On November 2nd to 3rd, the third edition of the MIT Technology Review's "Innovators Under 35" Asia-Pacific unveiling ceremony and Young Innovators Forum took place. Our university's alumni, Sharon Li, who graduated in 2013 with a major in Information Engineering, and Dong Fangliang, a Ph.D. graduate in Electrical Engineering from the class of 2021, were selected for the global and Asia-Pacific lists of "Innovators Under 35" for the year 2023, respectively.
Sharon Li, a graduate from the class of 2013 with a major in Information Engineering, is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research primarily focuses on the algorithmic and theoretical foundations of distributed outlier detection, AI security and consistency, and open-world machine learning issues.
Sharon Li has developed an AI security feature known as "out-of-distribution (OOD) detection." She created the first out-of-distribution detection algorithm for deep neural networks, subsequently leading Google to establish a dedicated team to integrate out-of-distribution detection into its products. In 2022, Sharon Li's theoretical analysis on out-of-distribution detection was selected as an outstanding paper at NeurIPS, one of the renowned conferences in the field of artificial intelligence, from among over 10,000 submitted papers.
Dong Fangliang, a Ph.D. graduate from the School of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering in the class of 2021 with a major in Electrical Engineering, is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He is dedicated to overcoming key bottlenecks in high-temperature superconducting magnets, propelling the rapid development of engineering applications.
Dong Fangliang achieved a quasi-sustainable current operation mode for closed-loop superconducting magnets by researching low-resistance copper diffusion joints in high-temperature superconducting tapes. Additionally, through the study of nitrogen solidification technology, he successfully substituted traditional liquid helium refrigerants, which are non-renewable resources. This advancement eliminated the reliance on external power and refrigeration sources for magnet operation, overcoming the two major challenges of excitation and refrigeration in terms of the economic and stable operation of magnets.
The mentioned technologies provide core technical support for developing key components—onboard superconducting magnets—for China's future energy-efficient high-speed maglev trains with speeds up to 600 kilometers per hour. Simultaneously, his innovative magnet surface energy release technology, utilizing distributed energy bypassing through micron-scale coatings, suppresses irreversible thermal/mechanical damage caused by cascade effects. This approach validates a stable and feasible quench protection method, offering a crucial solution for the reliable operation of high-field high-temperature superconducting magnets globally.
The "Innovators Under 35" initiative is spearheaded by the renowned U.S. technology and business publication, MIT Technology Review. Since its inception in 1999, this initiative annually selects innovative leaders from around the world whose work in cutting-edge science, emerging technologies, and innovative applications is expected to have a profound impact on the future of technology. The selected individuals span various emerging technology domains, including but not limited to biotechnology, energy materials, artificial intelligence, information technology, and intelligent manufacturing.
Since 2014, MIT Technology Review has been publishing the list of "Innovators Under 35" for the Asia-Pacific region. In 2017, this initiative was formally introduced in China, aiming to discover and highlight the most innovative young Chinese scientists and technologists with a global perspective. The goal is to recognize these young innovators for their contributions to the field of technology, inspire them to continue their innovative work, and provide them with the attention they deserve.