The Second China-ASEAN Forum on Computer Science, Technology Development and Cooperation (CACSF 2020) (第二届中国——东盟计算机科技发展与合作论坛) hosted by China Computer Federation (CCF) was held on 5 December 2020 through VOOV Meeting.

CACSF 2020 was organised by CCF Nanning and Nanning Computer Society and co-organised by Guangxi University for Nationalities-UTAR International Joint Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data, and UTAR. It was supported by the Guangxi Association for Science and Technology, and Nanning Association for Science and Technology. UTAR Faculty of Information and Communication Technology (FICT) Dean Assoc Prof Ts Dr Liew Soung Yue was one of the Chairpersons for the Organising Committee of CACSF 2020.

The forum was first held on 13 October 2019 in Nanning, China. Dr Liew and Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science (LKC FES) Deputy Dean for R&D and Postgraduate Programmes Assoc Prof Ts Dr Yap Wun She were invited to share their expertise in the forum. (UTAR News: https://news.utar.edu.my/news/2019/Oct/23/01/01.html)

The forum aimed to strengthen in-depth exchanges and cooperation between China and ASEAN countries in the fields of computing and information technology, create a platform for computer technology exchange and cooperation with ASEAN characteristics, promote talent exchange and cooperation between China and ASEAN countries and further promote exchanges and cooperation between higher education institutions and industries. The forum attracted the participation of computing experts, researchers, specialists, academics and students from higher education institutions and industries from China and ASEAN countries.

There were two highlight sessions in CACSF 2020, namely an academic report session called “Network Communication and AI”, and a thematic forum titled “China-ASEAN Exchanges and Cooperation under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Framework”.

Well-known experts and scholars from higher education institutions, scientific research institutions, government departments and industries, such as Peking University (PKU); Guangxi University, China; Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore; De La Salle University, Philippines; UTAR; Institute of Software, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ISCAS); ASEAN Academy of Engineering and Technology (AAET); Big Data Development Bureau of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guangxi-ASEAN Technology Transfer Center; Office of China (Guangxi) Pilot Free Trade Zone; China-ASEAN Information Harbor Co.,Ltd, and Guangxi Tus Innovation Cross-border E-Commerce Co., Ltd were invited to share the frontier technology hotspots in the computing field, scientific research results and experiences, and discuss the scientific and technological cooperation plans between China and ASEAN countries.

UTAR LKC FES Head of Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Assoc Prof Ir Dr Chang Yoong Choon was as one of the invited speakers for the academic report session. Dr Chang presented his research titled “AI and Communication Protocols in Smart Home Systems”. The research introduced participants to the overview of smart home systems; state of the art smart home systems; how AI is applied in the current smart home systems; common communication protocols used in smart home systems and future directions of applications of AI in smart home systems.

Other speakers for the academic report session were PKU School of Electronics Engineering and Computer Science, Institute of Network Computing and Information Systems Researcher Assoc Prof Dr Yang Tong who presented on “High-performance Network Measurement Technology”; NTU Tenured Professor Dr Luo Jun, who presented on “Practical RF sensing in the age of AI”; University of West London Chair Professor Dr Jonathan Loo, who presented on “Proactive Edge Caching in Content-Centric” and Queen Mary University of London Prof Dr Michael Chai, who presented on “Resource allocation in beyond 5G/6G”.

UTAR President Ir Prof Dr Ewe Hong Tat, as the ASEAN Academy of Engineering and Technology (AAET) Secretary General and Fellow was invited as one of the 13 speakers to present at the thematic forum. Prof Ewe presented the exchanges and collaborations of information technology between China and ASEAN under the RCEP framework, and introduced the cultivation of knowledgeable employees with growth mentality and empathy, the continuous innovation of Silicon Valley, and the integration of technology. He also shared some of the international collaboration projects between both economies such as China-Malaysia Higher Education Forum, China-Malaysia Qinzhou Industrial Park Talent Development Plan, talent training and student exchange programmes, forums and academic activities, and encouraged to cultivate the next generation’s interest in technology.

Other speakers from UTAR were Institute of Management and Leadership Development Director-cum-Belt and Road Strategic Research Centre Chairperson Prof Dr Cheng Ming Yu, who presented on “Developing Science and Technology Capacity through collaboration”, Faculty of Business and Finance Dean Dr Au Yong Hui Nee, who presented on “How Domestic Enterprises to have a Good Positioning in the Digital Economy Industry” and FICT Deputy Dean for Student Development and Industrial Training Dr Choo Peng Yin, who presented on “IT Education for Digital Economy”.

CACSF 2020 was a complete success with the strong support from all parties. The forum focused on network communication and AI, cutting-edge academic research results, and the exchange and cooperation of information technology between China and ASEAN under the ECEP framework. The forum also strengthened the mutual exchange between scholars from China and ASEAN in the field of computing and information technology.