On the morning of October 16, the opening ceremony of the Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Chemistry Experimental Class of Huazhong University of Science and Technology was grandly held in the Conference Room 321 of the East 3 Building. The AI-Chemistry Experiment Class is jointly run by our school and Wuhan Zhihua Technology Co., Ltd. Xia Ning, general manager of Wuhan Zhihua Technology Co., Ltd., Zhao Guoqin, manager of the comprehensive department, Pan Nala, human resources manager, Professor Gong Yuefa, vice dean of the school, Nie Hongbo, Deputy Secretary of School CPC Committee, Professor Liao Rongzhen, department director and all the students in the experimental class attended the ceremony. The ceremony was presided over by Professor Liao Rongzhen, Director of the department.
In response to the national strategy, and in order to focus on scientific and technological innovation, and cultivate leading talents in the field of chemistry with an international perspective and cross-disciplinary talents with a dual background in chemistry/IT, the school has set up the AI-Chemistry Experimental Class. This experimental class combines chemistry and artificial intelligence, introduces relevant cutting-edge scientific and technological resources into the cultivation of excellent undergraduate talents in universities, strives to improve the scientific quality and innovative practice capabilities of undergraduates, and explores the establishment of an innovative model for the joint training of first-class talents between universities and enterprises.
At the ceremony, Professor Gong Yuefa, Vice Dean, said that, as General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, “The majority of scientists and scientific and technological workers must shoulder their historical responsibilities, adhere to the frontiers of world science and technology, and continue to march toward the breadth and depth of science and technology.” The development of society requires the participation of artificial intelligence and big data in any field. The AI-Chemistry Experimental Class established at the historic moment is an opportunity and a challenge. Professor Gong believes that the opening of the class is "to do a special thing in a special period", and hopes that students can seize the opportunity, persevere hard, overcome difficulties, and make their own contributions in the field of artificial intelligence chemistry.
In his speech, General Manager Xia Ning affirmed the broad development prospects for the combination of artificial intelligence and chemistry. At present, chemical research and development are more carried out in manual mode, with limited work efficiency. In the era of big data automation, the combination of artificial intelligence and chemistry makes chemical research and development about to usher in a huge transformation. Dr. Xia hopes that all students can join in this big vision, achieve personal development in the tide of the times, and ultimately contribute to the innovation and transformation of chemistry.
Kang Yushen, a student representative said in his speech that all fields of chemistry must move toward deeper and more complex fields, and the emergence of artificial intelligence makes it possible. This is a brand-new opportunity given to chemistry by the times. Kang said that as chemists in the new era, only by mastering the emerging technologies of the era can we better develop chemistry. Faced with the general trend of world development, the young generation must dare to act and always closely link the realization of their personal values with the development of the country.
In the first lesson of the class, Dr. Xia Ning introduced a series of processes for drug development in detail. The high cost, long time, and high risk are the thorny problems faced in drug development. Nowadays, many large pharmaceutical companies are using AI methods to increase the success rate of drug development as much as possible. However, Dr. Xia also frankly said that when AI is applied to chemistry, we will also encounter new problems. He hopes that in the future, students will overcome difficulties and contribute to the further development of chemistry.
