OTTAWA, ON, Nov. 1, 2023 /CNW/ - Yoshua Bengio, Mila’s Founder and Scientific Director, Full Professor at Université de Montréal and Canada CIFAR AI Chair, has been awarded Canada's most prestigious science prize, the Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering. His research and career have led to remarkable discoveries and breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, and his valued leadership has influenced the development and application of artificial intelligence around the world. Professor Bengio's research has a humanistic dimension, as it is aimed at developing technologies that will benefit all and contribute to sustainable development.
The award is one of several announced today by Professor Alejandro Adem, President of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). In total, twenty-two of Canada's world-leading scientists and engineers and six of their industry partners received awards recognizing their exceptional work and contributions to research and training in a range of fields. Their achievements include groundbreaking work in artificial intelligence, advancements in vision health, innovations that enabled the critical production of COVID-19 test kits, and pioneering contributions to the study of plastic pollution in aquatic habitats.
Quotes
"I am greatly honoured to receive the Herzberg Gold Medal from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and to add my name to the long list of scientists with exceptional contributions who have preceded me. I'm also very thankful for the incredible support my colleagues, students, collaborators and I have received from the Government of Canada in our quest towards understanding the principles underlying intelligence and the synergy between mapping biological intelligences and designing artificial ones, for the benefit of all. Without it, Canada's AI ecosystem would not have become what it is today." - Professor Yoshua Bengio, Université de Montréal
See the NSERC announcement for more details
"Thanks to the researchers honoured today, we are able to make tremendous contributions to science and research that help guide our decisions and create a culture of innovation in Canada. Congratulations to this year's recipients of the prestigious NSERC Prizes, who are leaders, pioneers, and also great sources of inspiration for the next generation of scientists and engineers." - The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
"The natural sciences and engineering research community shines brightly today as we honour this year's recipients of the NSERC prizes. In celebrating the work of these remarkable individuals, we recognize the impact of their contributions and their leadership in Canadian discovery and innovation. Their achievements have advanced the frontiers of knowledge worldwide and added to a legacy of outstanding Canadian scientists and engineers who inspire the next generation of researchers." - Professor Alejandro Adem, FRSC, President of NSERC
