Free Rein: Global Youth AI Forum

At the frontier of innovation, connecting intelligence worldwide! The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen) and Shenzhen Loop Area Institute jointly launch the Free Rein · Global Youth AI Forum. Riding the momentum of the Year of the Horse, the forum brings together outstanding young AI talents from around the world to build a premier platform bridging academia and industry. With a dual focus on academic exchange and talent recruitment, we invite you to join us in Shenzhen—spark ideas, expand collaborations, and connect precisely with high-quality opportunities for career development and academic advancement—together exploring cutting-edge breakthroughs and the future possibilities of artificial intelligence.

I

Key Event Information

Date：March 28–29, 2026

Location：Shenzhen

Size：Approximately 100 selected participants worldwide

Hosts：The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen；Shenzhen Loop Area Institute

II

Why Join This Global AI Gathering?

Top-tier exchange：Bringing together young AI talents worldwide, focusing on frontier topics and interdisciplinary applications to broaden perspectives and expand networks;

Multi-dimensional visibility：Dual-track format of oral flash talks + poster sessions to comprehensively showcase your research;

Targeted matchmaking：1v1 meetings, roundtable discussions, and more—efficiently connecting with senior scholars and industry experts;

Academia–industry integration：Immersive exposure to the ecosystems of both platforms, linking to Shenzhen’s local industry resources and uncovering collaboration opportunities;

Career empowerment：Precise connections to research and employment opportunities, supporting early-career scholars’ professional growth.

III

High-Caliber Program Formats

Built around the core goals of “visibility, communication, collaboration, and development,” the forum creates multi-dimensional engagement opportunities. Every session is designed to serve talent matching and academic collaboration:

● Keynote speeches: Academic and industry experts share frontier insights, with live Q&A and interaction;

● Poster-focused exchange: All selected participants are required to prepare a poster for in-depth discussion with experts and peers;

● Oral sessions: Outstanding scholars will be selected to deliver themed presentations;

● Focused matchmaking: Dedicated matchmaking sessions to break down barriers between academia and industry.

Multiple honorary awards will recognize outstanding presentations (details subject to final notice).

IV

Global Recruitment Targets & Research Areas

Target Applicants：Open to young talents in AI worldwide, especially those with interdisciplinary “AI + X” backgrounds, including: PhD candidates nearing graduation, postdoctoral researchers, early-career faculty/researchers, and outstanding AI researchers in industry.

Research Areas：Including (but not limited to): machine learning theory and methods; natural language processing (NLP); computer vision (CV); multimodal AI; trustworthy/safe AI; robotics and embodied intelligence; human-computer interaction (HCI); AI for Science/Social Science/Humanities/Health/Biomedicine; Science for AI; AI infrastructure; AI system architectures; cognitive science and brain-inspired intelligence; neuromorphic computing; quantum intelligence and quantum computing; intelligent chips and circuit architectures; networked and distributed AI; spatial intelligence; and other interdisciplinary AI directions.

V

Participation Support

Invited on-site participants may receive reimbursement for round-trip economy-class airfare, accommodation during the conference, and partial on-site hospitality. For visa applications, necessary supporting documents and guidance can be provided (subject to the invitation letter).

VI

Key Timeline

Applications open: Now

Application deadline：February 28, 2026 (Beijing Time)

Notification of results：Around March 7, 2026

Forum dates：March 28–29, 2026

VII

How to Apply & Contact

Overview of Application Materials (all must be in English)

1. CV

2. 1–2 page research statement (key contributions, research directions, future plans)

3. Poster presentation abstract (title + content)

4. Up to 3 representative works (with links)

5. Referee information (2 referees: name, affiliation, title, email)

6. (Optional) Recommendation letters (Maximum 2)

Application Portals：

Global applicants: Google Form (recommended，requires Google account login)

(click “Read More” to access the form)

Applicants who cannot useGoogle: Tencent Questionnaire (alternative)

Contact email: aiforum@cuhk.edu.cn

About the Hosts

The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen) inherits CUHK’s profound academic tradition. It currently comprises eight schools: School of Management and Economics, School of Science and Engineering, School of Humanities and Social Science, School of Data Science, School of Medicine, School of Music, School of Public Policy, and School of Artificial Intelligence. With a global outlook, CUHK-Shenzhen deeply engages in AI research, with strengths in robotics and AI, data science and computing, and extensions into interdisciplinary directions such as AI for Science, AI for Medicine, and AI for Social Science—bringing together world-class faculty teams to build an open, diverse, and internationally aligned research ecosystem.

More information:

www.cuhk.edu.cn

Shenzhen Loop Area Institute aims to enhance national core competitiveness in AI and has established a “3I” talent development model: International—bringing together top global scholars and introducing international academic systems and first-class facilities; Interdisciplinary—building a comprehensive discipline system spanning fundamental theory, core technologies, and broad applications; Industrial—promoting industry mentors, training bases, and two-way industry–research collaboration to drive theoretical innovation and application breakthroughs in key areas.

More information:

www.slai.edu.cn

Together, the two platforms join forces to create a premier, boundary-free stage for global young AI scholars. You are warmly invited to join us—take AI as your wings, run free without boundaries, and embrace the future.

@ Shenzhen Loop Area Institute (SLAI)

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