On April 12th, BFU held the founding ceremony for the School of Artificial Intelligence and the Institute of Artificial Intelligence. Wang Hongyuan, Chairman of the University Council; An Lizhe, President of our university; Vice Presidents Cheng Wu and Zhang Zhiqiang; Du Xiaojun, founder of Wuhan Donghu Big Data Science and Technology Co., Ltd.; Li Changlin, founder of Beijing Deck Wisdom Technology Co., Ltd.; as well as the heads of the School of Artificial Intelligence and the Institute of Artificial Intelligence, attended the ceremony to officially inaugurated the School and Institute of Artificial Intelligence.

Wang Hongyuan emphasized that the establishment of the School of Artificial Intelligence and the Institute of Artificial Intelligence marks BFU's strategic shift towards serving ecological civilization, aligning with an integrated appraoch encompassing education, scientific research, and talent development. He laid out five key directives for the prosperity of these institutions. First, to champion collaborative partnerships between academia and industry for mutual gains and operational excellence; second, to pursue a liberal and open talent attraction policy, nurturing a diverse and embracing academic community; third, to pool resources to amplify collective strengths and cross-disciplinary collaboration; fourth, to concentrate efforts on addressing national key issues and critical challenges, focusing research and innovation on pivotal areas; and fifth, to capitalize on emerging opportunities by synchronizing with regional development trajectories and industrial sectors, positioning the school at the vanguard of the next phase in AI evolution.

An Lizhe emphasized that artificial intelligence is now a cutting-edge strategic technology that plays a pivotal role in shaping the future, significantly contributing to socio-economic advancement and enhancing human life quality. It acts as a powerful catalyst for nurturing new productive forces. Capitalizing on this opportune moment in AI's evolution, our university is establishing the School of Artificial Intelligence and the Institute of Artificial Intelligence, which will intensify our efforts in modernizing forestry and grassland management, advancing ecological civilization, and contributing to the realization of a beautiful China through research in fundamental AI models, specialized large-scale models for forestry and grasslands, and exploring potential applications across various sectors. Moving forward, we are dedicated to fostering the growth of these AI entities, securing our position as a leader in green AI innovation.

Cheng Wu presided over the meeting and elaborated on the rationale for establishing the School of Artificial Intelligence and the Institute of Artificial Intelligence. He mentioned that in response to the national "Next Generation Artificial Intelligence" strategic initiative, BFU is poised to capitalize on the strengths of multidisciplinary integration and plan to undertake various practical investigations within the "Artificial Intelligence + Ecological Civilization" area, aiming to substantially enhance our overall capabilities and competitiveness.

Zhang Zhiqiang presented the official announcement regarding the establishement of the Institute of Artificial Intelligence at Beijing Forestry University.

Leaders from relevant administrative departments presented the announcement about the founding of the School of Artificial Intelligence.

During the ceremony, leaders and distinguished guests participated in the unveiling of both the School and the Institute of Artificial Intelligence.

The dean of the School and the executive vice dean of the Institute discussed their preparatory efforts. Du Xiaojun offered valuable insights into the extensive support his company is furnishing for the Institute's growth.

University officials and faculty members, including representatives from the School of Artificial Intelligence, presented at the event.

With substantial support from senior management and various societal sectors, BFU is leveraging the strengths of its diverse academic programs—including computer science and technology, electronic information, forestry, landscape architecture, and soil and water conservation—to focus on developing systems for digital ecological civilization and green intelligent technology innovation. BFU is dedicated to accelerating the development of AI-related educational programs, research initiatives, and community services. By integrating artificial intelligence across all academic disciplines, BFU aim to significantly contribute to major national strategies such as ecological civilization development, beautifying China, and rural revitalization.