Prof. Ni first joined the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) in July 2002 and served in various capacities including Chair Professor and Head of Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Dean of HKUST Fok Ying Tung Research Institute, and Special Assistant to the President. In January 2015, he became the Vice Rector (Academic Affairs) and Chair Professor in the Department of Computer and Information Science at the University of Macau. He rejoined HKUST as Provost and Chair Professor of Computer Science and Engineering in May 2019.
Prof. Ni is a highly accomplished scholar in computer science and engineering with broad research interests and wide international recognition. He earned his PhD degree in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University in 1980. He then joined the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Michigan State University in 1981, and was promoted to full Professor in 1989. He served as the Microelectronic Systems Architecture program director at the US National Science Foundation (1995-1996) and was Co-Founder and CEO of CC&T Technologies, Inc., Michigan (1998-2001).
Prof. Ni’s research interests lie in the areas of high-performance computing, mobile computing, wireless networking, big data, and intelligent computing. He has published three books and over 350 refereed journal and conference articles with over 37,000 citations on Google Scholar. As the winner of eight best paper awards, Prof. Ni has multiple achievements including ownership of 28 US/China patents and having supervised 73 well-placed PhD students.
Prof. Ni has engaged in many activities in the Chinese Mainland. He served as Chief Scientist of the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) on Wireless Sensor Networks, Visiting Endowed Chair Professor of Tsinghua University, Visiting Endowed Chair Professor of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Overseas Assessor of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Expert Panel of the Natural Science Foundation of China and Ministry of Science and Technology and Member of Academic Committee of three State Key Laboratories.
Prof. Ni has served on the editorial board of many first-tier journals and flagship magazines in his research field. He has given over 100 invited keynote speeches at international, national, and regional events, and chaired over 40 national and international conferences.
As a Life Fellow of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and Fellow of Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences, Prof. Ni won the Overseas Outstanding Contribution Award from China Computer Federation in 2009, the First Class Award in Natural Sciences for Research Excellence from the Ministry of Education, China in 2010, the Second Class Award in Natural Sciences for Research Excellence from the State Council, China in 2011, and the First Class Award in Science and Technology from the Guangdong Province in 2014.
Prof. Ni has been proactive in promoting innovation in pedagogical approaches to enhance student-centered learning and fostering holistic development of students. He is dedicated to facilitating faculty professional development and encouraging interdisciplinary education and research. He has also played a dynamic role in leading cross-sector collaboration, connecting industry and research, and promoting innovation at the University for positive societal impact.