CCDS Assistant Prof Siu Lun Chau Wins Coveted IJAR Award for Uncertainty Modelling Breakthroughs

Assistant Professor Siu Lun Chau, one of CCDS’s newest faculty members, has clinched First Prize in the prestigious IJAR Young Researcher Award; one of the field’s most coveted honours for early-career contributions to uncertainty modelling and machine learning.

The award was presented at ISIPTA 2025, the 14th International Symposium on Imprecise Probabilities: Theories and Applications. Held from 15 to 18 July 2025 in Bielefeld, Germany, the symposium gathered leading thinkers exploring how we reason, decide and learn in the face of incomplete or ambiguous information.

The award recognises Asst Prof Chau’s efforts to unite the rigorous mathematics of ambiguity and imprecision with pressing machine learning problems, and to develop approaches that balance theoretical depth with computational practicality.

Reflecting on the award, he shared, “This recognition marks a personal milestone and also highlights the growing momentum behind efforts to bridge the mathematical rigour of imprecise probability (there is more to uncertainty than probability!) with the computational and methodological challenges in machine learning.”

He also spoke to the broader significance of the award, adding, “This award highlights not only the machine learning community’s growing embrace of principled approaches to uncertainty modelling, but also the mathematical community’s recognition that the pressing challenges of epistemic machine learning call for greater rigour. I am excited to advance this line of research with my new group at CCDS.”

As Assistant Professor in Statistical Machine Learning, Asst Prof Chau leads the EPIC Lab, where his research group is advancing the development of AI systems that can reason more cautiously and adaptively under uncertainty. His appointment supports CCDS’s mission to drive cutting-edge research, nurture interdisciplinary collaboration and develop future-ready talent in AI and data science.

This recognition extends beyond individual accomplishment. It reflects the kind of research leadership CCDS seeks to foster, combining intellectual ambition with real-world relevance. As CCDS continues building its reputation as a hub for rigorous and forward-thinking computing research, achievements like this affirm the College’s commitment to shaping the future of AI through both depth and impact.