On the afternoon of December 9, 2019, the award ceremony for the 2019 "Yangtze River New Finance Cup" SAS (China) University Data Analysis Competition and the First International Invitational Competition was held at the Hive Hotel in Nanjing. The team consisting of Zhang Yajie, Sun Hongda, and Teng Jiaye from the 2016 Statistical Experimental Class won the championship of this competition, ranking first among universities with three championships over seven years. The guiding teacher, Professor Wu Chunjie, received the Excellent Organization Award for this competition.
The SAS Data Analysis Competition for Chinese Universities is a non-profit public competition initiated by SAS China, specifically aimed at data analysis-related majors in Chinese universities. The competition lasts for three months and has over two thousand participating teams, covering 31 regions. Finally, 100 teams stood out and entered the finals.
The competition registration opens on October 13, and the preliminary round will take place from October 17 to 20, where teams will participate in online answering. The top 100 teams from the preliminary round will enter the finals, which consists of two parts: online report submission and on-site defense. Finally, a comprehensive assessment will determine the winners.
As early as the eve of the summer vacation, the School of Statistics and Management took the lead in establishing a preparation team for the SAS Data Analysis Competition, providing students with a large amount of professional materials free of charge. Vice Dean Wu Chunjie personally took charge and provided professional guidance, offering the greatest support and assistance to the students. After a tense preliminary round, two teams from the college advanced to the top 100.
On December 8th, the team went to Nanjing to participate in the finals. On the morning of December 8th, after a brief opening ceremony, there was a tense defense session. The defense was conducted in groups, with each group having 6 minutes, featuring a PPT presentation and questions from the teachers. In the afternoon of December 8th, the groups visited the SAS building and surrounding industrial parks in Nanjing Jiangbei New District.
On the afternoon of December 9, an award ceremony was held at the Nanjing Hive Hotel. Executives from SAS, leaders from the Nanjing government, university faculty, and sponsors from co-organizing parties all attended the ceremony. After the opening ceremony and speeches from guests, the teams that made it to the top eight presented their reports, followed by the award presentation ceremony.
The team composed of Zhang Yajie, Sun Hongda, and Teng Jiaye from our institute reported their bank credit investigation case work, showcasing their clear modeling approach and good results. They received unanimous recognition from the judges and won the championship in this competition.
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, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. As early as 2015, the School of Statistics and Management at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement with SAS China, engaging in comprehensive and multi-faceted strategic cooperation, including the establishment of student practice bases, the establishment of the "Shanghai University of Finance and Economics-SAS Training Development Center," the organization of the "SAS Data Analysis Competition" activities, research collaboration, and talent cultivation, among others.
Since its launch, the SAS Data Analysis Competition has received a enthusiastic response domestically. Driven by SAS China, an increasing number of emerging talents in the field of data analysis are participating in the competition. The School of Statistics and Management has placed a high emphasis and close attention on the entire process from early selection, team training, to winning awards in the competition. Supported by the Shanghai Municipal First-Class Undergraduate Construction Leading Plan projects—"Construction of First-Class Statistics Major" and "Establishment of First-Class Talent Training Base in the School of Statistics and Management," the college will continue to focus on the cultivation of innovative statistical talents. The college insists on reform and innovation, open education, and deepening school-enterprise cooperation, collaboratively nurturing talents. By organizing and participating in various competitive events, it actively promotes students to combine theory with practice, becoming first-class statistical talents rich in creativity, decisiveness, and organizational skills, contributing statistical wisdom to the construction of "first-class universities" and "first-class majors."
