When it comes to roads, anthropologist and "Roadology" pioneer, Prof Zhou Yongming, views them as drivers of change.
Researching the history, environmental impact, societal interactions and more of roads, he has taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for over two decades. Now, as Vice President (Academic) and Executive Director of the Institute for Advanced Study at UIC, Prof Zhou is set to drive interdisciplinary education and research in the liberal arts campus amidst the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI).
A sharp-minded researcher
This April, UIC established the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), taking a step in the interdisciplinary research and its application. The Institute aims to explore meaningful collaborations, innovative research outcomes, and interdisciplinary applications.
However, conducting innovative research is never simple. Prof Zhou believes researchers need to choose their direction according to today's development and their professional knowledge. He points out that "sharpness in scientific research is an essential quality." He demonstrates it with an example.
In the 1990s, Prof Zhou saw the rise of information technology (IT) as a game-changer for human society and decided to dig deep into it. From the angle of social sciences, he traced the evolution of IT back to the development of the telegraph, which finally led to the publication of a book comparing how the telegraph and the internet were accepted and used when first introduced to China.
Now, in the AI era, he believes AI will become an integral part of human daily life. "Faced with this new situation, scientific researchers are in the right place at the right time, and they should think beyond what their predecessors thought and dare to act," he adds.
A liberal arts educator
For many university educators, AI brings many challenges.
The pace of technology development is so fast that it's hard for some educators to keep up with what they need to learn and teach. Yet Prof Zhou thinks that this new development foregrounds the value of UIC's liberal arts education.
Liberal arts education, a concept UIC has adhered to since its establishment, focuses on broadening students' minds, cultivating their personalities and promoting interdisciplinary study.
While AI can teach knowledge and answer students' questions, the responsibility of personality cultivation still relies on face-to-face communication with human teachers. "This is the opportunity for liberal arts education to shine," he says.
Prof Zhou believes that in the AI era, the well-rounded development of individuals should be emphasised and focused on, and educators should embed their students with critical thinking and a sense of humanity.
An advancer
Embracing the changes of the times, as Vice President (Academic), Prof Zhou is planning and laying out the integration of AI with academics, teaching, and research at UIC.
"Starting next year, we'll integrate more AI knowledge in our programmes," he says, "and the university has also launched a special talent recruitment programme, focusing on recruiting experts who understand AI technology."
He also adds that UIC is considering establishing a school of AI and liberal arts studies to cultivate students with both liberal arts and AI literacy.
Regarding the IAS, Prof Zhou says that it is positioned as an innovative research platform to gather talent, promote cooperation between industry, university and researchers, as well as to function as a think tank for public policy making.
Based on these visions, IAS has focused on the layout of the low-altitude economy with the expert in aviation and aerospace, Prof Shan Xiaowen, who focuses on eVTOL, AI and archaeological research.
In addition, Prof Zhou shares that the IAS will also make efforts in bridging AI and cultural studies, with projects exploring how to use AI to conduct archaeological research and to decipher antient texts and scripts. "The IAS has high aspirations, and I am full of confidence in its future development," he says.
From MPRO
Reporter: Cecilia Yu
Photographer: Hanna He
Video: Hanna He, Owen Li
Editor: Deen He
