Li Hongzhi, an award-winning former head of GenAI at Microsoft Asia, has joined Tongji University, one of China’s leading universities.Li started his first job at technology giant Microsoft immediately after obtaining his PhD from Columbia University.For more than 10 years, he worked at Microsoft-research" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="126724" data-entity-type="organization">Microsoft Research – the company’s subsidiary responsible for basic and applied research in computer science, software engineering and hardware design.Li was the head of Microsoft-ai-asia" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="126725" data-entity-type="organization">Microsoft AI Asia’s GenAI Group before joining Tongji.According to the university, Li recently returned to China and is a distinguished tenured professor at its Institute of AI for Engineering.08:30Why are more Chinese scientists leaving the US to return to China?The China-morning-post" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="12558" data-entity-type="organization">South China Morning Post has contacted Li for comment.
SRCSouth China Morning Post
LANGEN
LEANCenter-Right
WORDS116
ENT9
THU · 2026-05-14 · 04:00 GMTBRIEF NSR-2026-0514-76112
NSR-2026-0514-76112News Report·EN·Technology
Lead Microsoft AI scientist Li Hongzhi joins China’s Tongji University
Li Hongzhi, a prominent AI scientist and former head of Generative AI at Microsoft Asia, has joined Tongji University in China. Li, who previously spent over a decade at Microsoft Research after earning his PhD from Columbia University, is now a distinguished tenured professor at Tongji's Institute of AI for Engineering.
Shi HuangSouth China Morning PostFiled 2026-05-14 · 04:00 GMTLean · Center-RightRead · 1 min
South China Morning PostFIG 01
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116words
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9entities
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Briefing Summary
AI-generatedNEWSAR · AI
Li Hongzhi, a prominent AI scientist and former head of Generative AI at Microsoft Asia, has joined Tongji University in China. Li, who previously spent over a decade at Microsoft Research after earning his PhD from Columbia University, is now a distinguished tenured professor at Tongji's Institute of AI for Engineering. His move signifies a return to China for the award-winning researcher. This development is part of a broader trend of Chinese scientists returning to their home country, though the specific reasons for Li's departure from Microsoft and his return to academia in China were not detailed in the report.
Confidence 0.85Sources 1Claims 5Entities 9
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Model · rule-basedFraming
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Key claims
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The South China Morning Post has contacted Li for comment.
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Li is a distinguished tenured professor at Tongji University's Institute of AI for Engineering.
factualTongji University
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Li worked at Microsoft Research for over 10 years.
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Li obtained his PhD from Columbia University.
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Li Hongzhi, former head of GenAI at Microsoft Asia, has joined Tongji University.
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Full report
1 min read · 116 words§ 05
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Keywords & salience
8 termsartificial intelligence
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genai
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microsoft
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tongji university
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li hongzhi
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ai research
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chinese scientists
0.50
microsoft research
0.40
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Topic connections
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