On December 7, the award ceremony for the 2020 "Huangpu Cup" SAS China College Data Analysis Competition was held at the Guangzhou Science City Conference Center. The team composed of Bao Shihan, Zhou Qianhong, and Xu Yin from the School of Statistics and Management, class of 2017, won third place in this competition. The guiding teacher, Professor Wu Chunjie, received the Outstanding Organization Award for this competition.
The SAS China University Data Analysis Competition was founded in 2013. It is a non-profit public competition initiated by SAS China, aimed at promoting the development of education in the field of data science in China and cultivating the next generation of analytical talent.
The competition opened online registration on September 18, 2020, and held the online preliminary round from October 17 to 20, determining the top one hundred teams to advance to the finals. On October 28, the competition's official website announced the final case topics, and participating teams wrote reports based on the chosen topics, which they presented in Guangzhou before December 6. The organizing committee comprehensively assessed the reports and presentations and awarded rankings based on this evaluation.
At the beginning of the summer vacation, the School of Statistics and Management placed great importance on preparations for the SAS Data Analysis Competition. Led by Associate Dean Professor Wu Chunjie, a preparation team was established to provide students with a wealth of professional materials free of charge, as well as professional guidance and answers to inquiries, offering the greatest support and assistance to the students. With solid mathematical foundations and proficiency in SAS software, two teams from the School of Statistics and Management and one team from the School of Finance successfully entered the finals, making it to the top 100.
On December 6, the team headed to Guangzhou to participate in the finals. Outstanding teams from top universities across China held their final defense at the Guangzhou Weichuang Industrial Park. The defense was conducted in groups, with a time limit of ten minutes for each group to present their reports and answer questions from the judges. On the afternoon of December 7, the award ceremony was held at the Guangzhou Science City Conference Center. Leaders from the Guangzhou Municipal Government, SAS China executives, industry experts, university teachers, and organizers and co-organizers attended the ceremony. After the opening ceremony and speeches from guests, the rankings of the competition were announced, and the award ceremony took place. Subsequently, the champion, runner-up, and third-place teams conducted presentations of their excellent reports.
The "Fei Hong Han Yin Team" composed of Bao Shihan, Zhou Qianhong, and Xu Yin from the School of Statistics and Management stood out in the fierce competition with their clear modeling logic, innovative theoretical methods, and confident and fluent defense presentation, winning the third place in this competition and showcasing their outstanding work at the venue. The college has achieved a total of 3 championships, 2 second places, and 1 fourth place in previous competitions, ranking first among all schools.
The SAS Data Analysis Competition for Chinese Universities is one of the innovative models for deepening school-enterprise cooperation at the School of Statistics and Management of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. As early as 2015, the School of Statistics and Management of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics formally signed a strategic cooperation agreement with SAS China, and both parties carried out comprehensive and multi-dimensional strategic cooperation, including establishing a student practice base, founding the "Shanghai University of Finance and Economics-SAS Training Development Center," conducting the "SAS Data Analysis Competition," research collaboration, and talent cultivation, among others.
Since its launch, the SAS Data Analysis Competition has received a warm response in the country. With the support of SAS China, more and more emerging talents in the field of data analysis are participating in the competition. The School of Statistics and Management has placed great importance and close attention on the selection process, team training, and award achievements. With the support of the Shanghai First-Class Undergraduate Construction Leading Program projects—"First-Class Statistics Major Construction" and "Construction of the First-Class Talent Cultivation Base for Undergraduate Students in the School of Statistics and Management"—the school will continue to focus on cultivating innovative statistical talents. The school adheres to reform and innovation, promotes open education, deepens school-enterprise cooperation, and collaborates in educating students. By organizing and participating in various competitive events, it actively promotes students to combine theory with practice, becoming first-class statistical talents filled with creativity, decisiveness, and organizational skills, contributing statistical wisdom to the construction of "first-class universities" and "first-class majors."
