EduAsiaNews, Suzhou — Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) once again played host to a prestigious academic event with the staging of the 2026 Postgraduate Research Symposium on 19–20 March in Suzhou, China. The symposium brought together nearly 550 PhD students from 13 universities and research institutions across China and abroad, featuring 614 presentations comprising 329 posters and 285 oral presentations spanning multiple disciplines.
Supported by the UK-Jiangsu World Class University Consortium, the symposium provided an international platform for doctoral students to present their research, exchange ideas, and receive feedback from academics, industry experts, and fellow researchers. This year’s event covered an exceptionally broad spectrum of scholarly fields. Disciplines represented included biological sciences, Chinese studies, business, English language communication, international relations, mathematical sciences, computer science, architecture, electrical and electronic engineering, and many others. Participating universities ranged from Soochow University, Southeast University, Yangzhou University, and Shanghai University, to the University of Nottingham Ningbo China, New York University Shanghai, and the University of Birmingham from the United Kingdom. All participants also had the opportunity to visit leading technology companies within the Suzhou Industrial Park, gaining firsthand insight into the real-world implementation of cutting-edge technologies.
One of the symposium’s main highlights was an exhibition titled AI for Research, held on the afternoon of 20 March. The showcase demonstrated how PhD students are integrating artificial intelligence into their research across a wide range of fields. Lok Hang Cheung, a PhD student from XJTLU’s School of Design focusing on the application of AI in architectural design, was among the standout participants. “Previously, I was mainly exploring, at a theoretical level, how designers interact with computing devices. But now I can spend just a few days building a small application to test whether my ideas are actually feasible. My research is now inseparable from AI,” said Cheung.
A similar perspective was shared by Vladimir Milić, a Serbian PhD student from XJTLU’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences researching China’s engagement with Central and Eastern Europe. “AI is evolving so rapidly that it’s hard to predict where it’s heading. The only way to distinguish good practice from bad is to test it and engage in open dialogue about responsible use,” said Milić. He added that for his own field of international relations, he is optimistic that the discipline can broaden its methodologies and enable more scholars to engage with qualitative and quantitative data at scales that were previously impractical — though he raised serious concerns about data bias and AI hallucination. The symposium concluded with an awards ceremony on 20 March, where the highest-achieving XJTLU students will be given the opportunity to represent the university at the XJTU-XJTLU-UoL Doctoral Wisdom Convergence Camp scheduled for April. (**)
