International Eurasian Academy of Sciences, IEAS

Academician

Wei ZHAO

Profile:

Elected Academician of the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences in 2012, Professor Wei Zhao is a Chinese-American computer scientist whose career has focused on distributed computing, real-time systems and networks, the Internet of Things, cyber-physical systems, and cyberspace security. Born in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, in 1953, he received his bachelor’s degree in physics from Shaanxi Normal University in 1977 and taught there until 1982 before receiving his master’s and doctoral degrees in computer and information science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1983 and 1986, respectively. He subsequently taught at Amherst College and the University of Adelaide before joining Texas A&M University, where he served as Head of the Department of Computer Science and Senior Associate Vice President for Research and established an information security research centre. From 2005 to 2007, he was Director of the Division of Computer and Network Systems at the US National Science Foundation, followed by service as Dean of Science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. From 2008 to 2018, he served as President of the University of Macau, overseeing major developments in the university’s campus, residential college system, and educational programmes. He subsequently served as Vice President for Research at the American University of Sharjah and is now Provost, Chairman of the Academic Council, Dean of the Institute of Higher Education Research, and Endowed Chair Professor at Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology. He is a Fellow of the IEEE and the China Computer Federation. His honours include the IEEE Achievement Award of the Technical Committee on Distributed Processing, the China Computer Federation Overseas Outstanding Contribution Award, the IEEE Real-Time Systems Award for Outstanding Technical Contributions and Leadership, and the IEEE Big Data Technical Committee Award for Outstanding Achievements.

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Professor Zhao’s research has centred on distributed and real-time computing, computer networks, information security, and cyber-physical systems. In 2006, while serving at the US National Science Foundation, he helped define cyber-physical systems as a distinct research area and established an early NSF funding programme supporting research in the field. His subsequent work helped connect CPS research with emerging applications in the Internet of Things and other networked intelligent systems. In 2011, he was appointed Chief Scientist of a national 973 Programme project on the Internet of Things, leading a consortium involving research institutions and universities in China and the University of Macau. The project addressed fundamental issues concerning information and execution fidelity in IoT systems and contributed to the development of theoretical frameworks for the field in China. He has also promoted international academic exchange and researcher development. In 2002, he founded the Dragon Star Programme, through which overseas Chinese scholars were invited to return to China to teach graduate courses in computer science, providing opportunities for collaboration and advanced training. Professor Zhao has published more than 400 research papers and has served as editor or associate editor of major journals in computer science, including IEEE Transactions on Computers, IEEE Transactions on Parallel and Distributed Systems, and Real-Time Systems. He has delivered invited and keynote lectures at international conferences and contributed to the development of professional communities in distributed computing and real-time systems. Through sustained research, academic leadership, and international collaboration, Professor Zhao has contributed to the development of distributed and cyber-physical computing and to the cultivation of computer science talent in China and internationally.