China’s Peking University set to construct AI-focused campus
The highly-respected Peking University is reportedly set to build a campus dedicated to AI and engineering, according to Yahoo News
Originally reported on Xinhuanet, the new development comes soon after the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) announced similar plans to invest US$1bn in an AI-centric college of its own.
Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly important on the international stage, with Yahoo saying that its advent “has been described as the fourth industrial revolution” while countries including the US, China, and the UK vie for leading positions with the emergent tech.
The new campus will be located in Changping, northwest of Beijing, and is set to cover over 683,500 square metres.
As yet, details of costs and investments have not been released to the public.
According to Synced, Shuiping Qiu, Peking University’s Party Committee Secretary, said:
“The construction and development of Changping Campus is strategically important for the development of Peking University.
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“This is a major opportunity and important platform that will integrate the development of emerging industries and attract top talents from across the country and around the world.”
Synced noted that the Chinese Ministry of Education previously launched its AI Innovation Action Plan for Colleges and Universities which outlined plans for the development of 50 AI faculties, and research centres.
It is hoped that offering state-of-the-art facilities will attract top talent from around China and the rest of the world.
As yet, 34 of China’s elite universities have opened AI institutes, Synced said.