Microsoft’s executive vice president of technology and research Harry Shum is announcing the MSR Alumni Network today. The announcement comes during Shum and former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates sit down to talk about Future Visions during a fireside chat at the company’s Research Faculty Summit this month.
The launch of the Microsoft Research Alumni Network happens to involve the company’s recently purchased property of LinkedIn as part of its 25th Anniversary of Microsoft Research (MSR) announcement.
The LinkedIn group is dedicated to connecting the thousands of past MSR employees, postdoctoral researchers and interns with us. Together, our alumni and current Microsoft researchers have published more than 20,000 papers — much of it in open collaboration with leading universities around the world. The expertise and ground-breaking work from these researchers represent a rich legacy across many areas such as machine learning, computer vision, systems, theory, quantum computing, formal methods, robotics, networking, human-computer interaction, data visualization, security, privacy, cryptography, and multimedia.”
We’ve reported on several talented individuals who have spurred interesting takes on innovation, research and scientific education as a result of being part of MSR such as Jeannette M. Wing’s highly regarded Computational Thinking publication. Other know MSR leaders include Eric Horvitz’s looking into artificial intelligence, Wolfram Schulte’s work on software verification and Zuzana Kukelova’s take on advancements in computer vision.
The best part about being a part of the Alumni Network is the free membership. Members have access to Microsoft Researches who have become leaders and influencers in their fields, as well as an opportunity to connect via virtual or in-person communications. Connecting with a Microsoft Researcher, alone offers the potential for insights into developing trends and technological evolutions that have yet to be explored by the public.
For more information about the new Microsoft Research Alumni Network, visit Microsoft’s Research Blog or keep it here at WinBeta for developing news about the launch.
Further reading: Bill Gates, Eric Horvitz, Harry Shum, LinkedIn, Microsoft, MSR, Research
