From Chile to Beijing: Professor Philip Yu on the frontlines of AI and Statistical Science

In November 2025, Professor Philip Yu leung-ho of the Department of Mathematics and Information Technology (MIT), and Associate Director of the University Research Facility of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, embarked on an intensive international speaking tour, delivering talks in Chile, Australia, Sri Lanka, and Beijing, China. His presentations focused on time series analysis and artificial intelligence, and were met with positive feedback from attendees. The talks sparked stimulating discussions in statistical science and explored how AI can be leveraged to address complex challenges in areas such as healthcare and education.

On 6 November 2025, Professor Yu delivered a keynote speech titled “On Buffered Threshold Time Series Models” at the IX Latin American Conference on Statistical Computing (LACSC 2025) in Valparaíso, Chile. Organised by the Latin American Regional Section of the International Association for Statistical Computing and held at the University of Valparaíso, the conference brought together leading researchers in statistical computing. Professor Yu was honoured to serve on the conference’s Scientific Committee and on the Evaluation Committee for the Best Paper and Poster Award, contributing to the recognition of outstanding young researchers at the event.

In his keynote, Professor Yu introduced an innovative buffered threshold time series model that extends classical nonlinear threshold time series by incorporating a buffer zone for regime transitions. Under this framework, the time series structure remains unchanged when the threshold variable lies within the buffered zone, suggesting that regime shifts may be delayed under certain conditions. This approach provides a more nuanced understanding of temporal dynamics and has already found applications in areas such as exchange rates and environmental modelling.

On his return journey to Hong Kong from Chile, Professor Yu stopped over in Sydney, Australia, where he delivered invited talks at the School of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Sydney, as well as the Department of Actuarial Studies and Business Analytics at Macquarie University. These sessions fostered lively discussions and offered actionable insights for researchers from a range of disciplines.

On a separate tour to Sri Lanka, Professor Yu delivered a keynote speech titled “AI and Generative AI in Medicine and Education” at the Annual Research Conference 2025 on 21 November 2025. The conference was jointly organised by the Faculty of Graduate Studies of the University of Colombo and Shri Ram College of Commerce, University of Delhi, under the theme “Resilience and Innovation through Multidisciplinary Research”. During his presentation, Professor Yu showcased several innovative, multidisciplinary AI and Generative AI projects in medicine and education, highlighting their potential to enhance patient care, personalise learning experiences, and improve outcomes across both fields. His talk underscored the transformative role of AI in addressing real-world challenges.

Professor Yu was also invited to deliver a lecture titled “Generative AI-Powered Instructional Videos with Personalized Avatars for Online Learning” at the Beijing–Hong Kong Academic Exchange on Digital Transformation of Education. The exchange was held from 24 to 28 November 2025 under the Beijing–Hong Kong–Macao University Exchange Programme 2025. In addition to participating in teacher and student forums at Peking University, the delegation toured the iFlytek Beijing showroom, a leading intelligent speech and AI technology company, and engaged in discussions with iFlytek experts on future directions in AI research and development.

In his talks in Colombo and Beijing, Professor Yu emphasised AI’s significant impact on learning and medicine. “In medicine, AI technology can provide reliable and rapid computerised medical image diagnosis, such as the detection of cancer and stroke, helping medical professionals make more timely and accurate clinical judgements. In education, by employing generative AI to create customised teaching personas, video avatars can engage learners in a more interactive, personalised, and enjoyable way,” he said.

Reflecting on his work, Professor Yu said, “A large part of my research is on AI and big data analytics. Because of this focus, I feel the full impact of the AI revolution. The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence is reshaping our world in all aspects, from education and healthcare to finance, transportation, economies, and industries.”