Prof. Dr. Jinzhao Wu, Guilin University of Aerospace Technology, China

Dr. Jinzhao Wu is a Professor and Doctoral Supervisor specializing in high-performance and high-reliability computing, as well as reasoning theory and tool development. He is a recipient of several prestigious honors, including being selected for the “Hundred Talents Plan” of the Chinese Academy of Sciences‌, as well as the national first batch of “New Century Hundred, Thousand, and Ten Thousand Talents Project”. Dr. Wu is also recognized as a “Guangxi Bagui Scholar” and a “Guangxi Outstanding Expert”. He serves as a Member of the Subcommittee on Computer Science and Technology of the Ministry of Education’s Higher Education Teaching Steering Committee and as a Member of the Computer Algebra Committee of the Chinese Mathematical Society.

Throughout his career, Dr. Wu has led more than 10 national and provincial-level research projects, including funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the National High-tech R&D Program of China, and the National Program on Key Basic Research Project. His research has yielded a series of notable achievements, particularly in the fields of symbolic computation, automated reasoning, formal methods, and their cross-disciplinary applications. Dr. Wu has published more than 100 research papers and authored 3 academic monographs. In addition, he has filed 3 patents in recognition of his innovative work. As an educator, Dr. Wu has supervised 43 doctoral students, of whom 38 have successfully graduated, and 28 master’s students, with 25 having completed their degrees.

Prof. Victor Chang, Aston University, UK

Prof. Victor Chang is currently a Professor of Business Analytics at Aston Business School, Aston University, UK. He was a Professor of Data Science and Information Systems at SCEDT, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, UK, between September 2019 and May 2022. He was a Senior Associate Professor, Director of Ph.D. (June 2016- May 2018) and Director of MRes (Sep 2017 - Feb 2019) at International Business School Suzhou (IBSS), Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), Suzhou, China, between June 2016 and August 2019. He was also a very active and contributing key member at Research Institute of Big Data Analytics (RIBDA), XJTLU. He was an Honorary Associate Professor at University of Liverpool. Previously he was a Senior Lecturer at Leeds Beckett University, UK, between Sep 2012 and May 2016. Within 4 years, he completed Ph.D. (CS, Southampton) and PGCert (Higher Education, Fellow, Greenwich) while working for several projects at the same time. Before becoming an academic, he has achieved 97% on average in 27 IT certifications. He won a European Award on Cloud Migration in 2011, IEEE Outstanding Service Award in 2015, best papers in 2012, 2015 and 2018, the 2016 European special award and Outstanding Young Scientist 2017. He is a visiting scholar/Ph.D. examiner at several universities, an Editor-in-Chief of IJOCI & OJBD journals, former Editor of FGCS, Associate Editor of IEEE TII, JGIM, IJBSR, IJEBM & Cyber Security & Apps. He's also an Editor of Information Fusion, IDD and Scientific Reports journal, a founding chair of two international workshops and founding Conference Chair of IoTBDS and COMPLEXIS since Year 2016. He is the founding Conference Chair for FEMIB since Year 2019. He published 3 books as sole authors and the editor of 2 books on Cloud Computing and related technologies. He gave 48 keynotes at international conferences. He is widely regarded as one of the most active and influential young scientists and experts in IoT/Data Science/Cloud/security/AI/IS, as he has experience developing 10 different services for multiple disciplines.

Prof. Dr. Faming Zhang, Guilin University of Electronic Technology, China

Professor Faming Zhang, Ph.D. (Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Pittsburgh, USA), is a Second-level Professor and Doctoral Supervisor. He currently serves as Dean of the School of Business (School of Digital Economy) at Guilin University of Electronic Technology. He is also the academic leader of the discipline of Management Science and Engineering at the university. Dr. Zhang is recognized nationally as a leading academic and research figure, having been selected for the National “Hundred, Thousand, and Ten Thousand Talents Project”, awarded the title of “National Expert with Outstanding Contributions among Young and Middle-Aged Scholars”, and honored as a recipient of the “Special Government Allowance of the State Council of China”.

From 2018 to 2022, Dr. Zhang served as a member of the Teaching Steering Committee for Industrial Engineering under the Ministry of Education, contributing significantly to the development of higher education in this discipline. He has also been recognized as a provincial-level academic and technical leader, a scholar under the provincial-level “Thousand Talents Program”, and a recipient of the Provincial Distinguished Youth Fund.

Dr. Zhang is an Expert Reviewer for the Changjiang (Yangtze River) Scholars Program under the Ministry of Education, a National First-Class Course Evaluation Expert, and actively serves in numerous professional societies. His roles includes: Council Member of the Society of Management Science and Engineering of China, Standing Committee Member of the Chinese Industrial Engineering Institute of the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society, Deputy Director of the Intelligent Manufacturing and Digital Ecosystem Committee of the Chinese Institute of Business Administration, Council Member of the Chinese Industrial Engineering Institute of the Society of Management Science and Engineering of China, Committee Member of the Chinese Society of Optimization, Overall Planning and Economic Mathematics, and Standing Council Member of the Institute of Intelligent Decision-Making and Game Theory of the Chinese Society of Optimization, Overall Planning and Economic Mathematics.

In addition, he is a reviewer for leading international journals such as IEEE Transactions on Fuzzy Systems, International Journal of Production Economics, and Applied Mathematics & Information Sciences, as well as for several top Chinese journals including Journal of Management Sciences in China, Systems Engineering - Theory & Practice, Journal of Systems Engineering, and Chinese Journal of Management Science.

Dr. Zhang’s research output is extensive and highly influential. He has published more than 80 academic papers, of which over 30 appear in top-tier international and domestic journals, such as IJPE, JCP, OIR, JIFS, Systems Engineering - Theory & Practice, Chinese Journal of Management Science, and Journal of Systems Engineering.

He has successfully led more than 20 national and provincial-level research projects, including four projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, one by the Ministry of Education’s Humanities and Social Sciences Fund, and several key and general projects supported by Guangxi and Jiangxi provincial foundations.

Dr. Zhang’s academic achievements have been recognized with 11 provincial and ministerial-level awards, including four First Prizes and four Second Prizes, highlighting his outstanding contributions to scientific innovation and educational excellence.

Prof. Dr. Haifeng Zhang, Guangxi Normal University, China

Professor Haifeng Zhang is a Professor and and currently serves as Dean of the School of Economics and Management at Guangxi Normal University. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics and has also conducted research as a Visiting Scholar at the Business School, Renmin University of China. He has been recognized as a “Guangxi Bagui Young Scholar”, one of the highest academic honors in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region for emerging researchers. Dr. Zhang’s primary research interests lie in evolutionary and innovation economics as well as institutional economics.

In addition to his university leadership and research responsibilities, Dr. Zhang holds several important professional service roles. He is a Standing Council Member of the Chinese Association for Foreign Economic Thought, a member of the Secretariat for the Annual Conference on Evolutionary Economics in China, and a member of the Secretariat for the Youth Forum on the History of Economic Thought.

Dr. Zhang has published more than 40 research papers in leading Chinese academic journals, including Contemporary Economic Research, Research on Financial and Economic Issues, and Research of Institutional Economics. Several of his works have been reprinted in full by highly influential academic digest publications such as Xinhua Digest (3 papers), Chinese Social Science Digest (1 paper), and China Social Science Excellence. In addition to journal articles, he has authored and published five academic monographs, further establishing his reputation as a leading scholar in his research domains.

He has also demonstrated strong leadership in securing competitive research funding. Dr. Zhang has served as Principal Investigator for two projects funded by the National Social Science Foundation of China and four projects at the provincial and ministerial levels, while also participating in several additional national-level research initiatives.

Dr. Zhang’s research has been recognized with numerous awards for excellence. His achievements include a First Prize for Outstanding Achievements in Social Science Research in Guangxi, as well as three Third Prizes. In the field of teaching, he has also received recognition, including a First Prize for Teaching Achievement in Guangxi and two Second Prizes. These honors highlight both his scholarly impact and his contributions to higher education.

Prof. Dr. Zhengbo Peng, Guilin University of Technology, China

Dr. Zhengbo Peng is a Professor and currently serves as Dean of the School of Public Administration at Guilin University of Technology. He is also the Executive Vice Dean of the Rural Revitalization Research Institute and a doctoral supervisor. Dr. Peng has held visiting scholar positions at Zhejiang University and has been recognized as an “Outstanding Young and Middle-Aged Expert in Ethnic Studies” by the National Ethnic Affairs Commission of China.

Dr. Peng plays a leading role in academic and professional associations in China. He is a Council Member of the Chinese Public Administration Society, Vice Chair of the Teaching Steering Committee for Public Administration in Guangxi Universities, Vice President of the Guangxi Sociological Society, and Deputy Secretary-General of the Guangxi Public Administration Society. He is also a Research Fellow at the Research Center of Social Governance at South China University of Technology, Academic Advisor of the Journal of the Party School of the CPC Guilin Municipal Committee, Expert of the Guangxi Development Strategy Research Association, and Research Fellow of the Guilin Convention/Exhibition/Event Society. His contributions to education have also been widely recognized, including being named a “National Excellent Advisor” of the Challenge Cup Competition and a “National Excellent MPA Teacher”. He has been selected for the “Training Program for A Thousand Young and Middle-Aged Key Teachers in Guangxi Universities” and awarded the title of “Pingfeng Scholar” of Guilin University of Technology. Additionally, he serves as a peer-review expert for the National Social Science Foundation of China, the Academic Degrees Centre of the Ministry of Education, as well as several regional social science and education reform programs.

Beyond academia, Dr. Peng has held important government appointments. He served as Deputy Director of the Office of the Command Department for the “Two Rivers and Four Lakes” Project of Guilin Municipal People’s Government and as Deputy Director of the Management Committee and Member of the Party Working Committee of Hezhou National High-Tech Zone in Guangxi.

Dr. Peng’s research focuses on public administration, rural governance, and social governance. He has served as Principal Investigator for two projects funded by the National Social Science Foundation of China and has led more than ten other research projects, including those funded by the Guangxi Philosophy and Social Science Program and the National Ethnic Affairs Commission.

He has published over 40 academic papers in leading journals, including the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, Chinese Public Administration, Tourism Tribune, Guangxi Ethnic Studies, and Administrative Tribune. He is also the author or co-author of three academic monographs and textbooks. His scholarship has been recognized with more than ten awards, including the Outstanding Achievement Award in Social Sciences in Guangxi, the Ministry of Civil Affairs Award for Policy and Theory in Civil Affairs, the Guangxi Higher Education Teaching Achievement Award, and the Outstanding Achievement Award in Social Sciences in Guilin.

Prof. Dr. Xiaoyong Zhou, Guilin University of Aerospace Technology, China

Dr. Xiaoyong Zhou, born in November 1984 in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, is Professor of Management and Master’s Supervisor. He has been selected as a Bagui Young Top Talent, a major talent program in Guangxi, in recognition of his outstanding academic achievements and leadership. He currently serves as Dean of the School of Management at Guilin University of Aerospace Technology, where he also holds the title of “Qihang Scholar”. Dr. Zhou is the academic leader of the key discipline “Management Science and Engineering” in Guangxi and leads the Innovation Team on Digital Intelligence, Carbon Neutrality, and Sustainable Supply Chains.

Dr. Zhou has been deeply engaged in scholarly service and academic exchange. He serves as an editorial board member, youth editorial board member, or academic editor for multiple journals, including Environmental Pollution & Control, and as a peer reviewer for more than 50 international and domestic journals, such as Energy Economics (SCI/SSCI) and other top-tier publications indexed in SCI, SSCI, and CSSCI.

His primary research interests lie in energy - environment - economy system modeling. In recent years, Dr. Zhou has undertaken more than 10 major research projects, including two funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, as well as projects supported by the Guangxi Natural Science Foundation and the Guangxi Philosophy and Social Sciences Planning Program.

Dr. Zhou has an impressive publication record, with more than 50 academic papers published in prestigious journals, including iScience (a Cell Press journal) and other high-impact outlets. Among these, 21 papers are indexed in SSCI/SCI, and his research has been recognized internationally, with one paper selected as an ESI Hot Paper (global top 0.1%) and four as ESI Highly Cited Papers (global top 1%). His work has been cited more than 970 times in SCI/SSCI journals, reflecting its strong influence in the field. Beyond academic publishing, he has also contributed theoretical articles to influential media outlets such as Economic Information Daily and Guangxi Daily.

Dr. Zhou’s research and teaching excellence have earned him wide recognition. He has received two commendatory instructions from provincial and ministerial leaders, the Second Prize for Outstanding Achievements in Social Sciences of Guangxi, and five Guangxi Higher Education Teaching Achievement Awards. He was honored as an Outstanding Contributor of Policy Advice among Guangxi Universities, and twice received the First Prize (Outstanding Advisor Award) in the National College Students’ Energy Economics Innovation Competition.

Prof. Kim Hua Tan, University of Nottingham, UK

Prof. Kim Hua Tan is a Professor in Operations and Innovation Management, Nottingham Business School. Prior to this, he was a researcher and teaching assistant at Centre for Strategy and Performance, University of Cambridge. Professor Tan spent many years in industry, before joining academia in 1999. His current research interests are lean management, operations strategy, decision making, and supply chain risk management. Professor Tan has published a book called 'Winning Decisions: Translating Business Strategy into Action Plans,' and numerous articles in academic journals such as Decision Sciences, International Journal of Operations and Production Management, International Journal of Production Economics, International Journal of Innovation Management, and others. His areas of research include Accelerated product innovation, lean management, supply chain management, sustainable operations, lean green, operations strategy implementation.

Prof. Patrick C. K. Hung，Faculty of Business and IT, Ontario Tech University, Canada

Patrick C. K. Hung is a Professor and Graduate Program Director of Computer Science at Ontario Tech University, Faculty of Business and Information Technology. He is a Leverhulme Visiting Professor at Aston University, England, and an Honorable Guest Professor at Shizuoka University, Hamamatsu, Japan. He was also a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Abertay University, Scotland, and a Visiting Researcher at the University of São Paulo, Brazil. Dr. Hung worked with Boeing Research and Technology in Seattle on aviation services-related research with two U.S. patents on the mobile network dynamic workflow system. Before that, he was a Research Scientist with Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization. He is a founding member of the IEEE Technical Committee on Services Computing and IEEE Transactions on Services Computing. In addition, he is an editorial board member for the IEEE Transactions on Engineering Managemen.

Prof. Ali Emrouznejad, Surrey Business School, UK

Ali Emrouznejad is a Professor and Chair in Business Analytics at Surrey Business School, UK. He also serves as the director of the Centre for Business Analytics in Practice, leading research efforts in various fields, including performance measurement and management, efficiency and productivity analysis, as well as AI and big data. Prior to his current position, he held the role of head of the Business Analytics Group at Aston University. Ali Emrouznejad has been acknowledged as one of the top 2% most influential scientists globally by Stanford University. With h-index of over 80, he has been listed with “World Top 100 Business & Management / Business Administration Scientists 2024”. He holds the title of Fellow in various prestigious institutions, including the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications (FIMA), the Institute for Sustainability, and the Institute for People-Centred Artificial Intelligence. Additionally, he is a member of the UKRI (UK Research and Innovation) Talent Peer Review College (PRC). Prof Emrouznejad is editor-in-chief of Journal of Business Analytics and serves as the editor of Annals of Operations Research and holds roles as an associate editor or department editor, guest editor for various other journals, including the European Journal of Operational Research, Journal of Operational Research Society, OR Spectrum, RAIOR-Operations Research, Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, IMA journal of Management Mathematics, Journal of Medical Systems, International Journal of Energy Management Sector, and Data Envelopment Analysis journal. He is also a member of the editorial boards of several other scientific journals, including EURO Journal on Decision Processes, International Journal of Society Systems Science, International Journal of Applied Decision Sciences, Supply Chain Analytics, Decision Analytics, and Central European Review of Economics and Management.

Prof. Bing Xu, Heriot Watt University, UK

Prof. Bing Xu is a Professor of Finance, Heriot Watt University, UK. Her research focuses on banking and investment analytics by modelling the impact of uncertainty on banks’/firms’ performance, their lending/investment, and risk-taking behaviours. She is also passionate on scrutinizing the causes of sustainable finance gap, and the consequences of climate-related risks on firms’ performances and access to finance. Another strand of Bing’s research is around the design of multidimensional frameworks (e.g., DEA, multi-criteria decision-making analysis-based approaches) to evaluate energy strategies and prediction models. She also has works around modelling/forecasting oil prices and studying the dynamic impact of oil price shocks on the economy. Edinburgh. Bing leverages social science innovations to tackle the challenges associated with achieving net zero, particularly in the areas of low carbon fuels, circular economy, and sustainable cold chains. Prof. Xu has worked on a portfolio of UKRI funded multidisciplinary projects on low carbon fuels, sustainable cold-chains, and circular chemical economy which are recognized as central to achieving net zero. Currently, Bing is working on several UKRI funded projects around business models, sustainable finance, performance analytics, social dynamics, and policy, with five successful grants. She leads on “Policy, Society and Finance” theme of work to address barriers related to business and finance models, social dynamics, multi-criteria decision making analysis and policy, such as Zero Emission Cold-Chain (EP/V042548/1); GREEN-ICEs (EP/T022701/1); UKRI Interdisciplinary Centre for Circular Chemical Economy (EP/V011863/1); Digital Circular Electrochemical Economy (EP/V042432/1); CCUS for UK cluster decarbonisation (IDRIC Wave 2).