On September 2, 2021, the century-old university Shanghai University of Finance and Economics welcomed the new students of the 2021 class. In order to better cultivate the next generation of top talents in the field of statistics, the School of Statistics and Management successfully completed the selection of the 2021 experimental class in statistics at the beginning of the school year.
The Statistics Experimental Class is positioned to cultivate academic interdisciplinary talents with a solid foundation in mathematics and computer science, profound mathematical reasoning, and excellent statistical thinking abilities, while mastering a broad knowledge base in multiple disciplines such as economics, finance, and management. These talents will possess an innovative spirit and comprehensive academic literacy to discover and solve problems. Relying on the national-level first-class statistics major construction point and the Shanghai first-class undergraduate construction leading project, our college continuously improves and optimizes the training system for the experimental class, strives to create a multi-faceted innovation and capability enhancement mechanism, and vigorously promotes the cultivation of top-tier talents. The college attaches great importance to the selection process for the "Statistics Experimental Class," which is overseen by Vice Dean Wu Chunjie, responsible for coordinating the undergraduate teaching. Relevant teachers participate in the interview and grading work, ensuring the entire selection process is orderly.
Before the freshmen enrollment, our college actively promoted the statistics experimental class through various channels and issued notifications regarding the selection process during the summer vacation. Students were enthusiastic, and many signed up for the experimental class. In the written and interview segments, students fully expressed themselves and demonstrated strong comprehensive qualities, receiving unanimous praise from the teachers.
On the evening of September 4, our college organized a written test for the experimental class, with the test content being mathematics. Students demonstrated a strong sense of discipline in the examination room, adhering to the principle of integrity in exams, and fully displayed their abilities. After the exam concluded, our college quickly organized teachers to evaluate the papers. Adhering to the principles of fairness and justice, the teachers worked together diligently and efficiently to complete the grading work.
Figure 1. The scene of the selection written exam grading for the experimental class.
On the afternoon of September 7, after a rigorous screening of the written exam, the interview process for selecting students for the experimental class officially commenced. Interview Group A consisted of teachers Li Tao, Bai Yang, Zhao Haibing, and Xiong Jufeng, while Interview Group B consisted of teachers Wang Ti, Wu Chunjie, Qiu Yixuan, and Wang Shaoli. They conducted a comprehensive assessment of the students who entered the interview for the experimental class. This interview primarily assessed students' communication skills, knowledge level, and overall quality. Freshmen generally displayed their excellent mental outlook and solid foundational skills, and boldly introduced to the teachers the activities they participated in and the achievements they attained during high school. The students’ willingness to express themselves and their skills in self-presentation also received unanimous recognition from the teachers. Through a scientific, rigorous, open, and fair selection process, 40 students were ultimately selected to form the 2021 Statistics Experimental Class.
Figure 2. On-site interview for Group A of the experimental class selection.
Figure 3. Interview scene of Group B for experimental class selection
On the afternoon of September 9, 2021, our college held a meeting for the 2021 statistics experimental class and the first class meeting in lecture hall 1114, hosted by the new student counselor, Teacher Xiong Jufen. First, Assistant Dean and Director of the Master's Program, Teacher Bai Yang, delivered a speech. Teacher Bai used several key phrases throughout his speech. He advised the freshmen to learn to live independently and to communicate with others, including teachers, classmates, and senior students. Next, the head teacher of the experimental class, Teacher Qiu Yixuan, shared her personal experiences, encouraging the freshmen to study hard and make the most of their time from the perspective of a "college senior." After that, Vice Dean Wu Chunjie, who oversees undergraduate teaching, introduced some distinctive features of the experimental class training. He required all students to first build a solid foundation in their major, while also developing a sense of collective honor, and encouraged freshmen to actively participate in various activities to achieve well-rounded development. Following the teachers' speeches, senior representative Fan Xinyuan from the 2018 statistics experimental class recounted his colorful college experiences and shared his study and life insights. Student guide Sun Xin from the 2021 experimental class introduced himself and welcomed all students to communicate freely. Finally, the class committee election was held. After intense personal speeches and a voting session, the new class committee of the experimental class was formed. We look forward to the 2021 experimental class creating new brilliance!
Figure 4. Meeting between teachers and students in the experimental class and the first class meeting
The Experimental Class of the School of Statistics and Management is positioned to cultivate high-caliber, interdisciplinary talents with solid foundations, profound expertise, and urgent societal needs. While ensuring that students master the core knowledge and framework of modern statistics, it is committed to focusing on enhancing students' logical thinking abilities, independent thinking skills, and innovative research capabilities. Since the inaugural class was established in September 2014, most graduates of the Experimental Class have achieved excellent results, securing offers from well-known institutions both domestically and internationally, and continuing to delve into the field of statistical research. Students have also achieved outstanding results in academic competitions and extracurricular activities. In May 2021 alone, students from the Experimental Class won two special awards at the "Challenge Cup" Shanghai competition and entered the national finals, as well as first and second prizes in the national mathematics competition, achieving historic breakthroughs. This fully reflects the outcomes of the School's years of persistent efforts in cultivating top-notch statistical talents. In the future, our college will continue to take the Experimental Class as a key focus to further advance comprehensive teaching reforms and enhance the effectiveness of education and teaching overall.
