One of the leading computer science researchers in the world – Andrew Chi-Chih Yao – has invited 11 scientists from the Department of Computer Science, Aarhus University, to the prestigious Tsinghua University in Beijing to hold a workshop with Chinese colleagues on some of the hottest topics in theoretical computer science.
And these topics are really hot. Under the heading Current Trends in Algorithms, Complexity Theory, and Cryptography, discussions will include developing algorithms that can deal with the massive amounts of data generated by the modern information society, developing algorithms for the quantum computers of the future, and developing new cryptographic protocols for transmitting data securely.
In 2000, Professor Yao received the Turing Award – the computer science equivalent of the Nobel Prize – and prior to moving to China in 2004, he worked as a professor at both Stanford and Princeton Universities in the USA. He was subsequently appointed Director of the Institute for Theoretical Computer Science (ITCS) at Tsinghua University. He still has a number of positions of trust in the American research world.
The workshop is being held on 22–27 March. In Aarhus, participants are already hoping it will be the beginning of a long and productive collaboration.
“We’re very interested in getting collaboration with Tsinghua University, which is the centre for theoretical computer science in China. We’re working on the same problems in theoretical computer science, so we can combine our expertise to solve some difficult problems. Another thing that makes Tsinghua interesting is that they’ve set up an elite graduate programme in theoretical computer science, where they hand pick students from the basic degree programme and give them an elite programme. In other words, they’re very smart young people, and we’re happy to talk to smart young people,” says Professor Peter Bro Miltersen, Department of Computer Science.
Tsinghua University is ranked as number 56 in the Times Higher Education list of the best 200 universities in the world (while Aarhus University is number 81).
