约大华裔教授吴建宏获创新科研资助

加拿大约克大学应用数学与统计系的吴建宏教授最近同时获得加拿大首席资深应用
数学主席 (Canada Research Chair)，加拿大国家创新基金及安大略省创新
基金的拨款资助。

据多伦多在线报道，吴建宏教授的主要研究方向是如何将纯数学理论应用于数据挖掘，神经网络及人工智能等领域。吴教授来自湖南长沙，在80年代中期获得湖南大学应用数学博士学位，当时是湖南大学最年轻的博士，也是国内最早一批获得博士学位的年轻学者之一。之后在美国继续
从事数学理论研究，九零年以后受聘于约克大学从事应用数学的教学和研究工作，在应
用数学研究领域创新成果一直不断，学术地位不断提升。

吴教授认为，人们总以为数学是一种纯理论性的学问，而与老百姓的生活似乎沾不上边，
其实现代数学早已成为信息科学，生命科学，生物工程，软件工程等现代科学技术的一
个重要组成部分，对于具有深厚理论基础的人来说，只要他能刻苦钻研不断努力，他就
可以把纯粹的数学理论应用于社会实践，转化为一种现实的生产力或者商品。

吴建宏教授率领的研究小组目前正在重点研究如何将现代应用数学理论应用于研究人的
中枢神经功能，并直接开发各种数据挖掘的工具与软件。期望与计算机科学家，神经生
理学家，心理学家互相结合，揭示大脑活动的机制和人类智能的本质，以便使人们尽早
制造出具有类似人类智能活动能力的智能机器，提高开发智能应用技术水平。他表示，
现代电脑虽然先进快速，但在模式识别，记忆存储等智能方面始终不如人脑神经网络的
运算能力。因此通过对中枢神经功能的数学描述，并将之与计算机智能化地结合起来，
将带来计算机发展的新飞跃。

由于吴建宏教授对神经网络和数据挖掘技术的长期研究使他也产生了对生物医学研究特
别是中医数学理论的浓厚兴趣。他观察到近几年来安大略省华人中医针灸师在争取中医
立法上所做的努力，他希望，中医师们争取中医立法不仅要游说政府官员达到立法的效
果，而且也应该利用在加拿大的中国学者的优势，向政府各基金会申请科研立项资助。

吴建宏教授的成功经历对许多来自中国大陆的研究人才可能有所启发，不少新移民在国
内是从事各种纯理论研究的，抵达加拿大后往往发现要找到完全适合自己所学专业的教
学或研究工作非常困难。其实只要自己刻苦努力，善于思索，完全可以将自己坚实的理
论基础变为事业成功的一种优势。

吴建宏教授不但学术上硕果累累，同时也非常关心社区建设，作为湖南人他积极支持和
参与加拿大湖南同乡会的活动并被聘为湖南同乡会顾问。

附吴建宏简介：

Dr. Jianhong Wu, Professor of Mathematics, is a recipient of Canada Research
Chair in Applied Mathematics (Senior). This is one of the highest honors for
Canadian research scientists and, as a personal letter from the Prime
Minister Jean Chretien states, represents a special recognition that places
him “in the finest tradition of Canadian Research Excellence”. His other
honors include the prestigious Erdos Fellowship from the Hungarian Academy
of Science and the Humboldt Fellowship from Alexander von Humboldt
Foundation (Germany).

He received all of his education from Hunan University, and started his
faculty appointment with York University in 1990. He has authored over 140
papers and 4 books in a number of scientific areas including dynamical
systems, mathematical biology, neural networks and data analysis. He has
been serving on the editorial boards of 7 international journals. He was a
member of the Council for Canadian Industrial and Applied Mathematics
Society. He is also a member of College of Reviewers for Canada Research
Chairs Program, and a member of the Grant Selection Committee of the Natural
Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, two of the national
largest science funding agencies.

All of these achievements are due to his extraordinary effort to make the
smooth transition from a scholar with all education gained from China to the
leading position as a research scientists and to the administrative position
as a formal Director of the Graduate Program in Mathematics and Statistics
and a member of various executive committees at various levels of the
university.

During his faculty position at York University, he supervised many graduate
students and postdoctoral fellows, many are now holding academic positions
in Canadian universities. He also hosted a large number of Chinese visiting
scholars and has been facilitating collaboration in industrial and applied
mathematics between Chinese and Canadian mathematical communities. He has
been a member, sponsor and advisor of the Hunan Fellow Association of Canada
since the association established.

All of these achievements are due to his extraordinary effort to make the
smooth transition from a scholar with all education gained from China to the
leading position as a research scientists and to the administrative position
as a formal Director of the Graduate Program in Mathematics and Statistics
and a member of various executive committees at all levels of the
university.

During his faculty position at York University, he supervised many graduate
students, three most recent Chinese PhD students were awarded the NSERC
Postdoctoral Fellowships and all are holding academic positions in Canadian
universities. He also hosted a large number of Chinese visiting scholars and
has been facilitating collaboration in industrial and applied mathematics
between Chinese and Canadian mathematical communities. He has been a member,
sponsor and advisor of the Hunan Fellow Association of Canada since the
association established.