Professor Roger Azevedo of the School of Modeling, Simulation and Training is one of 11 distinguished individuals who will receive an honorary doctorate from the University of Jyväskylä in 2026.
The Finnish university selects honorary doctorate recipients based on their contributions to science or society. The 11 honorees for 2025 will be recognized at a formal ceremony at the University of Jyväskylä, which will take place in May 2026. We interviewed Azevedo to learn more about his work and what this award means to him.
What does it mean to you, personally and professionally, to receive an honorary doctorate from the University of Jyväskylä?
Receiving an honorary doctorate from the University of Jyväskylä is both profoundly humbling and deeply meaningful to me. Personally, it represents a moment of reflection and an opportunity to acknowledge the mentors, colleagues and students who have shaped my journey. Professionally, it is an extraordinary honor to be recognized by a university that is globally respected for its scholarship in learning sciences, educational psychology and human-centered technology. It affirms the value of my lifelong commitment to understanding and fostering metacognition, self-regulated learning and the responsible integration of advanced learning technologies. To receive this recognition from a community I admire so greatly is truly one of the highlights of my career.
What is your affiliation with the university?
My affiliation with the University of Jyväskylä spans many years of collaboration with its world-class researchers in learning sciences, AI in education and multimodal learning analytics. I have worked closely with several faculty members on joint research projects and publications. I have also served as a collaborator in a large-scale international initiative focusing on metacognition, self-regulated learning and intelligent learning technologies in AI in education. Over time, these collaborations have evolved into enduring professional relationships that have enriched both my scholarship and my perspective on global education research.
What do you consider to be the most defining moment of your career?
A defining moment in my career was when I shifted from studying metacognition in controlled laboratory contexts to building large-scale, real-world intelligent learning environments that could measure, model and foster students’ self-regulated learning in authentic learning and training contexts. This transition, particularly the creation of MetaTutor and later the development of AI-based pedagogical agents and current work on human digital twins and simulated learners marks a turning point where theory, methodology and advanced technologies converged. It allowed me to study complex cognitive, metacognitive, motivational and affective processes with unprecedented depth and fidelity, fundamentally shaping the trajectory of my research and its impact on society.
Are there any particular achievements that led to this honorary doctorate? Any that you’re most proud of?
Several achievements contributed to this honor. I am particularly proud of:
- Advancing the science of metacognition and self-regulated learning, especially through integrating multimodal multichannel trace data to model learners’ cognitive, metacognitive, affective and motivational processes.
- Developing intelligent learning technologies, including MetaTutor and subsequent AI-driven systems that support students’ learning, agency and metacognitive development in complex domains.
- Pioneering work in human digital twins, simulated learners, and hybrid human–AI intelligence, which has helped shape new directions in modeling and simulating human learning.
- Mentoring an extraordinary international community of students, postdocs, and collaborators, many of whom are now leading scholars in their own right.
- Sustained national and global partnerships, including with the University of Jyväskylä, that have pushed the field forward in rigorous, multidisciplinary ways.
Of all these, I am most proud of the people–i.e., my students, colleagues and collaborators, whose creativity, passion and commitment have made these contributions possible.
What’s been the biggest lesson you’ve learned from your work?
The biggest lesson I have learned is that human learning is profoundly complex, dynamic and situated and no single method, theory or technology can capture it fully. Real progress comes from embracing that complexity which includes integrating diverse perspectives, developing multimodal approaches, and designing intelligent technologies that highlight learners’ agency, emotions, and cognitive and metacognitive development. I have also learned that collaboration across disciplines, cultures and institutions is essential and extremely rewarding. The most transformative ideas often emerge at the intersections of fields and through genuine partnerships.
What motivates you to keep making an impact in your field?
I am motivated by the belief that our research can meaningfully improve the ways people learn, think, reflect and solve problems, especially in an era transformed by AI. The rapid evolution of generative AI, hybrid intelligence and multimodal learning analytics presents an unprecedented opportunity to rethink how we support learners across the lifespan. What drives me is the possibility that our work can help students develop stronger metacognitive skills, greater autonomy, deeper understanding, and the capacity to thrive in complex and uncertain environments. And, just as importantly, I am inspired daily by my students, postdoctoral scholars, collaborators, and national and international research communities, whose dedication and curiosity continually renew my own.
- Published by CECS