COLDSKY.CN – The Westlake Institute for Advanced Study (WIAS) has joined hands with gas station startup WeCar Technology to launch the first joint lab since the preparation for establishing Westlake University started in 2015.
WIAS, a small-scale research institute dedicated to natural sciences and engineering disciplines, currently has institutes in biology, basic medical sciences, natural sciences and advanced technology. They collectively form the predecessor of the planned Westlake University, with Shi Yigong, a famed biophysicist and former vice-president of Tsinghua University, as the co-founder.
Located in Xihu District of Hangzhou City, WIAS represents the most ambitious efforts now underway in Chinese academic circles to establish the country’s first private, high-level R&D university, with the support of well-known scientists and the local government.
The WIAS Institute for Advanced Technology led by Shiyi Chen, dynamicist and president of Southern University of Science and Technology, aims to become an important base for national major scientific technological research and a training center for innovative talent.
The joint lab led by Professor Wang Donglin of the Institute for Advanced Technology will focus on the application of Big Data and AI in smart gas stations. With rich research experience in navigation and AI, Wang said he wants to closely link theory with practices in frontier and important fields to make the lab a role model in enterprise-school cooperation.
WeCar, founded in May 2004 by former senior managers from Shell, Sinochem, Microsoft, Tencent and Alibaba, operates as an online platform that helps vehicle owners find service stations, make payment and improve sales with the use of Big Data analysis. Cofounder and VP Yang Xuyong was nominated as one of Forbes China’s 300 Top Innovators: Entrepreneurs and Leaders Under Age 30 in China. WeCar has won a number of top awards and recognitions including as National New High-tech Enterprise, Shenzhen New High-tech Enterprise and Zhongguancun Science Park New High-tech Enterprise.
Tang Ao, CTO of WeCar, said the firm shares a common dream with Westlake University in making breakthroughs and growth.
The cooperation between WIAS and WeCar started when Luo Yi, CEO of WeCar, attended training jointly organized by the Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management (Tsinghua SEM) and Qingteng University. Qingteng was launched by Qian Yingyi, Dean of Tsinghua SEM, and Tencent founder and CEO Pony Ma.
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