31 MAR 2026 (TUE) 10:00-11:30
- 7 hours ago
- 2 min read
Geography Distinguished Seminars Series
Exploring Geographic Modeling and Simulation in the Age of Intelligence
Date: 31 MAR 2026 (Tuesday)
Time: 10:00-11:30 (HKT)
Venue: CLL, Department of Geography, 10/F, The Jockey Club Tower, Centennial Campus, HKU
Language: Putonghua
Mode: Hybrid
Via Zoom: Zoom link will be provided upon successful registration
Registration link: TBC
Abstract:
Artificial intelligence has driven a paradigm shift in geographic science from traditional physics-based approaches toward data-driven and hybrid modeling paradigms. However, the prevailing trend of treating AI as a substitute for process-based models risks neglecting the mechanistic knowledge and modeling expertise that have long supported geographic research. This necessitates building a synergistic and mutually beneficial pathway where AI acts as an accelerator for geographic modeling, while the inherent complexity and physical constraints of geographic systems drive AI development beyond high-dimensional fitting toward physical understanding. This presentation systematically reviews the geographic modeling and simulation methodological framework under the big science context, examines resource sharing and integrated simulation strategies within the "Open Geographic Modeling and Simulation" paradigm, proposes a knowledge-data dual-driven intelligent geographic modeling framework, and demonstrates the construction and application practices of the Yangtze River Delta geographic simulator supported by this framework.
Professor Min Chen
Dean of School of Geography, and the Director of Key Lab of Virtual Geographic Environment (Ministry of Education of PRC), Nanjing Normal University
Dr. Min Chen is the Dean of School of Geography, and the Director of Key Lab of Virtual Geographic Environment (Ministry of Education of PRC), Nanjing Normal University, China. His research interests are geographic modeling and simulation, virtual geographic environment (VGEs).
He was elected as a Foreign Academician of Academia Europaea in 2025. He is a Fellow of Association of American Geographers (AAG), a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), a Fellow of International Environmental Modelling and Software Society (iEMSs), a Fellow of Modelling and Simulation Society of Australia and New Zealand (MSSANZ), and a Fellow of Asia-Pacific Artificial Intelligence Association (AAIA).
He now also serves as the Past President and Chair of BOD of the International Association of Chinese Professionals in Geographic Information Science (CPGIS), Vice-President of International Environmental Modelling and Software Society (iEMSs)，Chair of Modeling Geographic System Committee of International Geographical Union (IGU), Council member / Chair of Young Scientist Innovation Network of International Society for Digital Earth (ISDE), Chair of Young Scientist Working Group in Asian Geographic Associate (AGA), Chair of National VGE committee of ISDE, Deputy secretary general of Geographical Society of China.
He is a co-editor in Chief of Environmental Modelling & Software, executive editor of Annals of GIS, co-editor in Chief of Information Geography. During recent years, Dr. Chen has published 200+ journal papers (among these nearly 40 papers with their IF>10), including these in top journals such as Science, Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, Nature Climate Change, and PNAS.
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