Speakers

Prof. Adrian David Cheok

Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, China

Experience: Adrian David Cheok AM FIET FIEAust FRSA is Full Professor at Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Director of the Imagineering Institute, Malaysia, Visiting Professor at Raffles University, Malaysia, Visiting Professor at University of Novi Sad-Serbia, on Technical faculty “Mihailo Pupin”, Serbia, Faculty of Ducere Business School, and CEO of Nikola Tesla Technologies Corporation.

In 2024, Professor Adrian David Cheok was honored with induction as a Full Member into Sigma Xi USA, The Scientific Research Honor Society, a recognition that not only signifies his dedication to scientific excellence but also aligns his contributions with those of groundbreaking researchers. Sigma Xi is a beacon of distinction within the global scientific community, boasting over 200 Nobel Laureates among its members, including luminaries such as Albert Einstein. This prestigious society is renowned for its commitment to the advancement of science and engineering and includes among its distinguished members other eminent personalities like Linus Pauling and Guglielmo Marconi, whose pioneering work has indelibly shaped the landscape of modern science and innovation. Professor Cheok’s association with Sigma Xi marks a pinnacle in his career, affirming his commitment to the ethos of rigorous and impactful scientific inquiry.

Speech Title: The Last Flesh-and-Blood Professor? Confronting the Rise of Robot Pedagogues in the Twilight of Human Academia

Abstract: This is not merely a lecture. It is a warning, a mirror, and a provocation. The ancient figure of the teacher—once robed in authority, wisdom, and flesh—now faces its most uncanny successor: the robot professor. In an era where neural architectures whisper knowledge more fluently than scholars, and androids are programmed with Socratic dialogue protocols, the sacred space of education is being colonized—not by corporations or ideologies, but by code.

 This keynote traverses the fault lines of a revolution that many still deny is underway. We explore the ontological redefinition of “professor” when AI lecturers can give flawless presentations, assess student work at scale, adapt to neurodivergent learners with unerring patience, and even simulate the warmth of mentorship—better, perhaps, than many human educators.

 But beyond function lies the abyss of meaning:

Can a robot profess truth, or only process it?

Is academic freedom possible for machines constrained by corporate code?

What becomes of Bildung—the formation of the soul—when entrusted to an entity without one?

 Through a series of unfolding vignettes—from algorithmic tutors in Shanghai to fully synthetic faculty in European virtual universities—this address interrogates the metaphysics, politics, and poetic tragedy of a future where the last flesh-and-blood professor may become a relic of sentimental nostalgia.

 Let us not ask if robot teachers can teach. Let us ask instead: when they teach better than us—what, then, is left for us to be?

Prof. Yongjun Feng

Shaanxi Normal University, China

Research Area:

Educational history and culture, educational policy and evaluation, educational development strategy planning (university ranking), educational research methods, educational big data, internationalization of higher education

Experience: Feng Yongjun, a doctoral supervisor, graduated from the Department of Education History at Xiamen University in June 2012, obtaining a Doctor of Education degree. He is a postdoctoral fellow at Beijing Normal University, a visiting professor and master's supervisor at Tianjin University, a special researcher at the Provincial Government Research Office of Yunnan Province, a researcher at the Key Laboratory of Ethnic Education Informatization of the Ministry of Education, a doctoral supervisor at Stanford International University in Thailand, the project leader of the China Higher Education Tracking Survey (CHEPS), and a recipient of the Special Talent Allowance from the Hebei Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government. He previously served as the Executive Director and Chief Expert of the University Evaluation Research Team of Airensheng Research Institute, and is currently the President of Anbang China Evaluation Academy. He is the co-founder of "China University/Subject/Professional Ranking (Ranking)" and a consulting expert for QS, THEs, ARWU, etc. He has given lectures or provided medium- and long-term strategic planning consultation to over a hundred "Double First-Class" construction universities and other institutions. He has led 4 national projects and 3 provincial and ministerial projects, participated in 5 national projects, published over 20 books, and received 5 provincial and ministerial awards.

Assoc. Prof. Leilei Zhao

Nanjing Normal University,China

Research Area:

Experience: 

Zhao Leilei, Ph.D., is an associate professor at the School of Education Sciences of Nanjing Normal University, a member of the Labor and Science Engineering Education Working Committee of the China Wisdom Engineering Research Association, an expert member of the Artificial Intelligence Professional Committee of the China Education Technology Association, an expert member of the Intelligent Learning and Innovation Research Working Committee of the China Wisdom Engineering Research Association, the deputy secretary-general of the Jiangsu Education Society, a member of the Modern Education Management Professional Committee of the China Education Development Strategy Society, and has been selected for the Jiangsu Province Young Science and Technology Talent Support Program and the Young and Middle-aged Leading Talent Program of Nanjing Normal University. As the first author, he has published over 30 papers in CSSCI journals such as "Education Research", "Education Research and Experiment", "Chinese Journal of Education", "Teacher Education Research", and "Electrical Education Research". His main research fields are intelligent education and educational management. He has been responsible for several provincial and ministerial-level projects, including the National Social Science Foundation's Post-Grant Project, the Development Research Center of the State Administration for Market Regulation's commissioned project, the Humanities and Social Sciences Fund of the Ministry of Education project, the Commissioned Project of the Education Management Information Center of the Ministry of Education, the Key Project of Jiangsu Social Sciences Fund, the Key Post-Grant Project of Jiangsu Social Sciences Fund, the Major Project of Jiangsu University Philosophy and Social Science Research, and the Key Project of Jiangsu Education Science Planning. He has received awards such as the Second Prize of the Jiangsu Social Science Application Research Excellence Project, the Eighth "Degree and Graduate Education" Excellent Paper Award, the Third Prize of the Fifteenth "Philosophy and Social Science Outstanding Achievements" of Wuxi, the Third Prize of the Sixteenth "Philosophy and Social Science Outstanding Achievements" of Wuxi, and the Third Prize of the National University's Excellent Paper on Ideological and Political Work in 2020.