Inaugural CCDS Research Fest Brings Global Computing Experts to NTU

NTU’s College of Computing and Data Science (CCDS) hosted its inaugural Research Fest, bringing together leading researchers from around the world alongside the College’s faculty and research community for two days of focused technical exchange and discussion.

The event welcomed over 200 participants across both days and featured speakers from top institutions including Stanford University, University of Oxford, Imperial College London, the Max Planck Institute for Informatics, and the University of Southern California. The programme was designed to surface emerging directions in computing while strengthening connections across research domains.

Across the two days, the talks spanned a wide range of topics – from algorithms and complexity theory to AI systems, cloud infrastructure, embodied intelligence, and formal verification. Discussions explored both foundational advances and real-world challenges, reflecting the breadth of work shaping the future of computing.

Key themes included the evolution of AI systems and infrastructure, with sessions examining resource-efficient AI inference, datacentre and cloud networking, and reinforcement learning. Other talks focused on advances in visual intelligence and robotics, as well as the growing importance of trustworthy systems through formal methods and verification.

The programme also highlighted CCDS’ own research strengths, with faculty presenting work in areas such as high-dimensional data processing, wireless sensing, automated reasoning, and agent-based AI systems. This created a platform for both external engagement and internal visibility, allowing researchers to connect across disciplines and identify opportunities for collaboration.

Beyond the technical content, the Research Fest marked an important step in strengthening the College’s research community. By convening global experts and local researchers in a shared setting, the event fostered deeper engagement, exchange of ideas, and potential partnerships.

As the first of what is intended to be an annual event, the CCDS Research Fest establishes a new platform for sustained dialogue at the frontiers of computing. It reflects the College’s commitment to advancing impactful research while building a vibrant, connected, and globally engaged research ecosystem.