The ShanghAI Lectures on embodied intelligence are broadcast by videoconference from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China to universities across the planet, complemented by 3-dimensional collaborative virtual environments and other community-building activities to promote interaction and cooperation among the participants.

The ShanghAI Lectures project is designed to contribute to the fundamental goal of making education and knowledge on cutting-edge scientific topics accessible to everyone on the planet. On the basis of state-of-the-art technology and novel methods of knowledge transfer and community building, it attempts to overcome the complexity of a multi-cultural and interdisciplinary learning context and bring global teaching to a new level.

We believe that global teaching can be a fantastic tool to create an intercultural discourse – to bring people from different backgrounds together, who would not otherwise share common activities.

The ShanghAI Lectures are about embodied intelligence because humans – from the very beginning of their history – have always been fascinated by the topic and it is highly valued by our society. Embodiment has implications not only for science and technology – robotics, artificial intelligence, behavioral and neuroscience – but also for society at large. It will also change the way we view ourselves and the world around us.

Please find a television coverage that aired on 16 November 2008 on the initiating Artificial Intelligence Lab and Rolf Pfeifer here.

Download the latest flyer with information on the project (print it out double-sided and fold) or read more about concepts, goals and vision.