On the afternoon of December 16th, under the leadership of Zhu Feng, director of the student office of the School of Statistics and Data Science, graduate counselor Cao Xinyi, undergraduate counselor Xiong Jufeng, and Qu Lintong, a group of teachers and students from the college visited Oriental Securities Co., Ltd. at the Oriental Securities Building in Huangpu District.
The main purpose of this event is to promote statistical major students' comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the operational development in the financial industry, particularly in the securities field. Through field visits and exchanges, it aims to closely integrate statistical theoretical knowledge with financial practice, enhance students' professional qualities and practical abilities, and lay a solid foundation for their future career paths.
Company Introduction
Dongfang Securities, as a leading comprehensive financial services group in China, is headquartered in Shanghai. Its business covers securities, futures, asset management, wealth management, investment banking, and other fields, making it the fifth broker in the industry to achieve A+H share listing. Over the years, Dongfang Securities has always upheld the corporate spirit of "unity, progress, pragmatism, and efficiency," and with the core values of "customer first, people-oriented, professional service, and innovative development," is committed to building a first-class modern investment bank.
Alumni Sharing
In the finance industry, the application of statistics is becoming increasingly widespread, whether in traditional analysis methods or modern data models, its importance is evident. During this visit, we are very honored to invite two outstanding alumni—Chen Xuan and Li Xuejun—to share their work experiences and insights in the finance industry.
Application of Statistics in Fixed Income Business
Senior Chen Xuan is a 2018 graduate and is currently employed at Dongfang Securities in the Fixed Income Department, engaged in market trading work. In her sharing, she elaborated on the multidimensional applications of statistics in the fixed income field: first, macro factor models and regression analysis; second, bond pricing and Monte Carlo simulation; third, cointegration analysis and arbitrage strategies; fourth, time series and cyclical fluctuations; fifth, credit risk modeling.
Senior Chen Xuan mentioned that the company places great emphasis on employee training, especially designing a comprehensive development system for campus recruits, including onboarding training, professional skills learning, and rotation mechanisms. At the same time, the company offers a variety of cultural and recreational activities and humanistic care, such as employee clubs, DIY craft courses, and gym facilities, all of which enhance employees' sense of well-being. She is very grateful for the statistical knowledge she learned at school, as these foundational skills have been well applied in her daily work, enabling her to quickly adapt to the workplace and achieve career growth.
From Financial Engineering to Industry Research
Li Xuejun, a senior from the class of 2013, is currently the chief analyst for the light manufacturing industry at Dongfang Securities Research Institute. From her sharing, we learned about the core work content of securities research and the personal career development path.
1. First Job: Financial Engineering Researcher. Senior sister Li Xuejun's first job was as a financial engineering researcher, mainly engaged in the research and application of quantitative models. At that time, she developed investment models using tools like MATLAB and R, hoping to achieve excess returns through data analysis and modeling. However, she also admitted that the diversity of market styles made it very difficult for models to achieve stable profits, and this experience laid a solid technical foundation for her career.
2. Transitioning to Industry Researcher. Subsequently, she transitioned to being an industry researcher, focusing on the light manufacturing sector, mainly researching sub-industries such as furniture, papermaking, and packaging. As an industry researcher, she needed to have an in-depth understanding of the operation models, profit distribution, and value chains of industries and enterprises. This profound understanding of business logic not only helped her establish a professional advantage but also enriched her life experience.
3. Challenges and Growth in Industry Research. Senior student Li Xuejun mentioned that as a researcher, she needs to communicate daily with listed companies and the upstream and downstream of the industry chain, while also serving clients such as fund managers. In this process, she feels a rapid alignment with the true face of society and experiences the responsibilities and challenges of being a "party B."
4. Love for research work. When talking about the high-intensity work environment in the industry, Senior Sister Li Xuejun straightforwardly stated that the work of a researcher requires being on call at all times, especially when facing a fiercely competitive market environment, as client needs may arise at any moment. She once completed a research project for a client even during her vacation abroad. Although it was tough, she persisted because of her passion for the job and her desire to create value for clients through her efforts.
Visit Gains
This visit to Dongfang Securities was a productive learning journey. It not only deepened the understanding of the operation mechanisms in the financial industry for both teachers and students, but also allowed students to personally experience the practical application of statistics in the financial field, inspiring aspirations and planning for their future careers. Through this visit, everyone not only gained knowledge but also broadened their horizons, accumulating valuable experience for future career development.
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Picture &Text | Graduate Student Union of the College of Unified Studies, Duan Yuntian
Editor | Office of the Graduate Student Union, School of Governance, Chen Xianze
Review | Cao Xinyi
