Lecture 1: How to Discover and Formulate a Valuable Research Topic
Time: May 28, 2026 (Thursday), 09:00–10:00
Venue: Maritime South Building, Room 1121
Speaker: Chen Kang
Speaker Biography:
Chen Kang is a Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the School of Maritime Economics and Management, Dalian Maritime University. He holds a Ph.D. in Transportation Planning and Management. He previously worked at China Shipping (Group) Company and has been teaching at Dalian Maritime University since 2012. He has long been engaged in research on the operational management and intelligent decision-making of port and shipping logistics systems. His research interests cover container transport system optimization, shipping network design, port collection and distribution systems, multimodal transport, green shipping, supply chain resilience, and corridor risk governance.
Abstract:
This report will draw on the speaker's recent research practices in port and shipping logistics system operations management, international container transport corridor risks, green shipping, energy transport, hub port network design, and decision-making consultation, with a focus on "how to discover and formulate a valuable research topic." Using recently published and ongoing papers as examples, the report will introduce how the team abstracts research topics from real-world problems, policy demands, industry changes, and academic gaps. Topics include optimization of foreign-trade container liner networks under corridor risks and transport time uncertainty, evolution of green fuel bunkering hubs on the Asia–Europe route, robust optimization of LNG energy transport, and hub port location and feeder network design.
Lecture 2: Approaches to Writing Academic Papers in Shipping Management and Case Studies
Time: May 28, 2026 (Thursday), 09:00–11:00
Venue: Maritime South Building, Room 1211
Speaker: Xin Xu
Speaker Biography:
Xin Xu is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Logistics and Maritime Studies at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (working under Prof. Shuaian Wang and Prof. Anthony Pang). He holds a Ph.D. from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and a Ph.D. in Management from Tongji University. He has long been engaged in research on maritime logistics system optimization, shipping management, and port management.
Abstract:
Many researchers hold a misconception that logic is part of mathematics and has nothing to do with academic writing, and that academic papers only need to ensure the final conclusions are correct. However, logical confusion or even logical errors in academic papers can severely affect reviewers' reading experience and final evaluations, and thus must be taken seriously. Through numerous examples, this report will illustrate several common types of logical problems in academic writing and will share the topic selection and writing processes behind some of the high-quality papers published by the speaker in recent years. The goal is to provide inspiration to the audience and help improve the logical rigor in academic paper writing.