PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Harry Shum

Also known as Heung-Yeung Shum, H. Shum, H. Y. Shum, H.-Y. Shum, H.Y. Shum, Heung‐Yeung Shum, 沈向洋

Harry Shum is a computer scientist whose computer vision and graphics work includes image-based rendering, which creates new views directly from input images. He studied at Southeast University and the University of Hong Kong, then earned a robotics PhD at Carnegie Mellon before joining Microsoft Research and helping establish its Beijing lab. At Microsoft, he moved into lab management, led Bing search development, and directed the company’s AI and Research group. The US National Academy of Engineering elected him a Foreign Member in 2017. Since March 2023, he has chaired HKUST’s University Council, and the university renewed his three-year term in March 2026.

Timeline

  1. By 1996

    From Southeast to robotics

    He earned a bachelor’s degree at Southeast University, an MPhil in electrical and electronic engineering at the University of Hong Kong, and a robotics PhD at Carnegie Mellon in 1996 under Raj Reddy.

  2. 1996–1998

    From Redmond to Beijing

    He joined Microsoft Research in Redmond as a researcher in 1996. In 1998, he moved to Beijing as a founding member of Microsoft Research China, later renamed Microsoft Research Asia.

  3. June 2000

    Rendering new views

    With Sing Bing Kang, he coauthored a survey of image-based rendering. It explains how techniques render new views directly from input images and groups them by their use of scene geometry.

  4. 2007–2020

    From Bing to AI leadership

    At Microsoft Research Asia, he advanced through research management to assistant managing director and managing director, and became a Microsoft Distinguished Engineer. From 2007 to 2013, he led Bing search product development as corporate vice president, then drove Microsoft’s AI strategy as executive vice president of its AI and Research group and led Microsoft Research until March 1, 2020.

  5. 2017

    An engineering academy

    The US National Academy of Engineering elected him a Foreign Member for his contributions to computer vision and graphics and his leadership in industrial research and product development.

  6. 2020

    Thinking beyond deep learning

    As an adjunct professor at Tsinghua, he delivered a keynote titled “From Deep Learning to Deep Understanding” about recent AI progress.

  7. Since March 2023

    Chairing HKUST’s council

    He began chairing HKUST’s University Council in March 2023.

  8. March 2026

    A renewed Council term

    HKUST reappointed him to a three-year Council Chairman term effective March 6, 2026. In June 2026, he opened the university’s Shanghai alumni gathering as Council Chairman.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Harry Shum yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. Prof. Harry Heung-Yeung SHUM | HKUST Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study ias.hkust.edu.hk. Checked 14 October 2026.
  2. Harry Shum at Microsoft Research microsoft.com. Checked 14 October 2026.
  3. A Review of Image-based Rendering Techniques microsoft.com. Checked 14 October 2026.
  4. Opening Day of Tsinghua University 2020 GSS: Innovative Thinking during the Pandemic tsinghua.edu.cn. Checked 14 October 2026.
  5. HKUST Welcomes the Reappointment of Prof. Harry SHUM as Council Chairman hkust.edu.hk. Checked 14 October 2026.
  6. HKUST 35th Anniversary Alumni Get-together in Shanghai alum.hkust.edu.hk. Checked 14 October 2026.