Prof. Li Yuzhe was invited by Kyoto University to serve as an external dissertation examiner and to deliver a special lecture. On January 22, 2026, Prof. Li attended the final review and oral defense as a member of the external examination committee. The following day, she gave a special lecture titled “Vocabulary Learning in the Age of Generative AI” to Kyoto University faculty members and students. The visit was supported by the Sumitomo Foundation and also received publicity support from two leading Japanese academic publishers, Bonjinsha and Hituzi Syobo.
In the lecture, Prof. Li presented research based on social media data from 2023 to 2025, examining how vocabulary learning practices have changed following the wider adoption of generative AI, and how learners’ attitudes and emotions have shifted over time. The events were organized by Language Sciences within Kyoto University’s Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies. The unit is widely recognized in Japan’s applied linguistics and language education community for integrating theory building, data-driven analysis, and educational practice, and for advancing research on second language acquisition mechanisms, assessment design, and AI-informed pedagogical interventions.
Through this academic exchange, Prof. Li also held discussions with Prof. Yosuke Sasao, one of the leading faculty members in Kyoto University’s Language Sciences unit, on possible directions for future collaboration between the University of Macau and Kyoto University. Proposed areas included joint longitudinal research, instructional design and effectiveness evaluation for integrating generative AI into language classrooms, and expanded exchange opportunities for graduate students and early-career researchers.
