The 18th IEEE International Conference on Networking, Sensing and Control (IEEE ICNSC2021) was held online from December 3^rdto 5^th, with more than 200 participants. This conference is co-hosted by IEEE Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Society and College of Information Science and Engineering of Huaqiao University (HQU) and co-organized by Xiamen Association of Automation, Fujian Association of Automation and Jiangsu Association of Automation.

Centering on the theme of “Industry 4.0 and AI”, the conference aims to promote the integration of artificial intelligence and automation, motivate scientific and technological innovation in the field of automation, push forward the development of Cyber-physical Systems (CPS) and accelerate the realization of industrial automation.The conference consists of three keynote reports and 24 panel discussion reports from four branch venues.

The opening ceremony was held on December 4^th. Tang Lixin, an academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering and the vice-president of Northeastern University, Xia Yuanqing, a Chang Jiang Scholar and the dean of the School of Automation of Beijing Institute of Technology, Edward Tunstel, the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Motiv Space Systems, and other honored guests attended the ceremony. President of HQU Wu Jianping, Professor of New Jersey Institute of Technology Zhou Mengchu, and Executive Vice-Dean of College of Information Science and Engineering of HQU Luo Jiliang addressed the ceremony. Professor Li Zhiwu from Macau University of Science and Technology presided over the ceremony.

The three keynote reports were “Data Analytics and Optimization for Smart Industry” made by Academician Tang Lixin, “Workflows Scheduling in Cloud Computing” by Professor Xia Yuanqing, and “Toward a Nexus of Intelligence and Interaction in Advanced Robotics” by Doctor Edward Tunstel,which provoked in-depth discussions with a number of online participants.

IEEE ICNSC2021 provided an exchange platform for experts and scholars in the fields of artificial intelligence and automatic control, and strengthened the communication and cooperation between scholars of HQU and the research teams in related fields at home and abroad, pushing forward the construction and development of HQU’s Control Science and Engineering.

(Editor: Cai Juntao)