Xiangshi Ren Editor

Xiangshi Ren is a lifetime tenured professor in the School of Informatics and was the founding director (2012-2024) of the Center for Human-Engaged Computing (CHEC) at Kochi University of Technology, Japan. He is a member of the Engineering Academy of Japan (EAJ) and a fellow of the Information Processing Society of Japan (IPSJ). He is also a senior member of both ACM and IEEE. He is the founding president and honorary lifetime president of the International Chinese Association of Computer Human Interaction (ICACHI) and was named an Asian Human-Computer Interaction Hero at ACM CHI 2015.

With over 30 years of experience in fundamental studies in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Prof. Ren is internationally recognized as a representative scholar in the field. In recent years, he and his colleagues have established Human-Engaged Computing (HEC), a new conceptual framework for rethinking the relationship between humans and computers. He has published over 300 research papers, with major findings appearing in top-tier journals and A+/A-ranked international conferences. He has received multiple prestigious paper awards, including the ACM CHI 2017 Best Paper Award, ACM CHI 2019 Honourable Mention Award , IEEE SmartComp 2017 Best Community Paper Award, and ACM ISS 2016 Best Paper Award. He has mentored numerous Ph.D. students and postdoctoral researchers from diverse international backgrounds, who are now active in HCI research and education across various continents. His Chinese book "Human-Engaged Computing" was published by Tsinghua University Press.

Dr. Chen Wang earned his Ph.D. in Human-Computer Interaction from Kochi University of Technology in Japan, under the supervision of Professor Xiangshi Ren. His primary research interests lie in Human-Engaged Computing (HEC) and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). Over the past decade, Dr. Wang has deepened his expertise in HEC through an extensive portfolio of HEC-related publications, book authorship, and the organization of International Workshops on HEC. These academic activities, together with his entrepreneurial experience, have allowed him to continually refine his understanding of Human-Engaged Computing.

Dr. Wang currently serves as both a Board Member of the International Chinese Association of Computer Human Interaction (ICACHI) and the Chair of its Youth Committee. Presently, he collaborates closely with Professor Xiangshi Ren to map the broadly integrative theoretical framework of Human-Engaged Computing onto a prospective next-generation operating system-level user interface architecture. Their work explores how technology can create universally adaptive environments that enhance the human capacities and unlock the full potential of individuals. By experimenting with responses to escalating micro- and macro-level social conflicts, they strive to provide a fresh perspective on the development of digital technologies and their impact on human society.