Prof. Xian XU

Dr. Xian Xu is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Digital Arts and Creative Industries, Lingnan University, Hong Kong. She is also an associate in Cambridge Digital Humanities at the University of Cambridge. Before joining Lingnan University, she was a Research Assistant Professor jointly appointed in the Division of Arts and Machine Creativity and the Division of Emerging Interdisciplinary Area at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST).

Her research and creative practice span arts and technology, data-driven storytelling, human-computer collaboration, and immersive learning in the Metaverse. Dr. Xu has published dozens of papers in top-tier venues such as ACM CHI, ACM SIGGRAPH, ACM Multimedia, IEEE VIS, and IEEE VR. Her artistic works have been showcased at ACM SIGGRAPH, the ICRA Art Program, and the Asia Digital Art Festival. Her VR-based educational project and paper received a Best Paper Honorable Mention Award at IEEE VR 2025.

Dr. Xu earned her Ph.D. in Computational Media and Arts from HKUST VisLab, where she was recognized as an Outstanding Ph.D. Graduate. She also holds an MFA in Drama Studies (Film and TV) and a BA in Directing (Film and TV Producing) from the Central Academy of Drama, where she ranked first in her cohort for seven consecutive years and was awarded multiple National Scholarships. She completed research visits at both the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge.

Dr. Xu is also deeply engaged in the global academic and creative community. She has served as Associate Chair for major international conferences such as ACM CHI and ACM CSCW, and co-chaired the inaugural HKUST AI Film Festival, which attracted over 700 submissions from 82 countries and was featured in over 300 international media outlets. She also designed and launched innovative Art-Tech courses at HKUST, with student exhibitions held in the Shaw Auditorium at HKUST, receiving strong praise and wide media coverage. Her interviews have been broadcast by Cable TV Hong Kong, RTHK, and other major outlets.

Beyond academia, Dr. Xu is an accomplished creative writer. She is a million RMB screenplay awardee. Her co-written TV drama Our Glamorous Time, with a production budget exceeding 400 million RMB, premiered on Dragon TV and Zhejiang TV, achieving top national ratings. She is also the author of a best-selling nonfiction book on creative storytelling, with over one million copies sold.

For more information, please visit: https://xxuxian.github.io/

Arts Tech, Human AI for Creativity, Data Visualization, Human-Computer Interaction, Arts Education in VR and the Metaverse, AI Film

• 2025 Best Paper Award Honorable Mention (IEEE VR 2025 The 32nd IEEE International Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces
• 2023 Creative Arts Administration and Leadership Talent Training Program for the Greater Bay Area (China National Arts Fund)
• 2023 HKUST Overseas Research Award
• 2013-2020 National Scholarship (Ministry of Education of PRC Fund)

Journal Articles (all peer reviewed)

• 2025 Zheng Wei, Jia Sun, Junxiang Liao, Lik-hang Lee, Chan In SIO, Pan Hui, Huamin Qu, Wai Tong*, and Xian Xu*. “Illuminating the Scene: How Virtual Environments and Learning Modes Shape Film Lighting Mastery in Virtual Reality”. IEEE VR’25 & TVCG, Oral.  (Best Paper Award Honorable Mention)
• 2025 Zheng Wei, Huamin Qu, and Xian Xu*. “At the Peak: Empirical Patterns for Creating Climaxes in Data Videos”. IEEE TVCG’25, Oral.
• 2024 Zheng Wei, Huamin Qu, and Xian Xu*. “Telling Data Stories with the Hero's Journey: Design Guidance for Creating Data Videos”. IEEE VIS’24 & TVCG, Oral.
• 2025 Xian Xu, Wai Tong, Zheng Wei, Meng Xia, Lik-Hang Lee, and Huamin Qu. “Transforming Cinematography Lighting Education in the Metaverse.” Visual Informatics 2025.
• 2025 Zheng Wei, Lik-hang Lee, Wai Tong, Xian Xu*, Chaozhe Zhang, Huamin Qu, and Pan Hui*. “I Can’t Even Recall What I Bought: How Design Influences Impulsive Buying in Douyin Live Sales.” IJHCI 2025.
• 2025 Baoyang Chen, Xian Xu*, and Huamin Qu. “Multi Layered Autonomy and AI Ecologies in Robotic Art Installations.” ACM SIGGRAPH’25 Art Papers, Oral.
• 2021 Leni Yang, Xian Xu, Xingyu Lan, Ziyan Liu, Shunan Guo, Yang Shi, Huamin Qu, and Nan Cao. “A Design Space for Applying the Freytag’s Pyramid Structure to Data Stories”. IEEE VIS’21 & TVCG, Oral.

Conference Articles (all peer reviewed)

• 2026 Zheng Wei, Yunqi Li, Yucheng He, Yuelu Li, Xian Xu, Huamin Qu, Pan Hui, and Muzhi Zhou. “Unpacking Discourses on Childbirth and Parenthood in Popular Social Media Platforms Across China, Japan, and South Korea”. ICWSM’26, Oral.
• 2025 Runhua Zhang, Yang Ouyang, Leixian Shen, Yuying Tang, Xiaojuan Ma, Huamin Qu, and Xian Xu*. “PaperBridge: Crafting Research Narratives through Human-AI Co-Exploration”. ACM UIST’25, Oral.
• 2025 Zheng Wei, Jia Sun, Junxiang Liao, Lik-Hang Lee, Pan Hui, Huamin Qu, Wai Tong*, and Xian Xu*. “Exploring Gaze Dynamics in VR Film Education: Gender, Avatar, and the Shift Between Male and Female Perspectives”. ISMAR’25, Oral.
• 2025 Zeyu Yang, Zheng Wei, Yang Zhang, Xian Xu, Changyang He, Muzhi Zhou, and Pan Hui. “EchoAid: Enhancing Livestream Shopping Accessibility for the DHH Community.” ACM CSCW’25, Oral.
• 2025 Kentaro Takahira, Wong Kam-Kwai, Leni Yang, Xian Xu, Takanori Fujiwara, and Huamin Qu. “TangibleNet: Synchronous Network Data Storytelling through Tangible Interactions in Augmented Reality.” ACM CHI’25, Oral.
• 2025 Junxiang Liao, Zheng Wei, Zeyu Yang, Xian Xu*, Pan Hui, Changyang He, and Muzhi Zhou. “‘Even When Success Seems Impossible, I Keep Streaming’: How Do Chinese Elderly Streamers Interact with Platform Algorithmic (In)visibility.” ACM CHI’25, Oral.
• 2025 Baoyang Chen, Xian Xu*, and Huamin Qu. “Symbiosis of Agents: A Robotic Tapestry of Agency, Ethics, and Interstellar Dreams.” ICRA’25, Oral.
• 2025 Baoyang Chen, Xian Xu, and Huamin Qu. “Open Horizons, Colliding Bodies: Adaptive Lure Agents in a Glass Maze.” ACM SIGGRAPH ASIA’25 Art Papers, Oral.
• 2025 Baoyang Chen, Xian Xu, and Huamin Qu. “Airy Lift, Competitive Pulse, Veiled Machine Will.” ACM SIGGRAPH ASIA’25 Art Papers, Oral.
• 2025 Zheng Wei, Xian Xu, Yuqing Liu, Grace Han, and Anyi Rao. “Generative Models for Visual Content Editing and Creation”. ACM SIGGRAPH ASIA’25 Courses.
• 2025 Zheng Wei, Hongtao Wu, Lvmin Zhang, Xian Xu, Yefeng Zheng, Pan Hui, Maneesh Agrawala, Huamin Qu, and Anyi Rao. “CineVision: An Interactive Pre-visualization Storyboard System for Director–Cinematographer Collaboration”. ACM UIST’25, Oral.
• 2024 Zheng Wei, Yuzheng Chen, Wai Tong, Xuan Zong, Huamin Qu, Xian Xu*, and Lik-hang Lee*. “Hearing the Moment with MetaEcho! From Physical to Virtual in Synchronized Sound Recording”. ACM Multimedia’24.
• 2024 Zheng Wei, Xian Xu, and Pan Hui. “Digital Democracy at Crossroads: A Meta-Analysis of Web and AI Influence on Global Elections.” ACM WWW’24, Oral.
• 2024 Zheng Wei, Shan Jin, Wai Tong, David Kei Man Yip, Pan Hui, and Xian Xu*. “Multi-Role VR Training System for Film Production: Enhancing Collaboration with MetaCrew.” ACM SIGGRAPH’24 Posters.
• 2023 Zheng Wei, Xian Xu, Lik-Hang Lee, Wai Tong, Huamin Qu, and Pan Hui. “Feeling Present! From Physical to Virtual Cinematography Lighting Education with Metashadow.” ACM Multimedia’23, Oral.
• 2023 Leni Yang, Aoyu Wu, Wai Tong, Xian Xu, Zheng Wei, and Huamin Qu. “Understanding 3D Data Videos: From Screens to Virtual Reality.” IEEE PacificVis’23, Oral.
• 2023 Xian Xu, Aoyu Wu, Leni Yang, Zheng Wei, Rong Huang, David Yip, and Huamin Qu. “Is It the End? Guidelines for Cinematic Endings in Data Videos”. ACM CHI’23, Oral.
• 2023 Xian Xu, Wai Tong, Zheng Wei, Meng Xia, Lik-Hang Lee, and Huamin Qu. “Cinematography in the Metaverse: Exploring the Lighting Education on a Soundstage.” IEEE VR’23 Posters.
• 2023 Xian Xu, David Yip, and Huamin Qu. “The Golden Ratio in Narrative Structure: Visualizing the Rising-Climax in Data Videos.” IEEE VIS’23 Posters.
• 2022 Xian Xu, Leni Yang, David Yip, Mingming Fan, Zheng Wei, and Huamin Qu. “From ‘Wow’ to ‘Why’: Guidelines for Creating the Opening of a Data Video with Cinematic Styles”. ACM CHI’22, Oral.

Professional Activities

• Leading Organizer, ACM SIGGRAPH Asia 2025 Courses.
• Leading Organizer, 1st HKUST AI Film Festival 2025.
• Leading Organizer, ChinaVis 2024 Workshop on Data Storytelling and Creative Practices in Art Visualization; Committee Member, China Society of Image and Graphics (CSIG).
• Associate Chair, ACM CHI and ACM CSCW. Regular reviewer for ACM CHI, ACM CSCW, IEEE TVCG, ISMAR, EuroVis, and PacificVis.
• Invited speaker on Data Storytelling and Art-Tech at Phoenix Television, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), Texas A&M University (TAMU), Tsinghua University, Zhejiang University, Tongji University, ShanghaiTech University, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Central Academy of Drama, HKUST (Guangzhou), Fudan University, Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU), Singapore Management University (SMU), and others.
• Screenwriter, Our Glamorous Time — a television series that achieved the highest national ratings on Dragon TV and Zhejiang TV.
• Bestselling author of *I Like Myself So Independent*; conducted book-sharing events in dozens of cities across China.

Postgraduate Courses

• Independent Study on Data Storytelling and Narrative Visualization

Undergraduate Courses

• Introduction to Digital Media
• Introduction to Arts and Technology

Professional Service / Jury & Adjudication

• 2014. Judge. 2014 Asian Television Awards. Singapore.
• 2013. Assessor. Arts Development Award. Film and Media Arts Category. Hong Kong Arts Development Council, Hong Kong SAR Government.
• 2011. Adjudicator. Local Competition Section. Fresh Wave 2011. Hong Kong Arts Development Council, Hong Kong SAR Government, Dec. 2011.
• 2009–2010. Assessor. Arts Development Award. Arts Criticism Category. Hong Kong Arts Development Council, Hong Kong SAR Government.
• 2008. Juror. The 44th Golden Horse Film Awards Competition, Taipei.
• 2004. Juror. The 41st Golden Horse Film Awards Competition, Taipei.
• 2003. Juror. The 9th Hong Kong Independent Short Film and Video Awards, Hong Kong, Dec.