Wuhan University has recently signed a quartet memorandum of cooperation with Harvard University, George Mason University and University of California, Santa Barbara to co-construct the Collaborative International Site of Spatiotemporal Innovation Center. This WHU-based center marks another significant achievement of Wuhan University to deepen its high-level international cooperation and exchanges.

In recent years, Wuhan University has vigorously strengthened exchanges and cooperation with internationally renowned universities to promote the implementation of “double first-class” initiative. Dou Xiankang, president of Wuhan University, has reached a consensus with Harvard University on the establishment of a joint scientific research center to conduct interdisciplinary research as a further cooperation step during his latest visit to prestigious universities in the United States. In order to deepen the cooperation with the US “Spatiotemporal Innovation Center”, Wuhan University has appropriated project funds for international academic cooperation and programs, and appointed professors from School of Resource and Environmental Sciences to conduct in-depth exchanges and discussions with relevant leaders of the “Spatiotemporal Innovation Center”. Another effort is the actual participation in the annual work conference of “Spatiotemporal Innovation Center” held at Harvard University. Finally, the two parties signed a memorandum of cooperation.

It is reported that the "Spatiotemporal Innovation Center" is a scientific research and talent training platform funded by the American Natural Science Foundation for  information network technology and big data. It specializes in geospatial modeling, geographic computing and social applications. Its members include famous American Universities such as Harvard University, George Mason University and the University of California, Santa Barbara. As an important step for global expansion, this center makes Wuhan University one of its first non-US organizations to jointly build the “Collaborative International Site of Spatiotemporal Innovation Center”. Its main tasks include promoting artificial intelligence through spatiotemporal thinking mode, enhancing perceptual ability with spatiotemporal perception, upgrading computer software and tools by spatiotemporal computing, developing the ability of providing solutions to relevant abstruse scientific problems and magnificent engineering challenges by spatiotemporal applications, and integrating the factors mentioned above to strengthen the expertise of those innovative talents and so on.

Rewritten by Zhang Shiqi

Edited by Lu Huixin, Shen Yuxi and Hu Sijia