Platform for Big Data Research & Development

Hosted by CityU and sponsored by Macao Foundation, the plaque unveiling and signing ceremony of “Macau Big Data Research Centre for Urban Governance” and “Hengqin New Area Postdoctoral Science Workstation Partnership Base” was held in the Ho Yin Convention Centre on 6 September alongside the academic conference “City Talk Series - Big Data for Urban Governance: Opportunities and Challenges”.

Mr. Kou Ming, LOCPG Deputy Head of Finance; Mr. Yan Weimin, Chief of Hengqin New Area Committee; Mr. Wu Zhi Liang, Chairman of the Administrative Council of Macau Foundation; Mr. Sou Chio Fai, Director of Tertiary Education Services Office of Macau SAR; Prof. Chen Guoliang, Research Fellow of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Mr. Chan Wan Hei, Member of the Board of Directors of Science and Technology Development Fund; Mr. Ho King Lun, President of Macao Cloud Technology Association; Prof. Shu Guang Zhang, Rector of CityU; Prof. Ip Kuai Peng, Pro-Rector of CityU, and other experts of the field also attended the ceremony. Rector Shu Guang Zhang and Research Fellow Chen Guo Liang both gave a speech at the ceremony.

Rector Zhang stated that the development of CityU is promising thanks to the support of the country, government of Macau SAR and all sectors of the community. With the advancement of smart city in Macau, the university’s latest Macau Big Data Research Centre for Urban Governance will develop big data disciplines in terms of academia, technology, education and industrial incubation and establish a unique and supreme research and development platform. It will support talents cultivation, scientific research and community service in the fields of smart city, intelligent transportation, smart tourism, smart finance, educational intelligence and intelligent management. In addition, Rector Zhang stressed that CityU is honored to collaborate with Hengqin New Area Postdoctoral Science Workstation to build a partnership base for sharing resources and analysing the establishment of smart city and big data.

Chief of Hengqin New Area Committee Yan expressed that the establishment of Research Centre and Partnership Base are conductive to the cultivation of a professional echelon in research of smart city and big data. It is hoped that Hengqin New Area Postdoctoral Science Workstation and CityU can fully take the advantage of the capability of their respective postdoctoral research expertise in attaining economic advancement and undergoing in-depth research of critically important problems, making contribution in the construction of cross-border big data base and smart city.

In the speech of Research Fellow Chen, he confirmed the enormous potential and value of industry-university cooperative research of big data in smart cities. He expected the Research Center to serve as a high-end think tank for Macau and China to assist in significant strategy implements and create a liveable smart city with the contribution from the society.

Meanwhile, Rector Zhang and the distinguished guests unveiled the plaques for “Macau Big Data Research Centre for Urban Governance” and “City University of Macau - Hengqin New Area Postdoctoral Science Workstation Partnership Base”. Under the witness of the leaders and guests, Chief of Hengqin New Area Committee Mr. Yan Wei Min and Pro-Rector of City University of Macau Prof. Ip Kuai Peng represented both parties to sign the Agreement of Partnership Base.

Rector Zhang also presented contracts to the Consultants of the Research Center, including Research Fellow Chen Guo Liang, Prof. Song Junde Strategic Specialist of China Smart City Expert Committee; Prof. Wang Fuzhai, Chief of Research Center of Planning at Ministry of Transport of PRC; Prof. Zhu Yuesheng, Associate Dean of School of Electronic and Computer Engineering at Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Chief of Administrative Big Data Center at XiaoKang of Qiushi Magazine Mr. Zhang Zhi and Associate Professor of Tsinghua University Mr. Bai Yu Qi.

In addition, CityU has invited the aforementioned scholars to speak at the academic conference on “Innovations of the Status Quo and Establishment of Global Smart City”, “The Establishment of Smart City under the Big Data Environment” and “The Opportunities and Challenges on China’s Administrative Big Data”.