Reported by: GUO Weihua
Photographed by: LIU Yang
Translated by: WANG Ying
Edited by: Jonathan Wylie
On December 27th, Professor John E. Hopcroft, winner of the A. M. Turing Award, the highest award in the world of Computer Science, a member of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), and a professor in the Department of Computer Science at Cornell University, attended the "Scientists’ Forum" in the Administration Building of HIT. Hopcroft gave a special report entitled, "Future Direction in Computer Science.”
Professor Hopcroft presented the development process and importance of Computer Science in the past 40 years through a series of real-life examples for teachers and students. Previous computer science focused on how to make computers useful in areas such as programming languages, compiling, operating systems, data structures and algorithms, all of which are still very important. However, with the advent of integration between computation and communication, social networks, and the popularization of digital information, the current focus has turned to the field of application.
Professor Hopcroft offered a prediction about the future development of Computer Science, and introduced a number of research focuses from recent years, as well as the latest achievements in the field of Community Technique, accomplished by his own research group. He also explained some theoretical knowledge about advanced information technology; so that others could have a more profound understanding of the important role that theoretical computer science has played in modern information technology. During the interaction time, Professor Hopcroft answered students' questions.
Professor Hopcroft received a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Seattle University and went on to further study at Stanford University where he was under the tutelage of Bernard Widrow, the research originator of Adaptive Signal Processing and Adaptive Neural Networks. Professor Hopcroft was once appointed by President Bush as a member of the National Scientific Council to oversee the National Science Foundation. He was honored with the A. M. Turing Award in 1986 for his achievement in data structure and algorithm design. In 2005, he was awarded the IEEE Harry H. Goode Memorial Award for his achievement in information processing applications, in 2007, he won the CRA Distinguished Service Award, and in 2010 he won the IEEE von Neumann Medal.
At the end of the conference, the Dean of the School of Computer Science and Technology, WANG Yadong, awarded Professor Hopcroft as the "Scientists’ Forum Honored Guest.”
Professor Hopcroft discussed future development of Computer Science
During the interaction time, Professor Hopcroft answered students' questions.
