Ya-Qin Zhang


Ya-Qin Zhang is a scientist, technologist and business executive. He is the founder and Chairman of Blue Entropy LLC, a Seattle-based technology consulting firm. He will join Tsinghua University as the Chair Professor of AI Science in July 2020, starting the Tsinghua institute for Advanced Industry Research to focus on new technologies for the fourth industrial revolution, such as autonomous driving, AI-IoT, and industrial AI.
Zhang was President of Baidu Inc. from September 2014 to October 2019. Before joining Baidu in 2014 as the President of the company, Zhang was previously a key executive of Microsoft for almost 16 years, including Corporate Vice President for mobile and embedded Products in Redmond, Washington, Managing Director of Microsoft Research Asia, and Chairman of Microsoft China. His Sina Weibo had over 12 million followers at its peak in 2009.
Zhang has made contributions to the software and Internet technology and industry through his 550 publications, 62 US patents. His seminal research in digital video and communications has been extensively used in global standards and products. He is elected to the Fellow of American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2019, and was inducted to Australia National Academy of Engineering as the only foreign fellow in 2017. He became an IEEE Fellow in 1997 at the age of 31, making him the youngest scientist winning this honor in the 100+ year history of the organization. He received the industry pioneer award from IEEE for his seminal contributions and technical leadership in digital video and communications in 2004. Upon his winning of "Outstanding Young Electrical Engineer Award" in 1998, Zhang received a congratulation letter from former US president Bill Clinton, praising him as "an inspiration for others".
Zhang currently serves on the Board of Directors of three high-tech companies, and holds board membership and adjunct professorship in five prestigious universities. He was named one of the top 10 CEOs in Asia, 50 global shapers, Executive of the year, IT innovator leader award by IT Times, Business Week, CNBC, Global business and Vision magazine. One of the prominent figures in artificial intelligence and autonoumous driving, Zhang serves on the board of stewardship for the future of mobility of the Davos World Economic Forum, and is the Chairman of the Apollo Alliance, the largest open platform for autonomous driving in the world. Zhang is a founding member of UNDP Private Sector.
Zhang was born in Taiyuan, Shanxi, in January 1966, and is married with two children.

Education

At age 12, Zhang was admitted to the University of Science and Technology of China as a special gifted young, then the youngest college student in the country.
At age 17, Zhang obtained a B.S. degree from University of Science and Technology of China, and 2 years later, acquired a M.S. degree from the same school, all majoring in electrical engineering. By age 23, he had earned a D.Sc, Electrical Engineering from the George Washington University, working on digital image coding and satellite communications.

Career

Microsoft Corporation

Over his 16-year tenure at Microsoft, Ya-Qin Zhang has taken various key positions, including the Managing Director of Microsoft Research Asia, Chairman of Microsoft China Limited, Corporate Vice President of Mobile and Embedded Products, Asia-Pacific R&D Chairman and Corporate Vice President until September 2014.
He was a co-founder of Microsoft Research China in 1999 as the inaugural Chief Scientist, and then became the managing director in 2000 after its founding director Kai-Fu Lee's promotion and relocation to Microsoft HQ. It was under Zhang's leadership that Microsoft Research China was elevated to Microsoft Research Asia in 2002, which has become a premier computer science research center in the world, with over 300 world-class scientists working on some of most innovative research and technologies in AI/machine learning, video and multimedia, computer vision and graphics, natural language processing, and cloud computing. MSRA was also the foundation for Microsoft Advanced Technology Center and Asia-Pacific R&D group, the largest R&D center for Microsoft outside of the US.
In 2011, Zhang founded the Microsoft venture Accelerator in Beijing, and has become one of the most vibrant start-up engines in China with over 200 companies incubated over the years.
Zhang had also been the original architect of the Great Wall Plan, under which Microsoft invested roughly $25 million in Chinese education between 2002 and 2005, mainly to support curriculum development and faculty and managerial training at the country's then thirty-five software colleges.

Baidu Inc

Zhang joined Baidu Inc. as president of the company in 2014 and retired in October 2019. Baidu is a leading Internet company in search, mobility, AI and cloud computing. As President, Zhang has led various key functions including technology infrastructure, consumer business, marketing and government relationship, and new business initiatives including finance, education, cloud, autonomous driving and global business.

Tsinghua University

Zhang will join Tsinghua University as the Chair Professor of AI Science, with a joint appointment from the School of Computer Science and School of Vehicle and Mobility. He will create a research center for the Advanced Industry Research, focusing on scientific research and technological innovation for the fourth industry revolution, such as autonomous driving, AI+IoT, and neuromorphic computing.

Awards, appointments and fellowships

Zhang is a member of the Committee of 100, a group of leading Chinese-Americans to promote the cultural, scientific, social, and economic exchanges between the US and China.
Zhang serves on the Strategic Committee of the France China Foundation. The France China Foundation encourages the development of relationship between French and Chinese leaders, to stimulate their interest in the other country and to inspire them to set up joint projects.