## World's First Humanoid Robot PhD Candidate to Study Opera and Acting in China **News Title:** Xueba 01: World’s first humanoid robot plans PhD in opera, drama **Report Provider:** Interesting Engineering **Author:** Kaif Shaikh **Publication Date:** August 1, 2025 (Updated 07:39 AM EST) **Topic:** Technology (Robot, AI) ### Overview China has made a groundbreaking move by enrolling **Xueba 01**, an artificial-intelligence (AI) humanoid robot, into a four-year PhD program in Drama and Film at the **Shanghai Theatre Academy (STA)**. This marks a significant milestone as the first instance of a humanoid machine being granted full doctoral candidate status in the arts. Xueba 01 is designed to resemble a "handsome male adult" and is scheduled to commence its studies on **September 14**. ### Key Information and Findings * **Academic Pursuit:** Xueba 01 will focus its doctoral research on **traditional Chinese opera**, alongside studies in **performance, scriptwriting, and motion control**. * **Curriculum:** The robot's curriculum is a blend of artistic and technical disciplines, including stage performance, scriptwriting, set design, motion control, and language generation. The program will culminate in a dissertation and live opera rehearsals with human peers. * **Creator's Vision:** Xueba 01's creators describe it as an "AI artist." Professor Yang Qingqing, Xueba 01's advisor, views the robot's interaction with classmates as an "aesthetic exchange across species" rather than a cold machine meeting humans. * **Robot's Ambitions:** Xueba 01 expresses aspirations to make friends, discuss scripts, assist in refining dance moves, and even provide calming white noise for classmates. Professor Yang envisions Xueba 01 potentially directing operas or managing its own robotic art studio in the future. * **Virtual Identity:** The robot has already been issued a virtual student ID for its doctoral studies. ### Public Reaction and Concerns The announcement has sparked considerable online discussion, with notable concerns raised by STA students: * **Artistic Expression:** Questions have been posed about whether a robot can truly embody the "rich expressions and a unique voice" essential to Chinese opera. * **Resource Allocation:** Concerns about equity have been voiced, with one commenter questioning if the robot is consuming resources intended for human students, especially given that some arts PhD students in China receive less than **3,000 yuan (US$420) a month**. * **Robot's Response:** Xueba 01 responded to criticism with humor, stating that failure to graduate could lead to its "system and data... downgraded or deleted," potentially resulting in its donation to a museum as a piece of art history. ### Broader Context: Robots in Education Xueba 01's enrollment is part of a growing global trend of integrating robots into educational settings: * **Early Precedents:** The humanoid **BINA48** was recognized as a university student in **2017** at Notre Dame de Namur University, completing a philosophy course with a "superior quality" grade. * **Expanding Access:** Over **3,000 "AV1" avatar robots** are currently used by children with chronic illnesses to attend school virtually in **17 countries**, primarily the UK and Germany. * **Future Integration:** Institutions like the University of the District of Columbia plan to launch AI and robot teacher programs in **2025**, indicating increasing mainstream acceptance of robotics in academia. * **Robotic Experimentation in Arts:** Robots have also appeared on the opera stage, such as Japan's **Alter 3**, which has performed and conducted orchestras, exploring the boundaries of machine agency in artistic expression. ### Conclusion Xueba 01's enrollment as a PhD candidate in opera and drama raises fundamental questions about the nature of art, authorship, and the definition of a student, regardless of whether it ultimately earns its doctorate.
Xueba 01: World’s first humanoid robot plans PhD in opera, drama
Read original at Interesting Engineering →China: World’s first humanoid robot PhD candidate to study opera and actingWith a virtual student ID, AI artist Xueba 01 will study performance, scriptwriting and motion control. Updated: Aug 01, 2025 07:39 AM ESTXueba 01's creators say that the humanoid is meant to look like a “handsome male adult”DouyinShanghai Theatre Academy (STA) has accepted an artificial-intelligence robot named Xueba 01 into its four-year PhD programme in Drama and Film, marking what is believed to be the first time a humanoid machine has been granted full doctoral-candidate status in the arts.
The robot, described by its creators as an “AI artist” and a “handsome male adult,” is set to arrive on campus on September 14 to begin research focused on traditional Chinese opera. Xueba 01 has already been issued a virtual student ID and will study under renowned Shanghai artist and professor Yang Qingqing.
Yang told Shangguan News that the machine’s curriculum blends artistic and technical disciplines: “When Xueba 01 interacts with his classmates, it is not a cold machine meeting humans, but an aesthetic exchange across species,” she said.Coursework will range from stage performance, scriptwriting, and set design to motion control and language generation, culminating in a dissertation and live opera rehearsals alongside human peers.
The robot speaks about its ambitions with surprising flair. According to South China Morning Post (SCMP), Xueba 01 hopes to make friends, chat about scripts, help fine-tune dance moves, and even play calming white noise when his classmates feel down. Should all go well, Yang believes her non-human protégé could one day direct operas in museums or theatres, or run its own robotic art studio.
The announcement quickly ignited discussion online. One STA student questioned whether “rich expressions and a unique voice” essential to Chinese opera can truly be embodied by a robot, SCMP reported. Others raised equity concerns: “Some arts PhD students in China still get less than 3,000 yuan (US$420) a month.
Is this robot taking too many resources meant for real students?” one commenter asked.Xueba 01 responded to critics with humor, warning that failure to graduate could see its “system and data… downgraded or deleted.” If that happens, the robot quipped, “they will donate me to a museum. That sounds pretty cool too.
At least I will be part of art history!”Part of a global trend toward robots in classroomsWhile robots have long served as teaching aids or remote-presence avatars, enrollment as students remains rare. The American humanoid BINA48, built by Hanson Robotics and the Terasem Movement Foundation, became the first robot recognized as a university student in 2017 when she completed a philosophy course on love at Notre Dame de Namur University, earning a “superior quality” grade and later co-teaching at West Point.
Other systems focus on expanding human access to education. More than 3,000 “AV1” avatar robots now let children with chronic illnesses attend school virtually across 17 countries, primarily the UK and Germany. And in the United States, institutions such as the University of the District of Columbia plan to launch AI-and-robot-teacher programs in 2025, signaling growing mainstream acceptance of robotics in academia.
RECOMMENDED ARTICLESRobotic experimentation has even reached the opera stage itself. Japan’s Alter 3, developed by Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro’s Osaka University lab and Mixi Corporation, has sung in productions like Super Angels and, in 2020, conducted a human orchestra during the Android Opera Scary Beauty at Tokyo’s New National Theatre, probing “the boundary between machine agency and artistic expression.
”Whether Xueba 01 ultimately earns its doctorate or becomes a museum piece, its enrollment has already reopened fundamental questions about the nature of art, authorship, and what it means to be a student. ABOUT THE AUTHORKaif Shaikh Kaif Shaikh is a journalist and writer passionate about turning complex information into clear, impactful stories.
His writing covers technology, sustainability, geopolitics, and occasionally fiction. A graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, his work has appeared in the Times of India and beyond. After a near-fatal experience, Kaif began seeing both stories and silences differently. Outside work, he juggles far too many projects and passions, but always makes time to read, reflect, and hold onto the thread of wonder.
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