AoE Proposal:
Institute of Network Coding
August 25, 2009
Conventional transmission paradigm
Parcels
Transportation network
Cargo shipment
1
Conventional transmission paradigm
Parcels
Transportation network
Cargo shipment
Inside the network: Store-and-forward
1
Telecommunications inherited
Store-and-forward
from the transportation network
Internet
Information ≠ Parcel,
because it can be processed.
Information ≠ Parcel,
because it can be processed.
Information ≠ Parcel,
because it can be processed.
Network Coding
better than
store-and-forward
Space Communication
 JPL Task #R.07.023.014 (NASA proposal)
 Same model holds for satellite and wireless communications
NC for Data Storage
Disk A
Copy A
Copy B
Disk B
Disk C
Copy C
Copy D
Disk D
NC for Data Storage
Disk A
Disk B
A single backup disk
ABCD
Disk C
Disk D
NC for File-sharing (P2P)
More applications of NC
Wireless networks
Internet telephony
Sensor networks
Internet TVs
Performance improvements by NC
Faster downloads
Better reception
Clearer images
More privacy
Improvements everywhere…
Special Report in Scientific American
“Although this method may sound counterintuitive,
network coding, which is still under study, has the
potential to dramatically speed up and improve the
reliability of all manner of communications systems
and may well spark the next revolution in the field.”
“Breaking network logjams,” Scientific American, June 2007
NC is a New Paradigm

Fundamentally changes the concept of network communication

A new information superhighway system
Tremendous Impact on Theory
Quantum
information
theory
Information
theory
Channel
coding
Wireless
networks
Computer
science
Computer
networks
Cryptography
Optimization
theory
Intracellular
communications
(biology)
Switching
theory
Matroid
theory
Game
theory
Graph
theory
Research Impact of NC
PUBLICATIONS
Journal special
issues (7)
ANNUAL
CONFERENCES (2)
COURSES IN TOP
UNIVERSITIES
RESEARCH GROUPS
(Industry/Defense/…)
WiNC
Papers (>1350)
Books (4)
(>500 since Oct ‘08)
BEST PAPER
AWARDS (6)
(2 by AoE members)
…
…
NC in the News
(2005)
HK
Newspapers
(2006)
(2007)
(2008)
The research team (of 23)
Principal Investigators
Bob Li



5 IEEE Fellows
13 best paper awards
69 US patents
Raymond Yeung
Local Academic Co-Investigators
Minghua Chen
Dah-ming Chiu
Xiaodan Fan
Sidharth Jaggi
Lap Chi Lau
Ping Li
Albert Sung
Guangyue Han
Jack Lee
Soung-Chang Liew
John Lui
Chandra Nair
Wai-Ho Mow
Non-local Academic Co-Investigators
Yixian Yang
Ning Cai
Zhen Zhang
Henry Lu
John Zao
Industrial Co-Investigators
Dr. Philip Chou
Principal Researcher
Yixian Yang
Dr. Douglas Chan
Senior Wireless Systems Engineer
Dr. Mingxi Fan
Director of Engineering
NC founded at CUHK
NC founded at CUHK in late 1990’s.
2005 IEEE Information Theory Society
Paper Award
Insert slide(s) here…

Highlighting exciting current/future work by
Team members…
Why AoE in HK?
Very large research field
Why AoE in HK?
Very large research field
US/Europe – Research conglomerates
Huge military projects
Why AoE in HK?
Very large research field
US/Europe – Research conglomerates
Huge military projects
Need critical mass
Institute of Network Coding
Unique Advantages of this AoE

Strongest theory group in the world.

Team up with 3 technology giants.

Support a complete knowledge supply chain,
from theory to practice

Numerous researchers visit HK.

Telecom industry in Shenzhen (e.g., Huawei, ZTE)

Help China, Mainland and Taiwan, to catch up in NC
Goals of the AoE

To sustain our global leadership in NC
and make the birthplace of NC an international hub of the field

To elevate the regional interest in NC

To help attract major industrial research labs to HK

To attract top postgraduate students worldwide

To cover all existing areas in NC

To shape the field of NC

To gain global recognition in researcher training

To host international conferences

Technology consulting for Hong Kong, Mainland China, …
Now Is Good Timing

The Network Coding & Information Research Centre
established by CUHK in 2006 paves for the AoE.

Jump-started NC research in sister universities.

Held NetCod 2008 on CUHK campus.

Elevate research interest in the region.
Research funding: $3.8M (CRF), $0.8M (NSFC-RGC),
$2M (Industry and others).



Many good PhDs in NC are being produced at a time
when job market in America and Europe is poor.
Acting now, we shall be the first Institute of NC.
Deliverables
Institute of Network Coding
Train:
Publications:
15 PhDs
40 Postdoctoral
Scholars
WiNC
Conferences:
Hong Kong 2013/(’15)
150-300
Beijing 2011
Hong Kong 201x
Deliverables
Institute of Network Coding
Talks:
Knowledge
transfer:
Seminar series
Prototypes:
Attract Venture Capital
Academics
Industry
Incubator:
Spin-off companies
Application Projects
Potentially have significant impact in the next 5 to 10 years.

Re-engineering the Internet backbone with NC (with Cisco)

Wireless NC (with Qualcomm)

Next-generation Internet Protocol TV (with BUPT & ZTE)

Pattern discovery of biological sequences

Scalable video coding

File sharing

Storage systems
Testbeds

3 interconnecting testbeds for quick evaluation of
various Network Coding protocols:

Multimedia Networking Testbed

Wireless LAN Testbed I (PCs)

Wireless LAN Testbed II (software radios)

Up and running within the first two years.

May also build a campus-wide wireless testbed.
Budget (15 local Co-Is, 8 years)



First Phase
 UGC: $ 53.36 M
Second Phase
 UGC: $ 26.91 M
 CUHK: $ 23.4 M
Total: $ 103.67 M





Salary
Equipment
General
Conference
Miscellaneous
77.2%
7.3%
3.4%
6.9%
5.2%
Staff


4 Research Assistant Professors

Conduct independent research

Keep track of different areas of NC
10 Postdoctoral Researchers



Supervised by our 15 local Investigators
4 Visiting Research Fellows

Eminent researchers in related fields

Widen the exposure of team members

Boost the image of the Institute
2 Engineers

Build systems and prototypes
Governance Structure
Advisory Board
Scientific Advisory Board
Executive Board of Governors
Research Committee
Governance
Advisory Board


VC & Bursar (CUHK), PC
Fiscal matters
Scientific Advisory Board

3-5 prominent scholars




Prof. Andrew Yao, Turing Award winner
Science and engineering matters
Long-term directions
Promote visibility
Governance
Executive Board of Governors

The 2 PIs plus 3 senior academic/industrial members







Prof. Vincent Chan, MIT
Dr. Nim-Kwan Cheung, CEO, ASTRI (HK)
Meet annually
Set and review directions
Overall budget allocation
Ad hoc committees
Endorse annual & progress reports
Governance
Research Committee






All PIs and Co-Is
Annual and quarterly meetings
Carries out directions from BoG
Routine decisions & operations
Propose and consolidate projects
Organize seminars
Sustainability
At the end of this AoE:
 Scenario A



All NC ideas exhausted and productized
Mission accomplished
Scenario B



New NC ideas keeps coming up
On-going productization effort
Should be fairly self-sustainable
Sustainability

Scenario C



New major breakthroughs along the way
The AoE may evolve into one with a larger scope
(e.g., Information Science & Technology)
Similar to the Institute of Mathematical Sciences
at CUHK
Thank you
To-Do slide (just for Sid)



Rework 25-onwards…
Insert slide(s) showing current/future projects
Page numbers/separate version to print
(II) Application Projects

Re-engineering the network layer with network coding
(with Cisco)







To apply network coding technology in the Internet backbone
Wireless network coding (with Qualcomm)
Next-generation IPTV (with BUPT & ZTE)
Pattern discovery of biological sequences
Scalable video coding
P2P networks
Storage systems
(II) Application Projects


Re-engineering the network layer with network coding
(with Cisco)
Wireless network coding (with Qualcomm)







Physical-layer network coding (PNC)
Relaying in cellular systems
Next-generation IPTV (with BUPT & ZTE)
Pattern discovery of biological sequences
Scalable video coding
P2P networks
Storage systems
(II) Application Projects



Re-engineering the network layer with network coding (with
Cisco)
Wireless network coding (with Qualcomm)
Next-generation IPTV (with BUPT & ZTE)





To combine network coding and algebraic switching theories for a new IPTV
distribution system
Pattern discovery of biological sequences
Scalable video coding
P2P networks
Storage systems
(II) Application Projects




Re-engineering the network layer with network coding (with
Cisco)
Wireless network coding (with Qualcomm)
Next-generation IPTV (with BUPT & ZTE)
Pattern discovery of biological sequences




Genomic networks transmit genetic information to provide robustness
and fitness in different environmental conditions. The project combines
linear network coding with Bob Li’s martingale of patterns.
Scalable video coding
P2P networks
Storage systems
(II) Application Projects





Re-engineering the network layer with network coding (with
Cisco)
Wireless network coding (with Qualcomm)
Next-generation IPTV (with BUPT & ZTE)
Pattern discovery of biological sequences
Scalable video coding



To study heterogeneous multimedia multicasting, the project combines
random linear network coding with H.264 scalable video code (SVC)
and multi-path traffic shaping techniques.
P2P networks
Storage systems
(II) Application Projects







Re-engineering the network layer with network coding (with
Cisco)
Wireless network coding (with Qualcomm)
Next-generation IPTV (with BUPT & ZTE)
Pattern discovery of biological sequences
Scalable video coding
P2P networks
 Achieves security and reliability through application of
random linear network coding
Storage systems
(II) Application Projects







Re-engineering the network layer with network coding (with
Cisco)
Wireless network coding (with Qualcomm)
Next-generation IPTV (with BUPT & ZTE)
Pattern discovery of biological sequences
Scalable video coding
P2P networks
Storage systems
 Optimize bandwidth and energy consumption in data
retrieval and recovery