The Second International Workshop on Image Processing and Machine Learning recently took place at the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech). The event brought together more than 100 experts and scholars from various  universities and research institutions across China and abroad to explore the latest advances in image and intelligent technologies in the era of artificial intelligence (AI).

Organized by the Department of Statistics and Data Science (STAT-DS) at SUSTech, the workshop featured six Fellows of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM), three Fellows of the American Mathematical Society (AMS), two invited speakers of the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM), and five recipients of the Feng Kang Prize.

Academician Shuhong YU of the Chinese Academy of Sciences delivered the opening speech, expressing his hope that the forum would inspire fruitful exchanges and further drive progress in image processing and machine learning. Afterward, Associate Head and Chair Professor Bing-Yi JING of the Department of STAT-DS provided a brief overview of the department’s development.

Tony F. CHAN, Member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE), Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and member of the International Advisory Council of SUSTech, presided over the opening ceremony. He reflected on his longstanding connection with SUSTech and praised the University and its Department of STAT-DS for their achievements within a short period. He noted that while machine learning has greatly advanced the intelligence of image processing, progress in imaging technology has also, in turn, accelerated the development of AI. He shared several key perspectives on this mutual influence to guide further discussion among participants.

During the three-day event, more than 20 renowned scholars in image processing and machine learning from around the world shared their latest research findings in areas such as image recognition, intelligent algorithms, and medical imaging.

A special panel discussion on how image processing and AI have influenced each other and what the future may hold was moderated by Professor Raymond Hon-Fu CHAN of Lingnan University. Panelists included Professors Alfred M. Bruckstein from the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Tony F. CHAN, Weinan E from Peking University, Zuowei SHEN from the National University of Singapore, and Gabriele Steidl from the Technical University of Berlin. They engaged in discussions on the evolving relationship between image processing and AI, offering valuable insights and advice to young scholars in attendance.

The workshop provided a high-level platform for academic exchange and technological innovation, fostering international collaboration and injecting new momentum into interdisciplinary research.