A renowned expert in pattern recognition, computer vision and machine learning, Prof Chen has driven efforts at strategising NUS research, mentoring researchers, and increasing NUS’ competitive research funding, which has risen by about 30% over five years. He is a strong proponent of collaborative research, launching the Reimagine Research Initiative in 2021. The initiative, which provides seed funding for interdisciplinary project ideas, seeks to encourage researchers to work across diverse fields of expertise to find solutions to the most pressing problems of our time.