Biography
Positions
Education
Current University Committees & Engagement
- 2026.5-2026-6: Member, Search Committee, Canada Impact+ Canada Research Chairs, Nipissing University, Canada
- 2008-: Coordinator, Computer Science, Nipissing University, Canada.
- 2023-2026: Member, Senate, Nipissing University, Canada.
- 2023-2026: Member, Senate Research Committee, Nipissing University, Canada.
Languages spoken
- Chinese
Teaching Areas
Undergraduate Programs
- Computer Science
Graduate Studies
- Mathematics, MSc
- PhD in Education (Educational Sustainability)
Graduate Supervision
School year
- 2026/27
- 2027/28
- 2028/29
Guidelines or Expectations for Prospective Students
Student Expectations
CoSys Lab is looking for motivated, curious, and independent students with strong academic skills, an interest in research and problem-solving, and a willingness to explore new ideas and technologies. Students may have experience in areas such as artificial intelligence, multi-agent systems, optimization, software engineering, distributed systems, or complex systems, though prior experience is not required.
Successful students are expected to demonstrate professionalism, integrity, initiative, strong communication skills, and a commitment to meeting deadlines. Research students will develop their ability to conduct independent research, analyze results, program and develop technical solutions, communicate their findings, and contribute positively to collaborative projects.
Learn more about the academic qualifications, research interests, expectations, and skills required by viewing the PDF.
Supervised Theses / Projects
- Ke Gong, E-CARGO APPLICATION: POLICY MAKING
- AND PRESCRIPTION, MSc in Mathematics, Nipissing University, 2026.
- Tianshuo Yang, E-CARGO APPLICATIONS: SCHEDULING AND MANAGEMENT, MSc in Mathematics, Nipissing University, 2025.
- Chengyu Peng, Optimal Data Allocation Method Considering Privacy Enhancement using E-CARG, MSc in Computational Sciences, Laurentian University, 2023.
- Zhe (Kevin) Yu, A New Approach to Examination Scheduling with Allowable Constraints for
- Post-secondary Institutions using GRA+, MSc in Computational Sciences, Laurentian University, 2020.
- Pinzhi Wang, Improving Group Role Assignment Problem By Incremental Assignment Algorithm, MSc in Computational Sciences, Laurentian University, 2019.
- Bo Lei, Using Group Role Assignment to
- Solve Dynamic Vehicle Routing Problem, MSc in Computational Sciences, Laurentian University, 2018.
Current Courses
- COSC1367: Introduction to Problem Solving with Generative AI (New Course!)
- COSC1557: Introduction to Computing
- COSC1567: C++ Programming
- COSC2667: Operating System
- COSC2767: Object-Oriented Programming
- COSC3657: Distributed Systems
- COSC4406: Software Engineering
Research
Research Interests
- E-CARGO, Role-Based Collaboration
- Computational Social Systems
- Collaborative Systems
- Social/Collective/Team Intelligence
- CSCW (Computer-Supported Cooperative Work)
Current Research Projects / Labs
- E-CARGO Extensions and Applications
- E-CARGO Extensions and Applications focus on advancing the Environments–Classes, Agents, Roles, Groups, and Objects (E-CARGO) model and the Role-Based Collaboration (RBC) methodology to address increasingly complex real-world problems. Research in this area extends the theoretical foundations of E-CARGO by introducing new concepts, models, algorithms, and optimization techniques, while applying them to domains such as artificial intelligence, collaborative systems, team and social intelligence, healthcare, education, smart cities, scheduling, logistics, cyber-physical systems, and multi-agent systems. The goal is to enhance the capability of E-CARGO to model, analyze, and solve complex collaboration and coordination problems in both academic research and industrial practice.
Collaborations / Affiliations
- Prof. Chun Wang, Concordia University, Canada
- Prof. Yajun Pan, Dalhousie University, Canada
- Prof. Jinjun Shan, York University, Canada
- Dr. Behzad Akbari, Michigan Technological University, USA
Grants & Funding
- 2026.5-2031.4: Adaptive Dumpster Management Using E-CARGO, NSERC Discovery Grant, Canada, $215, 000CAD (Principal Investigator (PI)).
- 2026.5-2027.4: Research Internship, Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC), $35, 000CAD (PI).
- 2025.9-2026.8: E-CARGO Learning Materials, IEEE SMCS TEAM Projects, CAD$27, 114.39 (PI).
- 2025.2-2026.1: Research Internship, Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC), $35, 000CAD (PI).
- 2024.5-2026:4 Adaptive Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Scheduling for the Arctic Region Logistics Using E-CARGO, NSERC Discovery Development Grants, Canada, $44,000 (PI).
- 2023.5-2028.4: Social Simulation on Refugee Resettlement and Canada's Policy Making, SSHRC Insight Grant, Canada, $341,716CAD (PI).
- 2025: Best Paper Award, IEEE 28th Int’l Conf. on Computer Supported Cooperative Work in Design (CSCWD 2025), Compiegne, France, May 5-7, 2025.
- 2024: Service Award, IEEE 27th Int’l Conf. on Computer Supported Cooperative Work in Design (CSCWD 2022), Tianjin, China, May 8-10, 2024.
- 2022: Best Paper Award for International Collaboration, IEEE 25th Int’l Conf. on Computer Supported Cooperative Work in Design (CSCWD 2022), Hangzhou, China, May 4-6, 2022.
- 2019: Featured with students on North Bay Nugget, Taxi business turns to students to create app.
- 2018: Meritorious Service Award, IEEE Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Society, Oct. 9, 2018.
- 2017: Profiled on IEEE Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Magazine, vol. 3, no. 3, July 2017, pp 26-29.
- 2015: Hunan Oversea Outstanding Professor, Education Bureau of Huna Province, China.
Publications
Copyrighted Software
H. Zhu (Owner), Visualization Tool for Role Transfer, Canadian Intellectual Property Office, 1063784, Dec. 18, 2008.
Books
H. Zhu, E-CARGO and Role-Based Collaboration: Modeling and Solving Problems in the Complex World, Wiley-IEEE Press, NJ, USA, Dec. 2021.
H. Zhu and M. Zhou, Object-Oriented Programming with C++: A Project-Based Approach, Tsinghua University Press, China, 2006. Sold copies: 5, 000.
C. Zhang, Z. Wang, C. Zhang, K. Dai, and H. Zhu, Computer Architecture, High Education Press, China, 2000 (In Chinese). Sold copies: 3, 000.
H. Zhu, G. Yang, and Z. Liu, Object-Oriented Principle and its Applications, Publishing House of NUDT, China, Sep. 1998 (In Chinese). Sold copies: 3, 000.
H. Zhu, K. Cai, A. Fan, H. Song, Principles and Designs of Distributed Systems, Publishing House of NUDT, China, Sep. 1997 (In Chinese). Sold copies: 3, 000.
H. Zhu, Object-Oriented Technology: Principles and Designs, Publishing House of NUDT, China, Oct. 1992 (In Chinese).
Articles
J. Chen, H. Zhu, and D. Liu, “Benefit Maximization or the-Quality-First? An E-CARGO Perspective on the Logistics Chain,” IEEE Trans. on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics: Systems, vol. 55, no. 8, pp. 5345-5361, Aug. 2025.
X. Ke, H. Zhu, and D. Liu, “Group Multirole Assignment with Cooperation, Conflict and Public Interest Factors,” IEEE Trans. on Computational Social Systems, vol. 11, no. 5, pp. 6112-6124, Oct. 2024.
H. Zhu, S. Kwong, I. Rudas, E. Tunstel, R. Kozma, and P. Shi, “Model-Based Systems Engineering Requires Metamodel Renovation,” IEEE Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Magazine, vol. 10, no. 4, pp. 4-14, Oct. 2024.
H. Zhu, D. Liu, H. Ma, Y. Sheng, L. Zhang, and Q. Jiang, “E-CARGO/RBC Research Guide: A Road Map for Researchers,” IEEE Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Magazine, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 64-75, July 2024.
H. Zhu, “Pareto Improvement: A GRA Perspective,” IEEE Trans. on Computational Social Systems, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 1241-1251, June 2023.
Other Publications
X. Zhang, J. Yu, D. Huang, H. Zhu, Y. Sun, and X. Zhou, "Staff Competency Assessment and Task Allocation Methods Considering AI Augmentation: A Study Based on the E-CARGO Model," IEEE Trans. on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics: Systems, vol. 55, No. 11, pp. 7663-7678, Nov. 2025.
X. Zhang, Z. Zhu, Y. Li, H. Zhu, Y. Sun, and X. Zhou, “Role-Based Human-Machine Collaboration Task-Allocation Strategy in Multiagent Environment,” IEEE Trans. on Human-Machine Systems, 55(5), 799-808, Oct. 2025.