Professor Silvio Micali appointed as Peking University visiting chair professor
Jun 20, 2019
Peking University: June 20, 2019: On June 12, Professor Silvio Micali, Ford professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the winner of 2012 A.M. Turing Award, was officially appointed as Peking University visiting chair professor.
Hao Ping presenting a letter of appointment to Professor Micali
Peking University President Hao Ping attended the ceremony and presented the letter of appointment to Professor Micali. Nearly 100 teachers and students from different schools were also present.
Professor Micali maintained that we should shore up scientific cooperation for the sake of mutual development, as science goes beyond national borders. With the support from PKU, Professor Micali said he will spare no effort to share his knowledge to students and early-career teachers. Professor Micali also expressed his expectation to students and encouraged them to continue to explore the beauty of science.
Peking University’s Turing Talent Training Program was launched on the same day at the ceremony.
The program, which is based on Turing class for undergraduate students proposed by Turing Prize winner John Hopcroft and refined with training sessions for graduate students, brings together world-class academics to help students prepare for working in computer sciences and other interdisciplinary fields. The program also aims to cultivate future pioneers capable of leading China’s scientific and educational development in the new era.
After the ceremony, Professor Micali gave a lecture on "Proofs, Secrets, and Computation". He introduced the definitions of interactive proof, zero-knowledge proof and validations of the related calculation, revealed how the calculation theory revolutionized our approach to proofs, and demonstrated mind-blowing applications in the near future, including cloud computing and super-security recognition.
Written by: Qiu Kanghua
Edited by: Huang Weijian
Source: PKU News (Chinese)
