Turing Award winner Professor John Hopcroft visits Sun Yat-sen University to jointly draw up a blueprint for innovative development of computer education

On April 25, 2025, Professor John Edward Hopcroft, an international authority in computer science and winner of the Turing Award (the "Nobel Prize" in the computer industry), visited the School of Computer Science at Sun Yat-sen University to give lectures and communicate with teachers and students. This high-end academic event was hosted by Professor Wu Di, Vice Dean of the School, and more than 200 teachers and students witnessed this academic event of the blending of wisdom.

As a world-renowned computer scientist, Professor Hopcroft has won many honors, including Turing Award winner, foreign academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, and member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. This visit brought international cutting-edge educational concepts and practical experience to Sun Yat-sen University.

In a special speech entitled "Talent for the Information Age", Professor Hopcroft gave an in-depth analysis of the strategic framework and implementation path of the Ministry of Education's "101 Plan". As an innovative measure for higher education reform in the new era, the plan takes computer science as a demonstration in the first phase, and gradually expands to nine basic disciplines such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology, building a collaborative education network covering more than 200 universities across the country.

Professor John Edward Hopcroft systematically explained the two strategies of the "101 Project": 1. Knowledge system construction project: gather the wisdom of top universities to build a core curriculum system, and simultaneously develop supporting textbooks and digital teaching resource libraries, so as to realize the universalization of high-quality educational resources through open sharing platforms; 2. Teaching capacity improvement project: adopt the "one city, one course" training model, focus on a single course to carry out teaching seminars with hundreds of people, and empower teachers' professional development through three dimensions (teaching concepts, methods and tools, and evaluation systems).

John Edward Hopcroft's wonderful speech

Regarding the trend of artificial intelligence technology reconstructing the educational ecology, Professor Hopcroft emphasized: "The essence of education is to stimulate academic interest and achieve a paradigm shift from knowledge transfer to the cultivation of innovative capabilities." The "interest-oriented growth model" he proposed resonated deeply with the teachers and students present.

During the teacher-student exchange session, professors and CUHK students exchanged ideas on topics such as the application of artificial intelligence in teaching and the cultivation of interdisciplinary talents. At the end of the event, Professor Ma Xiao, Secretary of the Party Committee of the College, presented souvenirs and all participants took a group photo, bringing this high-level international academic exchange to a successful conclusion.

Professor Hopcroft interacts with CUHK students (swipe left to view)

Professor Ma Xiao presents a souvenir to Professor Hopcroft
This visit marks a new stage in the development of Sun Yat-sen University's computer science discipline entering into international collaborative innovation. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the School of Computer Science. The school will take this opportunity to deeply align with the strategic layout of the "101 Plan" and implement Sun Yat-sen University's talent training concept of "strengthening the foundation, promoting cross-disciplinary, respecting choices, and excellent teaching", so as to continuously supply high-level innovative talents for the high-quality development of the digital economy in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Source: Party and Government Office of the College

Editor: Ma Ye , Xu Ying

First review: Wang Dongmei

Reviewer: Wu Di, Yan Xiaohui

Review and release: Ma Xiao