Prof Song Yongduan, Dean of the School of Data Science and Henry Y. W. Fong Chair Professor of Industrial Data Science at Lingnan University (left), receives his member plaque as an International Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering in Beijing.
During the plenary meeting, Prof Song announced the latest news of his research team’s self-developed “Prescribed Time Control Technology for Nonlinear and Strongly Coupled Systems”. This technology enables more precise control over the time required for complex systems to complete designated tasks, enhancing system predictability and providing an innovative engineering solution for time-critical and high-precision applications such as aerospace, defence systems, intelligent robotics, and smart transportation.
Marking the beginning of the National 15th Five-Year Plan, the professor said, “Being elected as an International Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering is not only a great honour, but also a responsibility and a real motivation to continue my research. This recognition has also strengthened my commitment to furthering engineering science and technology, promoting modernisation, and contributing to social and industrial development.”
Prof Song explained that complex systems are composed of multiple interdependent components that require a high level of coordination to function effectively. The Prescribed Time Control Technology for Nonlinear and Strongly Coupled Systems is designed to improve the controllability of such systems by allowing the completion time of control objectives to be specified in advance according to operational requirements, thereby improving system stability and reliability. The technology has broad application potential in supporting intelligent systems and advanced engineering technologies.
Prof Song joined Lingnan University last year as Dean of the School of Data Science, and provides academic and administrative leadership in teaching, research, and curriculum development. He believes that young researchers are the driving force behind innovation in engineering science and technology, and plans to continue to nurture them, to build a globally influential research team, and to accelerate the translation of research outcomes into practical engineering applications.
Recently, the professor has represented Lingnan in close academic exchanges with the best universities and control engineering research institutions worldwide. He has strengthened ties between the University and pre-eminent academic platforms including the Chinese Academy of Engineering, expanded international partnerships through interdisciplinary and cross-regional collaboration, and encouraged joint seminars, academic visits, student exchange programmes, and occasions for researchers from different regions to meet, contributing fresh momentum to engineering science and technology in the Hong Kong SAR, the nation and beyond.
Prof Song’s research focuses on data-driven control and machine learning methods. He served as Founding Director of the Center for Cooperative Systems at the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA) in the US from 2005 to 2008, and from 2012 to 2022 he was the Dean of the School of Automation at Chongqing University. The professor has published 12 books and over 400 scientific papers, holds approximately 100 patents registered in China, the United States, and Japan, and is currently Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems. Since 2021, he has been recognised as one of Stanford University's World’s Top 2% Scientists, and is also a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher.
The International Members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering are elected every two years. Candidates are successful and internationally recognised foreign experts and scholars in engineering science and technology, who have made significant contributions to China's engineering and technological development or international exchanges in engineering science and technology. The CAE currently has 145 International Members from 23 countries.
