Speaker：Professor Raja Sooriamurthi, Carnegie Mellon University

Time：Thursday, August 7, 2025   5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Venue：D1-b110, GZIC

Tencent Zoom: 204-273-456

Abstract

This lecture will focus on the path from puzzle-solving to pattern recognition, and deeply explore the interplay between critical thinking, heuristic reasoning, and artificial intelligence.

Professor Raja Sooriamurthi will further introduce “Puzzle-based Learning” into the AI education framework, emphasizing that students’ understanding and modeling capabilities of complex systems can be motivated by solving abstract puzzles. This approach not only helps to cultivate logical analysis and creative thinking, but also provides new perspectives for problem modeling and solution in AI system design. Then he will further introduce case-based reasoning—an AI model simulating human learning processes. By reviewing and analyzing past cases, AI can make human-like decisions and judgments in new situations, gradually building more adaptive cognitive mechanisms. Furthermore, the lecture will also explore how to integrate heuristic thinking with machine learning techniques to create more humanized and flexible AI systems.

Biography

Professor Raja Sooriamurthi is the Teaching Professor of Information Systems Program and the Program Director of Decision Analytics and Systems minor at Carnegie Mellon University. He has been dedicated to interdisciplinary research integrating artificial intelligence and cognitive science with an emphasis on case-based reasoning, knowledge management, distributed reasoning and machine learning.

Professor Raja Sooriamurthi is the active practitioner for the “Puzzle-based Learning” teaching philosophy, whose courses focus on domain independent transferable skills of critical thinking and abstract reasoning. His interdisciplinary courses such as “Puzzles, Games, and Problem Solving” are highly favored by Carnegie Mellon University students.  

In teaching, he has received numerous awards, including Instructional Innovation Award from Decision Sciences Institute (DSI), Elliott Dunlap Smith Award for Distinguished Teaching and Educational Service from Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University, Martcia Wade Teaching Award from Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University, and multiple teaching service awards from Indiana University. Additionally, he has been invited to deliver keynote speeches at numerous international conferences, covering topics ranging from problem-oriented teaching practices, object-oriented thinking patterns, to cutting-edge research in advanced programming languages and software development methodologies. He has long been involved in the review and session organization of major international AI conferences, including ICCBR, FLAIRS, and ECCBR, and has previously served as President of the Alpha Iota Delta International Honor Society.