2026 2^nd International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Foundation Model Successfully Concludes in Urumqi

Painting a New Blueprint of "Intelligent Integration, Innovation-Driven"

[Urumqi, China] June 27, 2026 – The 2^nd International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Foundation Model (AIFM 2026) came to a successful close at the Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Under the theme of "Artificial Intelligence and Foundation Models," the conference brought together experts, scholars, engineers, and students from multiple countries and regions, including China, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia. Through keynote speeches, invited speeches, oral presentations, and an awards ceremony, participants engaged in in-depth discussions on the latest advancements in foundation model architectures, multimodal intelligence, model security, efficient training, embodied intelligence, and industry applications, injecting new momentum into the cross-fertilization of global AI and foundation model technologies.

I. A Gathering of Distinguished Minds: A High-Level International Academic Event

The conference was hosted by the Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and co-organized by Northwestern Polytechnical University and Southwest University. It attracted scholars and industry R&D personnel from numerous renowned universities and research institutions, creating a vibrant academic atmosphere.

The opening ceremony was held on the morning of June 27. Prof. Xi Zhou, Secretary of the Party Committee and Deputy Director of the Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, delivered the welcoming address on behalf of the host. He emphasized the critical role of AI and foundation model technologies in driving scientific innovation and industrial transformation, and introduced the institute's disciplinary strengths and research platforms in multilingual information technology and intelligent information processing. 

The opening ceremony was hosted by Prof. Pengwei Hu of the Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, who extended a warm welcome to nearly one hundred attendees.

II. Collision of Ideas: Keynote and Invited Speeches Leading the Frontier

Four distinguished experts delivered keynote speeches, covering hot topics such as low-rank learning, large language models, federated learning, and multimodal knowledge graphs:

• Prof. Xin Luo (Southwest University, IEEE/AAIA Fellow, National High-Level Leading Talent)
  Title:Nonstandard Tensors' Efficient Low-Rank Learning: Latent Factorization and Tensor Network

• Prof. Zidong Wang (Brunel University London, Member of the Academia Europaea, IEEE Fellow)
  Title:From Big Data to Big Science: The Power of LLMs

• Prof. FangXiang Wu (University of Saskatchewan, Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada, IEEE/IET/AAIA Fellow)
  Title:Machine and Federated Learning for ASD Diagnosis

• Prof. Zhuhong You (Northwestern Polytechnical University, National Distinguished Young Scholar)
  Title:Prediction and Application of Biomolecular Associations Based on Multimodal Knowledge Graphs and Large Language Models

  
  

  
  

  
  

In addition, the conference featured seven invited speeches, covering topics such as processor reliability analysis, immunotherapy toxicity prediction for lung cancer, interpretable single-cell omics, colorectal cancer molecular mechanisms, interdisciplinary AI models, and drug sensitivity prediction. The seven invited speakers and their topics were:

• Prof. Dan Niu (Southeast University, Young Chief Professor/Vice Dean)
  Title:AI-Accelerated 2.5D/3D Thermal Simulation Technology

• Assoc. Prof. Kaige Yan (Jilin University)
  Title:Architecture-Level Reliability Analysis and Optimization for High-Performance Processors

• Prof. Qingchen Zhang (Hainan University, National High-Level Young Talent)
  Title:Prediction of Immunotherapy Toxicity in Lung Cancer

• Prof. Yu-An Huang (Northwestern Polytechnical University, National Young Talent)
  Title:Interpretable Computing in Single-Cell Omics: From Model Explanation to Biological Discovery

• Prof. Quan Wang (Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, National Overseas High-Level Young Talent)
  Title:Single-Cell Omics Analysis Reveals Dysregulated Cell-Type-Specific Gene Modules and Cell-Cell Interactions in Colorectal Cancer

• Prof. Zemin Liu (Zhejiang University, National Young Talent)
  Title:AI-Empowered Interdisciplinary Research: Practice and Thinking on Domain-Specific Models

• Assoc. Prof. Zhenyu Yue (Anhui Agricultural University, Youth Top Talent of Anhui Province)
  Title:Exploring Interpretability of Graph Neural Networks for Drug Sensitivity Prediction

Each presentation was followed by an interactive Q&A session, sparking lively discussions and intense academic exchanges.

III. Deep Integration: Oral Presentations Igniting Innovative Sparks

In the oral presentation session, young scholars from the University of Hong Kong, Xi'an International Studies University, and Hubei University of Technology presented their latest research on hypergraph neural diffusion networks, functional connectome gradient features for depression classification in petroleum workers, and digital reconstruction of historical landscapes in industrial heritage sites. Frequent interactions and in-depth questions effectively promoted academic exchanges and demonstrated the research vitality and innovative potential of early-career researchers.

IV. Fruitful Achievements: Awards Ceremony Recognizing Excellence

The awards ceremony brought the conference to a climax. During the closing session, the host, Prof. Pengwei Hu, presented the Best Paper Awards to the winners. A total of three Best Paper Awards were granted to recognize outstanding scholars—especially early-career researchers—who demonstrated excellence in research methodology, innovation, academic value, and presentation. This session not only affirmed the recipients' academic contributions but also inspired all participants to pursue excellence in their research endeavors, bringing the conference to a perfect close.

V. Looking Ahead: Joining Hands to Create a New Era of Intelligent Technology

The successful hosting of AIFM 2026 provided a high-level platform for scholars and engineers worldwide in the fields of artificial intelligence and foundation models. It showcased a range of cutting-edge technologies and innovative ideas and promoted deep integration among government, industry, academia, research, and application. The conference will undoubtedly have a profound impact on driving the innovative development and industrial application of global AI technologies.

Looking to the future, the conference organizing committee and the Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, will continue their commitment to gathering global wisdom, deepening international cooperation, and contributing to a brighter future for AI and foundation model technologies.

Thus, the 2nd International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Foundation Model (AIFM 2026) has successfully concluded！