Industry-Academia Collaboration for World-Class Achievements

[Shenzhen, China, December 14, 2023] The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen) held the World University Leadership Summit in Shenzhen on December 11th. William Xu, Huawei Fellow and Chair of Huawei’s Scientist Advisory Committee, took part as the speaker representing the business sector. Xu spoke during a roundtable discussion, themed Research and Innovation Ecosystem, alongside university presidents from across the globe. Speaking from a business standpoint, he shared his insights into industry-academia collaboration.

William Xu at the roundtable discussion in Shenzhen explaining Huawei’s strategy for cooperation with universities

William Xu said: “New theoretical and technological breakthroughs are urgently needed to lead the information industry into new stages. Universities, research institutions, and enterprises should work closely together to address industry challenges and deliver world-class achievements.”

To address industry bottlenecks, Xu believes that industry must take the initiative and work with academia in open collaboration to define major challenges that need to be solved. While companies are good at identifying engineering needs, universities excel at probing the frontiers of science and technology, he said.

According to Xu, Huawei encourages efficiency and freedom during research. “We attach great importance to cooperation with universities around the world, through models that develop global capabilities that are known to us, accessible to us, and attainable to us.”

Xu called for universities worldwide to encourage more cross-disciplinary research, especially from doctoral and post-doctoral students, as this can promote global scientific and technological cooperation and complement available knowledge.

William Xu calling for industry-academia collaboration to light the way forward in research

Currently, Huawei cooperates with more than 300 universities, and over 900 research institutes and companies worldwide, Xu remarked, “We hope to continue working with universities and scientific research institutions around the world to tackle world-class challenges, and share the results of innovation with industry and all of humankind.”