On November 4th, 2019, a new bilateral China-UK Research Centre for AI Ethics and Governance (“ChinUK”) was officially launched. Led by Professor Yi Zeng of the Institute of Automation (CASIA) at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Professor Huw Price of LCFI, ChinUK aims to support exchanges and collaboration between scholars in China and the UK, in the new interdisciplinary field studying the ethics and impacts of AI.

Professor Price exchanged copies of a new MoU with Professor Cheng-Lin Liu, Vice-President of CASIA, at the ChinUK inauguration ceremony in Beijing on Monday 4 November. LCFI researchers Martina Kunz, Yang Liu and Danit Gal, as well as Huw Price, presented talks at the first ChinUK joint workshop.
Professor Zeng said: “ChinUK is a cross-cultural and transdisciplinary centre on AI Ethics and Governance. Its mission is to build bridges between Eastern and Western perspectives on AI, linking scholars in China and UK for sharing, interaction, and complementary research. In this way the new CASIA-LCFI partnership will help to promote the development of AI for humanity, ecology, and social good, and for a shared future of Human-AI Symbiosis.”
Professor Price said: “We are delighted to be linked to CASIA in this way. Collaborations between China and the West will be vital in ensuring that AI Is safe and beneficial. China will be a leader in the development of AI, and its voice will be just as important in global conversations about the impacts of this technology. ChinUK will support these conversations.”

Participations and evidences at the opening ceremony include Anthony Myers, Head of Digital and Cyber Policy from British Embassy Beijing. Dr. Xiuquan Li, deputy director of research center for new generation artificial intelligence development at Ministry of Science and Technology; Dr. Zhe Liu, deputy chair for department of philosophy; Peking University, Xiaojiao Li from Berggruen Institute; Dr. Gang Cao, deputy director of Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence.
Highlights of the Cooperations
- [Joint Workshop] The 2021 International Workshop on Cross-cultural cooperations in AI, 2021, co-organized by Yi Zeng and Seán Ó hÉigeartaigh.
- [Translation Series] Yi Zeng and Seán Ó hÉigeartaigh co-founded the “Translation Series on AI Ethics, Governance and Sustainable Development“, 2021.
- [Joint Workshop] Yi Zeng and Huw Price contributed to “The Royal Society and Chinese Academy of Sciences policy dialogue on AI“, 2020.
- [Talk] Danit Gal’s (LCFI, Cambridge) talk on Overview of the AI Ethics in Asia, at the 2020 International Workshop on AI Ethics, Governance and Sustainable Development, 2020.
- [Talk] Adrian Weller‘s (LCFI, Cambridge) talk on “Fairness in Machine Learning: Beyond Group Statistical Parity” at the 2020 International Workshop on AI Ethics, Governance and Sustainable Development.
- [Joint publication] Seán S. ÓhÉigeartaigh, Jess Whittlestone, Yang Liu, Yi Zeng & Zhe Liu. Overcoming Barriers to Cross-cultural Cooperation in AI Ethics and Governance. Philosophy & Technology, 2020.
- [Joint Workshop] The 2019 Cross-cultural Trust for Benificial AI Workshop, 11-12 July 2019, co-organized by Huw Price and Yang Liu, with participation from Yi Zeng, Bing Song, Zhe Liu, Seán Ó hÉigeartaigh, etc.
Co-Directors
Yi Zeng (Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China)
Seán Ó hÉigeartaigh (LCFI, University of Cambridge)
Co-founding and Honorary Director
Huw Price (LCFI, University of Cambridge, and founding Co-director of ChinUK 2019-2021)
Collaborating Fellows
Vincent C. Müller (Alan Turing Institute, and University of Leeds)
Pascale Fung (Hongkong University of Science and Technology)
Bing Song (Berggruen Research Institute, Peking University)
Zhe Liu (Department of Philosohpy, Peking University)
Weiwen Duan (Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)
Yang Liu (University of Cambridge)
Research Fellows
Enmeng Lu (Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences)
Cunqing Huangfu (Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences)
Kang Sun (Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences)
Zizhe Ruan (Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences)
Xuan Tang (Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences)
Dongcheng Zhao (Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences)