Appointment ceremony of distinguished researcher took place at SISS on the afternoon of December 29, 2017. Mr. John Hopcroft, a professor from Cornell university in US, 1986, a Turing Award laureate and a foreign academician of Chinese Science Academy, was appointed as one of the distinguished researchers of SISS. The ceremony was presided by the deputy director of SISS Li Wan, Director Luo Dajin issued the job offer to professor Hopcroft, the deputy director Zhang Conghui of SISS was also present at the ceremony. Researchers from SISS, media and press, and external guests and experts attended the appointment ceremony.

　　

　　John Hopcroft accepted the letter of appointment and delivered a speech on"Artificial Intelligence and Shnghai". Professor Hopcroft noted that China has a very good foundation in the field of artificial intelligence and that Shanghai has great developing opportunities. He hopes this report will become the beginning of "numerous exchanges in the future" between the two sides.

　　

　　Professor Hopcroft believes that our society is experiencing an information revolution that will transform our lives. Artificial intelligence can change the world and become key driver of economic development. Individuals, companies, and nations that are ready for this change will benefit. In particular, he emphasized the importance in strengthening artificial intelligence education. He also introduced the relevant training programs that he is currently promoting. He further pointed out that if Shanghai can make strategic planning, Shanghai can become a forward-looking, motivated and strategic artificial intelligence center and further develop itself into China's "AI Valley."

　　

　　“Jiefang Daily” published the event at the first instant.

　　

　　John Edward Hopcroft, male, computer scientist. Born in October 1939 in Seattle, Washington. Achieved doctor’s degree at 1964 by the United States Stanford University. He is currently a professor at Cornell University and a visiting professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, American Academy of Sciences (2009), National Academy of Engineering (1989), National Academy of Arts and Sciences (1987). He won the ACM Turing Prize (1986), the IEEE von Neumann Award (2010) and the American Academy of Engineering Simon Lehman Prize Winner (2017). Former President of the United States National Science Council member (1992-1998). In 2016, he won the highest honor awarded by the Chinese government for foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to the modernisation of China, the "China Government Friendship Award." In 2017 he was elected a foreign academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

　　

　　Hopcroft's area of research is theoretical computer science. He summarizes the fragmented results in the early-stage computer science to a systematic knowledge, and proposes the use of asymptotic analysis as the main index to measure the performance of the algorithm, which becomes a pillar of computer science today.