On April 22, Zhong Zhiyong, an academician of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, foreign fellow of the China Electrotechnical Society, academician of the Engineering Institute of Canada, and Chair Professor and Dean of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, was appointed as a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Tsinghua University. The appointment ceremony was held in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Applied Electronics (EEA), Tsinghua University. The event was attended by Bian Jianhua, former President of the IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES), Kang Chongqing, Dean of EEA, Yu Xinjie, Party Secretary of EEA, Wu Wenchuan, Deputy Party Secretary, Lu Chao, Deputy Dean of EEA, and faculty members Hu Zechun, Zhong Haiwang, and Dai Jing. The ceremony was hosted by Zheng Zedong, Deputy Dean of EEA.

Kang Chongqing presents appointment certificate to Zhong Zhiyong

During the appointment ceremony, Yu Xinjie introduced Zhong Zhiyong’s academic background and major contributions, highlighting his outstanding achievements in power system stability and smart grids. Kang Chongqing presented Zhong Zhiyong with the Distinguished Visiting Professor appointment certificate from Tsinghua University.

Group photo of attendees

Zhong Zhiyong delivers an academic lecture

Following the appointment ceremony, Zhong Zhiyong delivered a themed academic lecture titled “AI Applications in Smart Grids” in the department’s lecture hall. In his presentation, Mr. Zhong detailed the applications of AI in smart grids, such as solar power forecasting, load modeling, and battery health monitoring. After the lecture, a lively discussion ensued between the attending faculty and students and Zhong Zhiyong, focusing on the development trends and challenges of AI in new type power systems.

Q&A session

Zhong Zhiyong received his bachelor’s and doctoral degrees from the Department of Electrical Engineering at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He has served as an associate professor at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, chief scientist of power system engineering at SaskPower, tenured professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan, senior chief scientist for smart grid technology under the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) / SaskPower Industrial Research Chair, and Chair Professor and Head of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Zhong Zhiyong is the first person outside the United States to be elected as the President-Elect of the IEEE Power and Energy Society (PES) for the term 2024-2025. He is an academician of the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE), a foreign fellow of the China Electrotechnical Society, and an academician of the Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC). Zhong Zhiyong has long been dedicated to pioneering research in power system stability and operation, and smart grids. Following a work path of theoretical innovation, technological breakthroughs, and industrial applications, he has made significant contributions to preventing large-scale power outages, promoting modernization, and integrating renewable energy into the grid.