Prof. W.K. Kan, PhD, DIC, CEng  (簡永基教授)

Prof. W.K. Kan is a leading expert of AI and IT in Education of Hong Kong, and currently the Research Director of Achieve Network Limited, and Chairman of IT Education Center (Tax88 Charitable Organization).

Graduated from The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) with First Class Honor, Prof. Kan obtained Scholarship from University of California of Los Angeles (UCLA) in USA to study his Master program of Computer Science, where he joined the research group to pioneer the development of the first Internet (ARPANET) in the World. Prof. Kan then started his academic career at CUHK in the year 1984. In next year he obtained the Commonwealth Scholarship to pursue his PhD program at the Imperial College of University of London in United Kingdom, where he was in the research group to pioneer the Artificial Intelligence research to apply human brain learning models into computer systems. He then was working in the same research Lab with Dr Geoffrey Hinton (Nobel Prize Winner 2024 and named “Father of Modern AI”) when he did his PhD research at Imperial College. Prof. Kan then resume his academic career in CUHK as the Associate Professor in the Computer Science and Computer Engineering Department from 1987 to 2005. Apart from teaching, Prof Kan was leading research works in Artificial Intelligence, Chinese Information Processing, and IT in Education, and in the management boards of 3 research units in CUHK that have 200 more staff and over 30 million HK Dollars annual budgets. Prof. Kan has published over 60 articles of his research in international journals and proceedings.

Prof. Kan was the forerunner for the IT in Education of Hong Kong. He was the founding director of the IT Training Center (ITTC) at CUHK from year 1996 to 2000. ITTC offered high quality IT training programs and services in Hong Kong. ITTC successfully launched his first self-finance Master of Science in Computer Science for Hong Kong in 1996 and has enrolled more than 150 master students each year.  ITTC was also selected by HKSAR Government to award the tender to train all 45,000 schoolteachers in Secondary and Primary schools of Hong Kong for their IT skills. Prof. Kan was also the academic coordinator for the quality assurance of degree programs for the School of Continuing and Professional Education (SCOPE) at City University of Hong Kong, adjunct professor in Education University of Hong Kong (EDU), and Chairman of advisory board of IT programs in School of Continuing and Professional Education (SCPE) for EDU. He was also the member of subject Committee of Hong Kong Examination and Assessment Authority and a subject expert for the Hong Kong Council for Academic Accreditation appointed by HKSAR Government.

Prof. Kan was one of the key persons for the IT professional developments in Hong Kong. He was the Chairman of IT Joint Council (ITJC) that is an umbrella organization for all IT professional organizations to represent the IT sectors in Hong Kong, the founding Chairman of Hong Kong Information Technology Professionals Association, Chartered Engineer of Hong Kong Institute of Engineers, the founding chairman of Hong Kong e-Textbook Association, and member of most major IT organizations in Hong Kong. Prof. Kan was appointed by the Chief Executive of HKSAR Government to be the member of advisory board for IT policies in Hong Kong from 2000 to 2006, where he worked with the Government permanent secretary of IT policy in the development of all Hong Kong IT Policies. Prof. Kan has also engaged into consultancy services for public and private sectors, including the HKSAR Education Department for IT in Education projects, HKSAR IT Service Department (now OGCIO) for IT Manpower consultancy of HKSAR Government, and the senior consultant of New World Cyberbase Limited.