Prof. LI Yupeng

Assistant Professor
Department of Interactive Media

Prof. Li Yupeng is a rising star on the international academic stage, recognised for his influential interdisciplinary research in communication, artificial intelligence (AI), and networking. His growing reputation is supported by a proven track record of academic leadership, international recognition, and securing research grants.

As a visionary interdisciplinary scholar, Prof. Li pioneers cutting-edge research in trustworthy social computing and threat-resilient AI. He addressed two critical challenges in building safe, reliable, and human-centered AI systems for social media, networked environments, and digital communication. First, he harmonises AI with social behaviors to foster trustworthiness of digital platforms through human-AI collaboration. Second, he develops machine learning technologies resistant to varied security threats, misinformation, and systemic uncertainties.

Prof. Li’s research bridges AI with human-social dynamics enhances societal well-being, improving the societal trustworthiness of digital platforms and positively impacting communities. Furthermore, his studies in threat-resilient learning provide critical theoretical frameworks for developing robust AI systems capable of resisting adversarial attacks, data manipulation, and environmental uncertainties. These breakthroughs not only advance secure human-AI collaboration but also ensure algorithmic reliability across sensitive applications, from social media to networked systems, laying the groundwork for trustworthy, future-ready technologies.

Prof. Li’s contributions have received recognition through publications in top-tier journals and conferences, including four outstanding paper awards and the Shanghai Open-Source Innovation Outstanding Achievement Award. His academic excellence in social computing was further acknowledged with the Rising Star in Social Computing award from the Chinese Association for Artificial Intelligence. His research impact is further evidenced by his selection as a Microsoft Research Asia StarTrack Scholar, an honor reserved for outstanding young researchers globally.

Prof. Li actively shapes the academic landscape through leadership roles in conferences and editorial contributions to interdisciplinary research. He served as General Co-Chair of the International Workshop on Social and Metaverse Computing, Sensing and Networking (SocialMeta 2024) and Co-Chair of the Technical Programme Committee for the Industry Experiences and Interdisciplinary Studies research track at the IEEE ICDCS 2024 conference. He has actively contributed to editorial boards and technical committees for leading journals and conferences. Within HKBU, Prof. Li has actively promoted interdisciplinary initiatives, including the "COMM x SCI - AI for Social Good” Seminar, fostering dialogue on AI-driven solutions for societal challenges.

Since joining HKBU, Prof. Li has secured competitive funding as a Principal Investigator for a variety of projects, including grants from the Research Grants Council (RGC), National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), and the Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province (GDSTC). His collaborative initiatives include the research supported by Guangdong-Hong Kong Universities “1+1+1” Cross-Campus Research Collaboration Scheme.

Prof. Li foresees a future digital landscape founded on trust, where AI and human communities co-evolve harmoniously, catalysing advancements that yield broad benefits for all. His remarkable accomplishments have unmistakably demonstrated a ground-breaking progress made by him as an early career scholar. In recognition of his dedication, visionary scholarship, innovative research, and global academic engagement, Prof. Li is a truly deserving recipient of the President's Award for Outstanding Performance as Early Career Researcher.