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With artificial intelligence (AI) revolutionizing every corner of human life and sustainability becoming the defining challenge of our era, the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS) convened the Second Annual Graduate Seminar under the theme “Artificial Intelligence and Sustainability: Shaping Our Future”, organized by the Department of Foreign Languages, the Sino-Danish College (SDC) and the International College. Held at the SDC Building, the event brought together graduate students, faculty, and international experts in a dynamic exploration of how AI can catalyze interdisciplinary solutions for a sustainable future.
Figure 1. Group photo of seminar guests and participants
The seminar was designed as a capstone event for English-language academic training, an integrated part of Academic English course for the students in both SDC and International College. Beyond language acquisition, the initiative aimed to immerse graduate students in the global discourse surrounding AI applications in sustainable development, thereby cultivating both scientific literacy and cross-cultural academic communication.
The seminar received nearly 40 abstracts, including 11 panel reports, 5 roundtable discussions, and nearly 20 poster presentations. The seminar was strongly supported by the host departments. Professor GAO Yuan, the dean of the Department of the Foreign Languages, Professor WANG Haiyan, the dean of the Sino-Danish College, and Ms. YANG Jing, the student affair coordinator of the International College, attended the seminar. More than 160 participants joined the seminar, coming from the Sino-Danish College, the International College, and other departments.
The seminar opened with welcoming remarks by Prof. WANG Haiyan. A prominent figure in science policy and innovation strategy in China, Prof. WANG emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary education and international dialogue in addressing pressing planetary challenges. She noted that AI, when responsibly harnessed, has the potential to unlock new pathways toward global equity and environmental resilience.
Figure 2. Prof. WANG Haiyan is delivering the opening remarks
Two keynote speeches followed, delivering powerful perspectives on AI’s real-world impact. Drawing on over 30 years of experience in agricultural and environmental policy, Prof. ZHANG Linxiu, Director of the UNEP-International Ecosystem Management Partnership, underscored the need for AI solutions tailored to diverse socio-economic contexts, particularly in the Global South.
Figure 3. Prof. ZHANG, Director of UNEP-IEMP is delivering a plenary speech.
Prof. Klaus G. Grunert, a leading scholar from Aarhus University and Director of the MAPP Center, examined the integration of consumer behavior research and AI to promote sustainable consumption. His talk emphasized that AI should not only drive innovation but also empower citizens to make environmentally conscious choices in their daily lives.
Figure 4. Prof. Grunert is delivering a plenary speech.
The above opening session was moderated by Prof. YU Hua, from the Department of Foreign Languages of UCAS, who served as the stage host throughout the initial program as well as course instructor, along with the other three colleagues, LIU Yunlong, CUI Yaqiong, and FAN Jiashun. Following the plenary session, participants dispersed across panel reports, roundtable seminars, and poster presentations, which reflected a vibrant spectrum of research on the convergence of AI, environmental science, healthcare, materials engineering, urban development, ethics, and public policy. In parallel, nearly 20 poster presentations filled the SDC lobby, covering topics ranging from AI-enhanced spatial cell mapping in healthcare to AI-driven land use simulation for ecological risk assessment in urban planning.
Figure 5. Students are reporting in roundtable discussion.
Figure 6. Students are delivering a panel report.
Figure 7. Discussion in poster presentations.
Figure 8. Discussion in poster presentations.
Figure 9. Students are delivering a panel report.
Figure 10. Discussion in poster presentations.
Figure 11. Discussion in poster presentations.
The organizing committee of this seminar was composed of students from the Sino-Danish College and the International College. Under the guidance of English course instructors, the students greatly enhanced their comprehensive academic communication and academic social skills throughout the entire process of participating in academic seminars, from organization to implementation.
What made the event truly exceptional was its integration of academic English training with frontier science, designed by the Department of Foreign Languages under the leadership of Prof. GAO Yuan, who emphasizes English classes at tertiary level should allow students to refine both their communication skills and scientific thinking. By engaging with real-world problems, students were encouraged to move beyond disciplinary silos, embrace diverse perspectives, and consider the global implications of their work with an improved global competence through this event.
Figure 12. Group photo after reports
As AI continues to reshape our world, this seminar served as a timely reminder that technology must be steered by ethics, inclusivity, and a commitment to planetary well-being. The 2nd Annual Graduate Seminar on Artificial Intelligence and Sustainability stood not only as a testament to UCAS’s academic excellence but also as a call to action for the next generation of scholars to lead with vision, responsibility, and hope.
Written by Muhammad Adil (the International College, UCAS)
Photos provided by Zhang Haoyao and Zhang Xuechen (the Sino-Danish College, UCAS)
Reviewed by Gao Yuan and Yu Hua (the Department of Foreign Languages, UCAS)
Editor: GAO Yuan
