Chao Wang (王超)

I am an Assistant Research Fellow at the School of Artificial Intelligence, Xidian University. I am also a member of the School of Artificial Intelligence and the Key Laboratory of Intelligent Perception and Image Understanding of Ministry of Education. My research focuses on evolutionary intelligence, especially knowledge-driven meta-evolutionary optimization, open-ended model evolution, and evolutionary intelligence for scientific discovery.

I received my Ph.D. in Computer Science and Technology from Xidian University in June 2025, advised by Prof. Licheng Jiao and Prof. Jing Liu. My current postdoctoral co-advisor is Prof. Fang Liu.

20+ Papers Published in ICLR, PPSN, IJCAI-LEAD, IEEE TPAMI, TEVC, TNNLS, CIM, TCYB, Research, and related venues
10+ Lead Works First-author or corresponding-author papers in JCR Q1 and CCF/CAAI A venues
1 ESI Highly Cited Research on adaptive knowledge transfer for multitask optimization

News

  • 2026.06🎉🎉 Awarded the General Program of China Postdoctoral Science Foundation.
  • 2026.06🎉 EVOM: Agentic Meta-Evolution of Actor-Critic Architectures for Reinforcement Learning was accepted by IJCAI-LEAD 2026.
  • 2026.05🎉 Model Merging to Evolution: Parameter Space Exploration for Expert Models was accepted by PPSN 2026.
  • 2026.05🏅 Recognized as an ICML 2026 Silver Reviewer.
  • 2026.04🎉 Learning Evolution via Optimization Knowledge Adaptation was accepted by IEEE TPAMI.
  • 2026.03🔥 Solving Multitask Optimization Problems with Adaptive Knowledge Transfer via Anomaly Detection was selected again as an ESI Highly Cited Paper.
  • 2026.01🎉 Task-free Adaptive Meta Black-box Optimization was accepted by ICLR 2026 as an Oral paper.

Research Interests

Knowledge-driven meta black-box optimization overview

Knowledge-driven Meta Black-box Optimization

Algorithm level: knowledge-driven meta-evolutionary optimization theory, methods, and applications.

Representative works: IEEE TPAMI 2026, ICLR 2026 Oral, IEEE TEVC.

Open-ended neuroevolution overview

Open-ended Model Evolution

Model level: open-ended model evolution, including expert model merging and neural architecture search.

Representative works: IJCAI-LEAD 2026 Oral, PPSN 2026, IEEE TNNLS.

Evolutionary intelligence for science overview

Evolutionary Intelligence for Science

Application level: evolutionary intelligence for scientific discovery, including physics-informed neural network training.

Representative survey: Research.

Preprints

  1. Evolutionary Intelligence for Scientific Discovery: From Evolutionary Computation to Cumulative Discovery Systems. arXiv:2607.09025, 2026. Submitted to Journal Paper

Selected Publications

* denotes corresponding author. Selected first-author and corresponding-author publications are listed first.

  1. EVOM: Agentic Meta-Evolution of Actor-Critic Architectures for Reinforcement Learning. IJCAI-LEAD, 2026. Core Ranking A* Workshop Paper Code
  2. Model Merging to Evolution: Parameter Space Exploration for Expert Models. PPSN, 2026. Core Ranking A Paper Code
  3. Wang Chao, Li Lingling*, Jiao Licheng, Zhao Jiaxuan, Liu Fang, Yang Shuyuan. Learning Evolution via Optimization Knowledge Adaptation. IEEE TPAMI, 2026. JCR Q1 IF 20.4 Paper Code
  4. Wang Chao, Jiao Licheng, Li Lingling*, Zhao Jiaxuan, Wang Guanchun, Liu Fang, Yang Shuyuan. Task-free Adaptive Meta Black-box Optimization. ICLR, 2026. Core Ranking A* Oral Paper Code
  5. Ma Tao, Wang Chao*, Wu Kai, Chenjun Yuan, Liu Jing. Network Collaborator: Knowledge Transfer Between Network Reconstruction and Community Detection. Neurocomputing, 654:131263, 2025. JCR Q1 IF 6.7 Paper Code
  6. Wang Chao, Zhao Jiaxuan, Li Lingling*, Jiao Licheng, Liu Fang, Liu Xu, Yang Shuyuan. Knowledge-aware Evolutionary Graph Neural Architecture Search. Knowledge-Based Systems, 309:112810, 2025. JCR Q1 IF 8.0 Paper Code
  7. Wang Chao, Zhao Jiaxuan, Jiao Licheng*, Li Lingling, Liu Fang, Yang Shuyuan. When Large Language Models Meet Evolutionary Algorithms: Potential Enhancements and Challenges. Research, 8:0646, 2025. JCR Q1 IF 12.9 Paper
  8. Wang Chao, Zhao Jiaxuan, Li Lingling*, Jiao Licheng, Liu Fang, Yang Shuyuan. Automatic Graph Topology-aware Transformer. IEEE TNNLS, 36(5):8470-8484, 2024. JCR Q1 IF 9.7 Paper Code
  9. Wang Chao, Jiao Licheng*, Zhao Jiaxuan, Li Lingling, Liu Xu, Liu Fang, Yang Shuyuan. Bilevel Multiobjective Evolutionary Learning: A Case Study on Multitask Graph Neural Topology Search. IEEE TEVC, 28(1):208-222, 2024. JCR Q1 IF 15.9 Paper Code
  10. Wang Chao, Zhao Jiaxuan, Li Lingling, Jiao Licheng*, Liu Jing, Wu Kai. A Multi-transformation Evolutionary Framework for Influence Maximization in Social Networks. IEEE CIM, 18(1):52-67, 2023. JCR Q1 IF 7.7 Paper Code
  11. Wang Chao, Wu Kai*, Liu Jing. Evolutionary Multitasking AUC Optimization. IEEE CIM, 17(2):67-82, 2022. JCR Q1 IF 7.7 Paper Code
  12. Wu Kai, Wang Chao*, Liu Jing. Evolutionary Multitasking Multilayer Network Reconstruction. IEEE TCYB, 52(12):12854-12868, 2022. JCR Q1 IF 11.3 Paper Code
  13. Wang Chao, Liu Jing*, Wu Kai, Wu Zhaoyang. Solving Multitask Optimization Problems with Adaptive Knowledge Transfer via Anomaly Detection. IEEE TEVC, 26(2):304-318, 2022. JCR Q1 IF 15.9 ESI Highly Cited Paper Code
  14. Wang Chao, Liu Jing*, Wu Kai, Ying Chaolong. Learning Large Scale Fuzzy Cognitive Maps using an Evolutionary Many Task Algorithm. Applied Soft Computing, 108:107441, 2021. JCR Q1 IF 7.8 Paper Code
  15. Wu Kai, Wang Chao, Liu Jing*. 流数据驱动的多层非线性动力学网络重构. 中国科学: 技术科学, 52(6):971-982, 2022. Code

Collaborative Publications

  1. Wang Guanchun, Zhang Xiangrong, Lai Jianxun, Peng Zelin, Zhang Tianyang, Wang Chao, Tang Xu, and Jiao Licheng. Expanding Then Fusing: Weakly-supervised Remote Sensing Semantic Segmentation via Progressive Multi-modal Fusion. Pattern Recognition, 177:113392, 2026. JCR Q1 IF 9.1
  2. Zhao Jiaxuan, Li Lingling, Jiao Licheng, Ma Mengru, Liu Xu, Wang Chao, Liu Fang, Ma Wenping, Yang Shuyuan. Modality-Prior Aware Progressive Diffusion Pansharpening. IEEE TGRS, 64(4404215):1-15, 2026. JCR Q1 IF 9.4
  3. Zhao Jiaxuan, Jiao Licheng, Li Lingling, Ma Mengru, Liu Xu, Wang Chao, Liu Fang, Ma Wenping, Yang Shuyuan. S3Diffuser: Frequency Selected State Space Guided Diffusion Model for Multimodal Fusion Classification. Information Fusion, 125:103447, 2026. JCR Q1 IF 17.4
  4. Jiao Licheng, Zhao Jiaxuan, Wang Chao, Liu Xu, Liu Fang, Li Lingling, Shang Ronghua, Li Yangyang, Ma Wenping, Yang Shuyuan. Nature-inspired Intelligent Computing: A Comprehensive Survey. Research, 7:0442, 2024. JCR Q1 IF 12.9 Paper
  5. Zhao Jiaxuan, Jiao Licheng, Wang Chao, Liu Xu, Liu Fang, Li Lingling, Ma Mengru, Yang Shuyuan. Knowledge Guided Evolutionary Transformer for Remote Sensing Scene Classification. IEEE TCSVT, 34(10):10368-10384, 2024. JCR Q1 IF 10.8
  6. Zhao Jiaxuan, Jiao Licheng, Wang Chao, Liu Xu, Liu Fang, Li Lingling, Yang Shuyuan. GeoFormer: A Geometric Representation Transformer for Change Detection. IEEE TGRS, 61:1-17, 2023. JCR Q1 IF 9.4 Paper
  7. Ying Chaolong, Liu Jing, Wu Kai, Wang Chao. A Multiobjective Evolutionary Approach for Solving Large-scale Network Reconstruction Problems via Logistic Principal Component Analysis. IEEE TCYB, 53(4):2137-2150, 2023. JCR Q1 IF 11.3
  8. Zhao Hong, Ning Xuhui, Liu Xiaotao, Wang Chao, Liu Jing. What Makes Evolutionary Multitask Optimization Better: A Comprehensive Survey. Applied Soft Computing, 145:110545, 2023. JCR Q1 IF 7.8
  9. Wu Kai, Liu Jing, Wang Chao, Yuan Kaixin. Pareto Optimization for Influence Maximization in Social Networks. EMO, 2021. Core Ranking C

Prospective Students

I currently do not have independent graduate student quotas. Undergraduate students interested in evolutionary intelligence are welcome to contact me about joining the Evolutionary Intelligence group in Academician Licheng Jiao's team. Please send your CV to wangchao01@xidian.edu.cn; academic questions can also be sent to xiaofengxd@126.com.

  • Have sufficient weekly time and energy for research, with flexible working arrangements.
  • Have taken basic courses in algorithm design, evolutionary computation, or machine learning.
  • Have preliminary understanding or curiosity about evolutionary intelligence.
  • Can write code, read basic English research papers, and skillfully use large language models or agent-based software for research assistance.

Selected Projects

Meta Black-box Optimization

Optimization knowledge adaptation and adaptive meta black-box optimization.

MTEA-AD ABOM OKAEM

Open-ended Model Evolution

Graph neural topology search, transformer search, and model merging.

BLMOL KEGNAS EGTAS MERGEvolve

Evolutionary Intelligence for Science

LLMs as evolutionary operators, heuristic designers, and scientific optimization assistants.

Survey Repository

Projects, Patent, Honors, and Service

Research Projects

  • China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, General Program, 2026.08-2028.08, PI, ongoing.
  • Shaanxi Postdoctoral Research Funding, 2025.08-2027.08, PI, ongoing.
  • Xidian University Graduate Innovation Fund, Automatic Multi-task Graph Representation Learning Based on Evolutionary Gradient Optimization, 2022.03-2023.03, PI, completed.
  • National Key R&D Program of China, Science and Technology Innovation 2030 - New Generation Artificial Intelligence Major Project, 2018AAA0101302, participant, completed.
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China, 61773300, participant, completed.

Patent and Honors

  • 刘静（导师），王超，滕祥意. 基于进化算法的走班制高中排课方法 [P]，中国，发明专利，专利申请号：202110709194.2，2021.06.25.
  • National Scholarship for Graduate Students, 2020-2021.
  • University-level academic scholarships, outstanding graduate student, or outstanding graduate class leader honors for nine consecutive years, 2015-2025.

Academic Service

Reviewer for conferences and journals including ICLR, ICML, NeurIPS, KDD, IEEE TEVC, IEEE TNNLS, IEEE TCYB, IEEE TAI, and IEEE TII.

Education

  • 2019.09-2025.06, Ph.D. in Computer Science and Technology, School of Artificial Intelligence, Xidian University. Ph.D. advisor: Prof. Licheng Jiao; master's advisor: Prof. Jing Liu.
  • 2015.09-2019.06, B.Eng. in Intelligent Science and Technology, School of Artificial Intelligence, Xidian University.

Useful Academic Links

Journals: IEEE CIS • IEEE CIM • IEEE TEVC • IEEE TNNLS • IEEE TCYB • IEEE TSMC • IEEE TPAMI • IEEE TKDE • JMLR • AIJ • ECJ • ACM TELO • SWEVO • ARTL • SCIS • NMI • NC • PNAS.

Conferences: ICLR • NeurIPS • ICML • FOGA • AAAI • IJCAI • PPSN • GECCO • EC conference acceptance rate.

Last updated: June 2026.