Special Session 1: AI + Syntegrative Education: co-Creating Solutions with Industry through Project-Based Learning
专题分会1：人工智能+融合教育：通过项目式学习与行业共同创造解决方案
This special session showcases Syntegrative Education projects from Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University Entrepreneur College (Taicang), highlighting a distinctive higher education practice that integrates academic learning with real-world industry challenges. Syntegrative Education projects start from real strategic problems raised by industry partners and are developed by student teams under dual mentorship (academic supervisors providing methods/structure; industry mentors providing contextual feedback and constraints). Through posters and presentations, the session will present a diverse portfolio of projects that leverage AI and data-driven approaches to deliver actionable, industry-relevant solutions.
Submission System: https://www.zmeeting.org/submission/icaie2026
Special Session Organizers
Assoc. Prof. Lin Xiong
Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, China
Email: lin.xiong@xjtlu.edu.cn
Research Areas: small businesses, disadvantaged entrepreneurship, innovation and corporate finance
Dr Lin Xiong is an Associate Professor at the School of Intelligent Finance and Business, XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang). She has published in various academic journals such as Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, European Management Review, Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, European Journal of Finance, and International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research. Her research was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), National Science Foundation of China (NSFC), Royal Society of Edinburgh and Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland. She is committed to applying and advancing the Syntegrative Education model in teaching and industry-engaged learning, with a focus on translating academic methods into real-world impact. Dr Xiong is a subject specialist for the Chartered Institution of Management Accountants professional qualification.
Asst. Prof. Yuan Virtanen
Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, China
Email: Yuan.Virtanen@xjtlu.edu.cn
Research Areas: sustainable supply chain, circular economy, supply chain intermediaries and manufacturing location decisions
Dr Yuan Virtanen is Assistant Professor and Program Director for BSc Intelligent Supply Chain at the School of Intelligent Finance and Business, XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang). Yuan holds a Doctor of Science degree in Economics and Business Administration from Aalto University School of Business (AACSB, AMBA, and EQUIS accredited), Finland. Yuan’s research is in the field of supply chain management. Her main focus areas include sustainable supply chain, circular economy, and manufacturing location decisions. Her work has been published in leading international academic journals such as the British Journal of Management and the International Journal of Production Research.