Ya-Qin Zhang

Dr. Ya-Qin Zhang joined Baidu in September 2014 as President, in charge of new business.

Prior to joining Baidu, Zhang was Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President and Chairman of Asia R&D Group, leading Microsoft’s overall research and development efforts in Asia-Pacific, Microsoft’s largest R&D establishment outside of the US with over 3,000 scientists and engineers. Over his 15 year tenure at Microsoft, he has taken various key positions, including the Managing Director of Microsoft Research Asia (2000-2004), Chairman of Microsoft China (2007-2012), Corporate Vice President of Mobile and Embedded Products (2004-2006), and Asia R&D Chairman until September 2014.

Zhang is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and has published more than 500 papers in leading international conferences and journals. He has been granted more than 60 US patents in digital video, Internet, multimedia, wireless and satellite communications. He was a key contributor to the ISO/MPEG and ITU standardization efforts in digital video and multimedia. Many of the technologies he and his team developed have become the basis for start-up ventures, commercial products, and international standards. In 1997, he became the youngest ever Fellow of IEEE and has served as editor-in-chief for several influential IEEE journals. Currently, Zhang serves on the Board of Directors of five high-tech IT companies. He is an honorary or guest professor at more than 20 prestigious universities and is an advisor to several government agencies. Zhang is also the Vice Chairman of Committee 100, a group of leading Chinese-Americans to promote the political, scientific, social, and economic exchanges between the US and China.

Zhang received his B.S. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in 1983 and 1985. He received his Doctor of Science in Electrical Engineering from George Washington University, Washington D.C. in 1989.