Recently, the Canadian Academy of Engineering officially announced its newly elected Fellows for 2026. Wei Shi, a 2007 graduate alumnus of our university, Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Université Laval, and Canada Research Chair in Silicon Photonics, was successfully elected as a Fellow. This honor represents international recognition of his outstanding scientific achievements and academic influence, while also reflecting the university’s strong capabilities in cultivating high-level talent.

Professor Shi possesses a solid and systematic academic background spanning leading Chinese universities and internationally renowned institutions. In 2004, he received his bachelor’s degree in Photonics from Huazhong University of Science and Technology. In 2007, he earned a master’s degree in Physical Electronics from Shenzhen University, where he established a strong foundation in optoelectronics research and theory at the College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering. In 2012, he obtained his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from University of British Columbia.

Following his doctoral studies, Professor Shi continued to advance at the forefront of international research. From 2012 to 2013, he served as a postdoctoral fellow funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). He subsequently joined Université Laval, where he progressed from Associate Professor to Full Professor, becoming a tenured Full Professor in 2022. In November 2022, he was appointed Scientific Advisor to EXFO, a global leader in optical communications technologies.

Advancing Frontier Research with Outstanding Scientific Achievements

For many years, Professor Shi has focused on large-scale photonic integrated circuits and optoelectronic integrated systems, with research interests including silicon photonics, high-speed optical communication systems, advanced photonic chip design, on-chip optical interconnects, and high-performance computing. His work addresses core hardware innovations for artificial intelligence and next-generation quantum information systems, providing critical foundational technologies for future high-speed communications, intelligent computing, and quantum technologies.To date, Professor Shi has published more than 200 papers in leading journals and conferences, including Nature Photonics, Nature Communications, Optica, and Light: Science & Applications. His work has been cited more than 5,600 times, and he has achieved an H-index of 40. He has also been recognized among the Stanford–Elsevier World’s Top 2% Scientists in the field of optoelectronics.

In addition to his academic accomplishments, Professor Shi has actively promoted the integration of research and industry. Alongside his role at EXFO, he is also the co-founder and inaugural Chief Technology Officer of EHVA, contributing to the commercialization of cutting-edge photonics technologies and strengthening the connection between academic research and industrial innovation.

Establishing a Strong Presence in the International Academic Community with Remarkable Scholarly Influence

Professor Shi is currently an Optica Fellow and IEEE Senior Member. His recent honors include the 2026 Université Laval Outstanding Research Achievement Award, the 2025 Université Laval Outstanding Innovation Award, recognition among Optica’s Top 30 Global Optics Research Breakthroughs in 2025, one of Quebec’s Top 10 Scientific Discoveries in 2025, the 2023 Lightwave Innovation Award, and the 2022 ADRIQ Innovation Award.

He also plays an active role in the global academic community, serving as a Technical Program Committee member for the Optical Fiber Communication Conference (OFC) from 2022 to 2026 and for the European Conference on Optical Communication (ECOC) in 2026. In addition, he serves as Associate Editor of the international journal Photonics Research.

Reaching the Highest Honor in Engineering and Showcasing Shenzhen University’s Excellence in Talent Cultivation

Founded in 1987, the Canadian Academy of Engineering is the highest academic institution in the engineering field in Canada. Election as a Fellow is among the country’s most prestigious engineering honors and is awarded only to individuals who have made exceptional and transformative contributions to engineering science.

Professor Shi’s election as a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering not only marks a major milestone in his distinguished academic career, but also highlights international recognition of Shenzhen University’s educational quality and research excellence in physical electronics and optoelectronics.