On the afternoon of May 28, 2026, the College of Economic and Social Development (CESD) invited Dr. Zhou Yufrom Nankai University’s School of Artificial Intelligence to deliver a special lecture titled “AI-Enhanced Research: Becoming an Intelligent Multiplier of Research Capability.” The event was chaired by Professor Liu Weilin, Vice Dean of CESD, and attended by all doctoral and master’s supervisors, full-time faculty members, and administrative staff of the College.
Dr. Zhou began by examining several pressing challenges facing contemporary academic research, including the explosive growth of scholarly literature, the substantial time required for reading and synthesis, and the inefficiencies associated with data visualization. He argued that artificial intelligence is evolving from a simple tool, to an assistant, and now toward a collaborative partner capable of autonomous planning, making the present moment an ideal time for researchers to establish a competitive advantage through AI adoption.
Dr. Zhou then provided an in-depth overview of the practical applications of leading large language models and AI platforms both in China and internationally. He demonstrated their capabilities in rapidly understanding the logic and structure of entire research papers, automating data organization and visualization, and supporting a wide range of research activities.
The lecture also introduced an ecosystem of AI-powered research productivity tools, including applications for:
Literature discovery and navigation;
Intelligent reading and summarization;
Long-document processing and analysis;
AI-assisted presentation design and slide generation.
In addition, Dr. Zhou conducted a live demonstration showing how researchers can use Agent and Workflow platforms to build customized research pipelines without coding, enabling the automation of complex research tasks and workflows.
During the discussion session, faculty members engaged in lively exchanges on topics such as establishing academic compliance mechanisms that combine AI-generated content with human oversight, effectively utilizing AI assistants such as Copilot, and deploying large language models in secure local or private environments for research purposes.
The workshop provided faculty members with valuable insights into the latest developments in artificial intelligence and its applications in academic research, while fostering discussions on the responsible and effective integration of AI into scholarly work.
