Dr. Jiaguo Qi
Michigan State University
Dr. Jiaguo Qi is a Professor at Michigan State University and Director of the Asia Hub at MSU, where he leads interdisciplinary research on sustainable agroecosystems and water-energy-food nexus issues. He previously served as Director of the Center for Global Change and Earth Observations (CGCEO) at MSU, advancing the integration of remote sensing, geospatial science, land use and land cover change, and environmental monitoring.
Dr. Qi’s research focuses on remote sensing, long-term ecological observations, and the application of geospatial technologies to understand and manage agroecosystems, particularly in tropical regions. He has contributed extensively to the development of data-driven approaches for addressing challenges in water-energy-food (WEF) security, climate resilience, and land-use change.
At the international level, Dr. Qi serves as Chair of the Science Steering Committee of the Future Earth Nexus Knowledge-Action Network (NEXUS KAN), a core component of Future Earth’s Global Research Networks, where he promotes interdisciplinary solutions across WEF systems. Through the FARI initiative, he is advancing next-generation agro-geoinformatics frameworks to support sustainable agricultural futures with the Asia Hub partners.
Dr. Bedir Tekinerdogan
Wageningen University & Research
Professor Bedir Tekinerdogan is a computer scientist with over 30 years of experience in software engineering, systems engineering, and information technology. He earned his MSc and PhD degrees in Computer Science from the University of Twente, the Netherlands. He is currently a full professor and chair of the Information Technology Group at Wageningen University & Research.
Professor Tekinerdogan is recognized among the Stanford/Elsevier World’s Top 2% Scientists, appearing in both the career-long and annual rankings. He has authored over 500 scientific publications and edited 15 academic books. As a principal researcher and lead architect, he has contributed to numerous large-scale industrial and research projects in domains including consumer electronics, automotive systems, critical infrastructures, cyber-physical and defense systems, precision agriculture, and energy systems.
His work bridges theory and practice, with a strong focus on software and systems architecture, product line engineering, model-based systems engineering, data science, and AI-enabled systems. His recent research also addresses the bidirectional relationship between AI and software/systems engineering: on the one hand, AI for software and systems engineering, including the use of AI to support requirements analysis, architecture design, modeling, testing, and maintenance; and on the other hand, software and systems engineering for AI, including the systematic design, integration, governance, and lifecycle management of reliable, explainable, and trustworthy AI-enabled systems.