The Western Australian Government is investing in the technology of the future with Dr Mengbin Ye appointed as a Premier's Early to Mid-Career Fellow.
Dr Ye's research will focus on the mathematical modelling of opinion formation and collective decision-making in complex social networks.
These models will be used to explore how interactions in social networks cause opinions to change over time and how new ideas and behaviours spread.
The cutting-edge research led by Dr Ye will be boosted by $1.03 million in funding from the WA Government and Curtin University.
The appointment of Dr Ye reflects the increasing importance of artificial intelligence research to WA. It is a seeding opportunity to grow a new interdisciplinary area of artificial intelligence research which sits at the intersection of engineering, mathematics and social science.
Dr Ye will carry out his research at Curtin University. He has been attracted to WA from the Netherlands where he moved after completing a PhD at The Australian National University in Canberra.
For more information, visit https://www.wa.gov.au/service/community-services/grants-and-subsidies/premiers-science-fellowship-program
As stated by Premier Mark McGowan:
"WA is already home to world-leading artificial intelligence technology in our mining sector, so it's important we capitalise on our existing knowledge and expand our research into new areas.
"My Government is committed to advancing cutting-edge research in WA through our State STEM Strategy to create local jobs and grow the economy."
As stated by Science Minister Roger Cook:
"I am pleased that Dr Ye has chosen to move to WA to advance our State's capabilities in artificial intelligence research.
"This talented young scientist will build on our strengths to generate real world impacts, attract research investment, enhance national and global connections, and contribute to training the next generation of researchers in a critical area."
As stated by WA Chief Scientist Peter Klinken:
"WA has clearly defined strengths in many areas of science, and I'm delighted that we are building on those strengths and tackling new frontiers in ground-breaking research.
"The Premier's Science Fellowship Program is absolutely essential for attracting significant new scientific talent to WA, and I would like to congratulate Dr Ye on his appointment."
