- The Founding President of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou)
Professor Lionel M. Ni is the Founding President of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) (HKUST(GZ)). He previously served as Chief Vice-President of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and Chair Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. Professor Ni earned his PhD degree in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University in 1980. He served as Vice Rector (Academic Affairs) and Chair Professor in the Department of Computer and Information Science at the University of Macau; Chair Professor and Head of Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Dean of HKUST Fok Ying Tung Graduate School and Special Assistant to the President; Professor in Computer Science and Engineering at Michigan State University (1981 to 2002), the Microelectronic Systems Architecture program director at US National Science Foundation (1995-1996) , co-founder and CEO of CC&T Technologies, Inc..
He served as the Chief Scientist of the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) on Wireless Sensor Networks, Visiting Endowed Chair Professor of Tsinghua University, Visiting Endowed Chair Professor of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Overseas Assessor of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Expert Panel of the Natural Science Foundation of China and Ministry of Science and Technology and Member of Academic Committee of State Key Laboratories. Professor Ni's academic works are predominantly published in top-tier academic journals and conferences, whose work has garnered over 51,000 citations (according to Google Scholar). He has supervised 76 PhD students
A Life Fellow of IEEE and Fellow of Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences, Professor Ni won the Overseas Outstanding Contribution Award from China Computer Federation in 2009, the First Class Award in Natural Sciences from the Ministry of Education, China in 2010, the Second Class Award in Natural Sciences for Research Excellence from the State Council, China in 2011, and the First Class Award in Science and Technology from the Guangdong Province in 2014.