Organized by the School of Business (“MSB”) of the Macau University of Science and Technology (“MUST”), the “AI Empowers Supply Chain Intelligence” management forum was successfully held at N101 Hall of MUST on 16 March 2026. Being a part of MUST’s 26th anniversary celebrations, the forum invited Chair Professor Zuo-Jun Max Shen to be the distinguished speaker to jointly explore how the deep integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and operations research (OR) technologies can drive the development of smart supply chains. Chair Professor Zuo-Jun Max Shen is the International Member of The Chinese Academy of Engineering; Senior Advisor to the President, Dean of Graduate School, Chair Professor of Data and Systems Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering and the Chair Professor in the Faculty of Business and Economics of University of Hong Kong.
Group photo of the participants
Distinguished guests participating the forum included: Chair Professor Paul Kwong Hang Tam and Professor Pang Chuan, Vice Presidents of MUST; Professor Sheng Ni, Dean of MSB; Chair Professor Felix Tung Sun Chan, Vice Dean of MSB; Professor Tang Huajun, Professor Zhang Jinghua and Associate Professor Zhao Honghao, Assistant Deans of MSB; and over 200 faculty and students from various colleges of the University.
Professor Pang Chuan, Vice Presidents of MUST, delivered welcome address and presented souvenir to Chair Professor Zuo-Jun Max Shen in gratitude for his cutting-edge academic sharing with faculty and students. He stated that in the digital economy era, innovation is the core driving force for national competitiveness and social progress. Technologies such as artificial intelligence are profoundly reshaping various industries. As a multi-disciplinary university with the highest student enrollment in Macau, MUST has always been committed to staying at the forefront of academia and continuously promoting interdisciplinary innovative research and talent cultivation, including smart supply chains.
Welcome address by Professor Pang Chuan, Vice Presidents of MUST
Vice President Pang (right), presented souvenir to the distinguished speaker of the forum, Chair Professor Zuo-Jun Max Shen (left)
Chair Professor Zuo-Jun Max Shen presented on the theme “AI Empowers Supply Chain Intelligence”, sharing his cutting-edge research and insights. He explained that in the era of the digital economy, supply chain management faces ever-growing complexity, and traditional decision-making frameworks are no longer equipped to meet the demand for real-time responsiveness. The conference focused on the deep convergence of AI and OR, leveraging AI-driven decision science to deliver efficient, intelligent decision support systems tailored to today’s intricate business landscape. Drawing on the practical experience in large-scale e-commerce supply chains, he demonstrated how to apply AI to reshape decision processes, enhance forecasting accuracy, and reduce modeling costs, as well as synergistically impact various aspects of the supply chain. This effectively addresses the persistent challenges faced by traditional supply chains, such as high complexity, resource constraints, and decision-making inefficiency, thereby offering significant theoretical insights and practical references for the future development of smart supply chains.
Chair Professor Zuo-Jun Max Shen shared his insights on the topic with the participants
During the subsequent interactive session, faculty and students actively asked questions and livened up the forum. Participants enthusiastically inquired about cutting-edge developments, technical challenges, and practical applications related to smart supply chains. Professor Shen responded in details and gave attendees a more comprehensive understanding of the topic.
Participants actively asked questions during the Q&A session
MUST MSB is committed to building a high-level platform for cross-regional academic exchange and actively promoting collaboration with universities and industries in the Greater Bay Area. This forum not only provides faculty and students with a valuable opportunity for face-to-face communication with top international scholars, but also continues to strive for the cultivation of business management talent with an international perspective.
(Contributed and reviewed by Professor Tang Huajun, format reviewed by Helen Kam)
