On May 16, 2019, at noon, the School of Statistics and Management held a welcome meeting for the freshmen of the 18th Statistics Experimental Class. The college places great importance on the talent cultivation and construction of the experimental class. The meeting was hosted by Wu Chunjie, the Deputy Dean of the School of Statistics and Management, and attended by Qiu Yi, Deputy General Manager of the Precious Metals Business Department of the Industrial and Commercial Bank, Deputy Dean You Jinhong, Professor Feng Xingdong, Executive Dean of the Institute of Data Science and Statistics, and Wu Mengyun, the teacher in charge of the experimental class.
In September 2014, the School of Statistics and Management established the Experimental Class in Statistics for the first time, aiming to cultivate academically outstanding talents with solid foundations, deep expertise, and urgent societal needs. After four years of experimentation and exploration, the school continuously improved the selection and exit mechanisms for the experimental class. Starting from the 2018 cohort, the selection process began in the second semester of enrollment. After rigorous selection processes, including comprehensive interviews, a total of 37 students stood out. This meeting mainly invited the school's leaders, industry experts, and teachers in charge of the experimental class to impart key learning insights in statistics and share experiences from university life, while also providing new students entering the School of Statistics a chance for face-to-face interaction and communication with the leadership.
Vice Dean Wu Chunjie first introduced the overall situation of the experimental class, clarifying the positioning of the experimental class to encourage further study and academic research. He also mentioned the high percentage of previous experimental class students who were recommended for admission to prestigious universities and the successful outcomes of the experimental class. He encouraged students to build a solid foundation in preparation for future interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary research.
Subsequently, General Qiu combined his own academic and work experiences to share his views on statistical learning, and from the perspective of an industry expert, elaborated on how many jobs in the banking sector are closely related to statistical concepts and methods.
Next, Vice Dean You Jinhong elaborated on the curriculum setup, stating that the experimental classes have more courses in mathematics and statistical theory, which are more difficult and require students to invest more time and effort. He also reminded students to adjust their mindset in a timely manner when facing academic pressure. Additionally, he pointed out that the college has invested significant effort in aspects such as faculty allocation, establishing academic mentors, and life mentors for the development of the experimental classes, urging students to cherish this opportunity and make the most of it.
Professor Feng Xingdong further emphasized the importance of building a solid foundation in mathematics. He suggested that to excel academically, one must maintain a calm demeanor and be able to endure sitting on a sturdy bench. He encouraged students not to relax or waste their four years in college, to broaden their horizons, to view their competitors on a national and even global scale, and to continuously motivate themselves to persevere. Regarding the "Data Clinic," Professor Feng Xingdong introduced how the development of statistics is closely linked to the generation of actual data. The establishment of the Data Clinic is, in fact, a designed mechanism aimed at having graduate students mentor undergraduates, allowing students to engage with real data while studying theoretical concepts, thereby directly addressing real-world problems and achieving a combination of theory and practice.
The head of the experimental class, Teacher Wu Mengyun, encourages students to communicate and discuss more, and to set clear goals to work together for the development of the experimental class.
Vice President Wu Chunjie first affirmed the abilities and strengths of the students selected for the experimental class, further emphasizing that they should not waste time and should focus on building a solid foundation, as future transitions in any direction are possible. He also reminded the students not to overly focus on grades at the expense of friendships with classmates. He encouraged everyone to cherish their camaraderie, actively participate in school and college activities, especially various practical activities, in order to cultivate a sense of social responsibility.
In the subsequent interaction, General Qiu and Professor Feng Xingdong shared their views on how to balance heavy work and study under the "996 environment" in response to the questions raised by the students.
An hour-long class meeting was spent in laughter and joy. The teachers expressed their warm welcome for this type of opportunity to communicate and discuss with students, and the students also gained a lot from it.
Relying on Shanghai's first-class undergraduate construction leading project—“First-Class Undergraduate Major Construction,” “First-Class Undergraduate Talent Training Base Construction,” our college focuses on the needs for statistical talent and social talent in the data era, starting from the “Four Returns.” We implement the fundamental task of “cultivating virtue and nurturing people” and strive to provide a broader platform for cultivating compound innovative talents. The School of Statistics and Management will gradually normalize class meetings, offering students and teachers more opportunities for exchange and communication. This will help students clarify their learning objectives and cultivate statistical thinking, while also promoting good interaction between teachers and students, ensuring that student feedback is communicated timely to educators and administrators, thus effectively advancing teaching reform and optimization.
