On June 29, 2025, Professor Yinqian Zhang, Director of the Information Security Center at the Research Institute of Trustworthy Autonomous Systems (RITAS) , successfully organized a symposium on "Frontiers of Web3 Technology: New Infrastructure and Value Innovation," Supported by the Shenzhen City Computer Federation (SZCCF) and the Research Institute of Trustworthy Autonomous Systems, the event brought together experts and scholars from academia and industry to share insights and exchange ideas on the latest advancements, typical practices, and future pathways of Web3 technology. The goal was to jointly empower the development of a trustworthy, open, and sustainable digital economy. Figure 1: Group Photo of Participants At the beginning of the meeting, Professor Yinqian Zhang delivered a welcome speech to the attending guests and enterprise representatives. He noted that the committee centers on secure networking and artificial intelligence technologies, with cross-disciplinary synergy as its core mission. It aims to use various events as platforms to build bridges for communication between industry and academia, deepening collective understanding of Web3 technologies. Figure 2: Professor Yinqian Zhang Delivering the Welcome Speech Subsequently, four invited experts and scholars, Butian Huang, Yong Ding, Huizhong Li, and Huawei Huang, delivered keynote speeches. Butian Huang, Founder of Hangzhou Yunphant Network Technology Co., Ltd. presented a keynote speech titled "New Financial Infrastructure Based on Blockchain." Using cases such as the "Currency Bridge", repeated pledging, and selling the same goods to multiple buyers, Butian Huang vividly highlighted current pain points in the financial industry. He pointed out that new financial infrastructure based on blockchain has been reshaping the global process of asset digitization. With further technological maturation and gradual improvement of regulation, it is expected to become a core pillar of the next-generation financial system. Figure 3: Butian Huang Delivering the Keynote Speech Yong Ding, Professor of Guangdong University of Science and Technology, delivered a report titled "Blockchain innovative applications and Real World Assets (RWA) and Stablecoin liquidity innovation.” Professor Ding first shared a series of achievements and progress made by his team on recent blockchain technology breakthroughs. Taking Hong Kong as a primary case, he introduced the definitions, evolution trends, and relevant impacts of RWA and stablecoins. He believes that in the future, stablecoins will achieve breakthroughs in technological innovation and regulatory compliance, and be more widely applied in the RWA market. Figure 4: Yong Ding Delivering the Keynote Speech Huizhong Li, Head of Blockchain Technology Research and Development at WeBank Co., Ltd. presented a report titled "Exploration and Practical Applications of WeBank's Blockchain Technology." Li introduced FISCO BCOS, a domestically developed, controllable open-source platform, and emphasized the importance of open-source to drive innovation. Currently, the development of alliance chains still faces numerous challenges. He hopes that in the future, interconnection among multi-chains and multi-assets can be achieved to fully unlock the value of Web3. Figure 5: Huizhong Li Delivering the Keynote Speech Huawei Huang, Professor of Sun Yat-sen University, delivered a report titled "BrokerChain: A Sharded Blockchain—Research and Practice." Professor Huang introduced the full-process exploration of BrokerChain, from the design of the underlying consensus protocol to the implementation of blockchain system, and further to the development of typical applications on sharded blockchains. He also demonstrated some functions on-site. He stated that he hopes BrokerChain will next step to empower more blockchain financial application scenarios. Figure 6: Huawei Huang Delivering the Keynote Speech Following the four excellent keynote speeches, the symposium entered the panel discussion . On-site, guests and enterprise representatives were connected via video to raise questions, sparking lively discussions on topics such as opportunities and carriers of stablecoins, trusted data spaces, transformation of industry-university-research achievements, and implementation of blockchain technologies. Figure 7: Photos of the Panel Discussion Kai Lei, Executive Member of the CCF Blockchain Specialized Committee, concluded that application is a necessary prerequisite for driving any technology. Through perspectives from industry, academia, and research, this seminar systematically presented the latest breakthroughs of Web3 technology in areas such as new infrastructure and value innovation. The development of Web3 technology requires forward-looking research from academia and practical verification from industry. The Information Security Research Center will continue to connect high-level exchange platforms to support the construction of a trustworthy digital future.

Recently, the national key research and development project "Multi-Dimensional Data Space and Service Theory for Product Lifecycle Value Chain in Manufacturing", led by Professor Xuan Song, Director of the Smart City Center at the Research Institute of Trustworthy Autonomous Systems(RITAS), has achieved a series of critical breakthroughs in the field of intelligent manufacturing. The project has successfully tackled core technologies of the "Manufacturing Brain," overcoming critical challenges in the deep collaborative optimization of complex manufacturing value chains. Led by Southern University of Science and Technology, in collaboration with Jilin University, Changchun University of Science and Technology, and China FAW Co., Ltd, the project has carried out nearly three years of joint efforts integrating industry, academia, research, and application. Through this collaborative approach, it has made breakthroughs in multiple key technologies related to product value chain data services and collaborative production, achieving a series of innovative results. The project is closely aligned with China’s strategic priorities for high-quality development in the manufacturing sector. It tackles critical challenges commonly encountered in China’s manufacturing industry, including difficulties in integrating and sharing vast, complex data across the product value chain, low efficiency in coordinating intricate process workflows, and challenges in accurately identifying cause-and-effect relationships. The project has successfully addressed the theoretical challenges involved in constructing a multi-dimensional, collaborative data space service for the product lifecycle value chain. Its outcomes have been successfully implemented at factories operated by China FAW Co., Ltd. Looking ahead, Professor Xuan Song’s team will leverage the research foundation established by the National Key R&D Program to intensify their focus on the critical demands within the national intelligent manufacturing sector. They aim to accelerate breakthroughs in the key core technologies of next-generation artificial intelligence to overcome “bottleneck” challenges in high-end manufacturing, while pioneering AI-driven pathways for cultivating new quality productive forces in the manufacturing. Related reports： GMW.CN： 人工智能驱动下的智能制造新质生产力-制造大脑科研攻关新突破_光明网Xuexi.cn： 南方科技大学：人工智能驱动下的智能制造新质生产力People.cn： http://finance.people.com.cn.nevr.nl/n1/2025/0410/c1004-3224920.html XINHUANET ： 人工智能驱动下的智能制造新质生产力-制造大脑科研攻关新突破-新华网

On June 4, 2025, the launch ceremony for The Research Institute of Trustworthy Autonomous Systems (RITAS) settling into SUSTech Guangming Advanced Research Institute was held in Guangming District.Attendees included Professor Qi Hao (Executive Director of RITAS), Messers Yanhua Zhu and Zhong Han (Representatives of Guangming Advanced Research Institute), Research Associate Professor Dachuan Li, Research Assistant Professor Meiying Zhang, faculty and student delegates, as well as enterprise representatives from DEEPROUTE.AI, Youchuang Future, and Jiateng Technology. Together, they unveiled the plaque commemorating RITAS’s establishment at Guangming Advanced Research Institute. Launch Ceremony Photo Opportunity In his address, Prof. Hao expressed sincere gratitude to SUSTech departments, Guangming Advanced Research Institute, and the Guangming District government for their support. He emphasized that aligned with the university’s strategic research initiatives in Guangming District, RITAS will further concentrate on trustworthy autonomous systems research, address local enterprises’needs, deepen strategic collaborations with high-tech companies, and bolster Shenzhen’s industrial innovation hub.Mr. Zhu and Mr. Han detailed the exhibition hall’s core sections and key developments to visitors, facilitating exchanges with guests on technical challenges and industrial partnerships. Prof. Hao also summarized RITAS’s research progress, achievements, and foundational work, sparking discussions with attendees on scientific challenges, technological demands, and industrial applications. Tour of RITAS Spaces Tour of Exhibition Hall

On May 28, 2025, at the invitation of Jianyu Niu, Research Assistant Professor of The Research Institute of Trustworthy Autonomous Systems (RITAS) at Southern University of Science and Technology, Postdoctoral researcher Xiang Zheng from City University of Hong Kong delivered an academic report on "Reinforcement Learning-Based Adversarial Evaluation and Defense Enhancement for Large Language Models (LLM) " in Room 443B of the South Tower of the College of Engineering. Figure 1 XiangZheng presents an academic report At present, LLM has been more deeply applied in customer service, law, healthcare, and other fields based on its ability of understanding, reasoning, programming, planning and decision-making. While enhancing performance, ensuring LLM security has emerged as a critical concern. Based on this background, Xiang Zheng focused on the perspective of security assessment and introduced the technical framework, lightweight tools and defense solutions of LLM security assessment to the teachers and students present. Reinforcement Learning-Based Adversarial Evaluation and Defense Enhancement for LLM refers to evaluating the fault tolerance boundary of LLM under malicious input through adversarial testing, such as modifying prompt words and injecting noise, optimizing attack strategies using reinforcement learning algorithms to discover vulnerabilities, and designing defense mechanisms to enhance model robustness. In the report, Xiang Zheng introduced a series of recent related work, such as the curiosity-driven LLM black-box audit framework (CALM), the black-box defense mechanism using VLMs to resist jailbreak attacks (BlueSuffix), and the multi-dimensional systemic security evaluation that is closer to real scenarios (ROSE). Figure 2 Technical Architecture of BlueSuffix After the report, the teachers and students engaged in technical dialogues around the core topics of the report and combined with their own research directions. Xiang Zheng systematically responded to the questions raised by teachers and students from the dimensions of technical implementation, experimental verification and industry application. The report ended successfully in a lively academic dialogue.

Pro. Joseph Sifakis talks about "Toward Industrial AI- Challenges and Opportunities" at 2025 ZGC Forum Annual Conference hosted by BAAI

On April 14, 2025, an academic lecture titled "Trustworthiness and Applications of AI in Clinical Oncology" was successfully held at Room 812, South Tower, College of Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech). The lecture was organized by the Research Institute of Trustworthy Autonomous Systems (RITAS) and delivered by Professor Sotirios Bisdas, a Radiology professor at the University of Tübingen, Germany, and the Director of Neurology and Neuroradiology at UCL, UK. The session was chaired by Professor Jianguo Zhang from RITAS at SUSTech, with members of the CVIP（Computer Vision and Image Processing） team also attending. In the lecture, Professor Bisdas provided a detailed introduction to the trustworthiness and applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in clinical oncology. He focused on how AI plays a significant role in early cancer detection, treatment planning, and patient prognosis assessment. Professor Bisdas emphasized that AI technologies are rapidly transforming the field of oncology care, enabling more efficient clinical workflows while reducing the costs and time consumption associated with traditional methods. He highlighted that AI’s multimodal learning and multi-omics integration could accelerate cancer drug discovery and the development of treatment plans, providing new solutions for precision medicine. Furthermore, Professor Bisdas outlined the future directions for AI in oncology. He suggested that future research should focus on further optimizing the reliability, transparency, and interpretability of AI models, particularly in terms of cross-domain applications and integration with human health. He also pointed out the importance of enhancing AI’s generalization capabilities to improve its practical clinical performance, while simultaneously reducing the need for labeled data. Professor Jianguo Zhang highly praised Professor Bisdas's lecture and expressed his anticipation for continued collaboration between their teams to further promote the innovative application of AI in medical imaging and oncology. Following the lecture, Professor Bisdas visited the CVIP Laboratory established by Professor Jianguo Zhang, where he engaged in friendly interactions and academic discussions with the CVIP research team. Professor Bisdas expressed his hope to strengthen future academic exchanges and facilitate mutual visits between the two teams, laying the groundwork for comprehensive collaboration between their laboratories. Professor Bisdas’ visit not only provided a valuable platform for RITAS’s researchers and students to learn and exchange ideas, but it also strengthened academic cooperation between SUSTech and leading international experts in the field of medical AI.

On April 14, 2025, Professor Rafael Muñoz-Salinas from the University of Córdoba, Spain, invited by Associate Professor Shiqi Yu from the Research Institute of Trustworthy Autonomous Systems (RITAS) delivered a talk on fiducial markers to faculties‌ and students at SUSTech. Fiducial markers are high-contrast visual tags used for object localization and pose estimation, which play an essential role in fields such as robotics, augmented reality, and autonomous systems. Professor Muñoz-Salinas is the creator of the widely used ArUco marker, one of the fiducial markers. With years of research experience in fiducial markers, Professor Muñoz-Salinas shared recent advancements in fiducial markers, including work on enhancing marker detection in low-light and noisy environments using deep learning techniques. He also introduced his team’s latest developments in the design of 3D and customizable fiducial markers. These innovations aim to bridge the gap between technical precision and practical usability in real-world applications. Following the lecture, several students presented their own work on fiducial markers to Professor Muñoz-Salinas, including a new deep learning model for fiducial markers, QR codes etc.,and Professor Muñoz-Salina gave suggestions on how to improve their work. This led to in-depth discussions and valuable exchanges of ideas between the students and the professor, strengthening the collaboration between the two research groups.

An online research work meeting of the Research Institute of Trustworthy Autonomous Systems (RITAS) was held on April 11, 2025. Attendees included Prof. Joseph Sifakis (Director of RITAS), Prof. Qi Hao (Executive Director of RITAS), Prof. Ke Tang (Member of the Management Committee and Head of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering), Chair Professor Jiang Liu, and center directors, Prof. Yinqian Zhang, Associate Prof. Yepang Liu, Associate Prof. Xuan Song, as well as other faculty members. The meeting was chaired by Prof. Qi Hao. During the meeting, the director of each research center first presented reports on their teams’ current status, research topics, project progress, funding arrangements, main research directions, societal contributions, and future plans. Prof. Joseph Sifakis expressed full recognition of the recent research achievements made by each center and provided constructive feedbacks. He emphasized the societal impacts of research outcomes and encouraged more collaborative activities among the centers. Prof. Sifakis proposed organizing an industry-university interaction event in October 2025, inviting industry partners to visit the institute and suggesting that each center showcase their research results through demonstrations and presentations to promote more collaborations. He also recommended developing an advanced AI infrastructure for RITAS to support significant scientific innovations and enhance research efficiency and technology transfer capabilities. Prof. Qi Hao summarized the meeting and suggested holding monthly cross-center seminars, where faculty and students could participate in discussions on specific topics to further strengthen academic exchange. The directors of five centers actively contributed ideas and suggestions for the future development of RITAS.This meeting helps RITAS to well arrange its next half a year’s research activities.

The second "University-Enterprise Collaborative Innovation Talent Cultivation Exchange Conference" was held at the Conference Center of the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) on the afternoon of April 3, 2025. Centered around the theme of "Gathering Wisdom in Southern Guangdong, Creating the Future with Talent," the conference featured six parallel sessions: "Advanced Materials", "Optoelectronics", "Artificial Intelligence", "Integrated Circuits", "Biopharmaceuticals", and "Tech Finance". Scholars and industry experts gathered to discuss reforms in innovative talent cultivation models. At the "Artificial Intelligence Driving Interdisciplinary Collaborative Ecosystem Construction" sub-forum, Professor Qi Hao, Executive Director of the Research Institute of Trustworthy Autonomous Systems (RITAS), and a faculty member of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, chaired the session and delivered a keynote speech. Attendees included Associate Professor Jin Zhang, Deputy Head of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering; Yingjie Han, Administrative Vice Dean of Shuren College; and representatives from over 20 enterprises, such as China Unicom Global Limited (Shenzhen Branch) and XGD INC. During his keynote speech, Executive Director Pro. Qi Hao provided a comprehensive introduction to RITAS, covering its founding background, research centers, teams, scientific achievements, collaborative projects, and future plans of RITAS. He expressed his welcome for industry experts to visit RITAS, participate in technical exchanges, and explore research collaborations in trustworthy and autonomous systems to facilitate the practical application of RITAS’s findings. Additionally, he encouraged corporate experts to conduct on-campus seminars on employment interviews, career planning, and psychological counseling, offering targeted guidance to students before they enter the workforce and fostering a new ecosystem for university-enterprise integration in innovative talent cultivation. At the conference, participants shared insights on university and corporate developments and engaged in lively discussions on topics such as "building university-enterprise collaboration mechanisms, exploring talent cultivation models through industry-education integration, and coordinating talent supply-demand mechanisms between universities and enterprises in the AI era." This event established a communication platform for university-enterprise collaboration, laying a solid foundation for SUSTech to further deepen industry-education integration and enhance the quality of innovative talent cultivation.