Background Information: 

Xiaocong Li is an Assistant Professor with the Eastern Institute of Technology, Ningbo, where he directs the Robot Learning and Control Lab. He also serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and an Associate in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard University. He received his Bachelor’s and Ph.D. degrees from NUS in 2013 and 2017, respectively. Dr. Li has previously worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard University and as a Scientist at the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech, A*STAR). His research interests focus on the intersection of control theory, machine learning, and robotics, covering both fundamental theoretical studies and real-world applications across diverse domains. He has secured research funding equivalent to over 10 million RMB to advance these areas. Dr. Li is an Associate Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering and the IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine.

For more information, please visit his personal website: https://sites.google.com/view/xiaocong-li/about

Research Field:

The intersection of control, learning, and robotics, covering but not limited to the following areas: 

• Safe Learning-based Control

• Agile Robotics

• Reinforcement Learning for Robot Planning and Control

• Multi-Agent Learning Control

• Controller Learning using Bayesian Optimization

• Learning-based Humanoid Control

• Ultra-Precision Nanopositioning Control for Wafer Lithography

• Learning Control for Soft Robotics

• Physical Human-Robot Interaction

• Robotics Foundation Model and Embodied Intelligence

Educational Background:

2013-2017: Ph.D. (Electrical Engineering), Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore.

2009-2013: B.Eng. (Electrical Engineering), Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore.

Work Experience:

2025-Present: Assistant Professor, Eastern Institute of Technology, Ningbo

2024-Present: Adjunct Assistant Professor, National University of Singapore

2022-Present: Associate, Harvard University

2022-2025: Scientist, Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech, A*STAR)

2020-2022: Postdoc, Harvard University

2017-2020: Scientist, Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech, A*STAR)

Academic Part-time Jobs (Partial):

2025-Present: Associate Editor, IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine (RAM)

2024-Present: Associate Editor, IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering (T-ASE).

2025-Present: Associate Editor, IEEE Conference on Control Technology and Applications (CCTA).

2024- Present: Planning Committee Chair, Technical Committee for Manufacturing Automation and Robotic Control, IEEE Control Systems Society.

2024-2025: Executive Guest Editor, Control Engineering Practice

2025: Guest Associate Editor, IEEE Control Systems Letters

2024: Workshop Organizer, 2024 IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics (AIM 2024), Boston.

Awards and Honors:

2024: Inaugural STAR Mentor Award (sole awardee at SIMTech)

2024: Best Paper Award Finalist, International Conference on Social Robotics

Representative Works:

General Information

Published over 40 papers in international journals and conferences and co-authored one book titled Advanced Optimization for Motion Control Systems.

Google Scholar：

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=bLWvAnAAAAAJ&hl=en

10 Representative Works (* refers to the corresponding author)

1. Wang, H., Li, X.*, Bhaumik, A., & Vadakkepat, P. (2024). Safe Bayesian Optimization for High-Dimensional Control Systems via Additive Gaussian Processes. arXiv preprint arXiv:2408.16307.

2. Yan, S., Li, X.*, Qian, H., Ma, J., Mamun A. (2024). Tolerant Tracking Control Protocol for PMSM Based on Policy Iteration Algorithm and Fault Compensation. 16th International Conference on Social Robotics. Best Paper Award Finalist.

3. Zheng, L., Wang, H., Li, X.*, Ma, J., Vadakkepat, P. (2024). Robotic Control Optimization Through Kernel Selection in Safe Bayesian Optimization. IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Biomimetics (ROBIO 2024).

4. Li, X., Zhu, H., Ma, J., Wang, W., Teo, T. J., Teo, C. S., Lee, T. H. (2024). Learning-Based High-Precision Tracking Control: Development, Synthesis, and Verification on Spiral Scanning with a Flexure-Based Nanopositioner. IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, 29(5), 3867-3876.

5. Ma, J., Cheng, Z., Li, X., Wang, W., Tomizuka, M., & Lee, T. H. (2023). Data-Driven Linear Quadratic Optimization for Controller Synthesis with Structural Constraints. IEEE Transactions on Cybernetics, 54(4), 2295-2307.

6. Wang, W., Ma, J., Li, X., Zhu, H., de Silva, C. W., & Lee, T. H. (2022). Hybrid Active–Passive Robust Control Framework of a Flexure-Joint Dual-Drive Gantry Robot for High-Precision Contouring Tasks. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, 70(2), 1676-1686.

7. Cheng, Z., Ma, J., Li, X., Tomizuka, M., & Lee, T. H. (2022). Second-Order Non-Convex Optimization for Constrained Fixed-Structure Static Output Feedback Controller Synthesis. IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 67(9), 4854-4861.

8. Ma, J., Li, X.*, Liang, W. and Tan, K.K. (2020). Parameter Space Optimization towards Constrained Controller Design with Application to Tray Indexing. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, 67(7), 5575-5585. 

9. Li, X., Zhu, H., Ma, J., Teo, T. J., Teo, C. S., Tomizuka, M., & Lee, T. H. (2020). Data-Driven Multiobjective Controller Optimization for a Magnetically Levitated Nanopositioning System. IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics, 25(4), 1961-1970.

10. Ma, J., Li, X., & Tan, K. K. (2020). Advanced Optimization for Motion Control Systems. CRC Press.