On July 5, 2025, the 1st “Shuju Dongnan” Young Scholars Forum and the 2025 JCSDS Short Courses, hosted by the School of Statistics and Data Science at Southeast University, opened at Jiulonghu Hotel in Nanjing. Focusing on the frontiers of statistics and data science, the event was intended to provide a global platform for young scholars to exchange ideas, deepen collaboration, and advance interdisciplinary innovation.
The opening ceremony was attended by Weinan E, Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Professor at Peking University; Pan Liu, Executive Deputy Secretary of the CPC Southeast University Committee; Zhichao Zhang, Deputy Secretary of the Xuanwu District Committee and District Mayor; Chengwu Tang, Deputy District Mayor of Xuanwu; Jiashun Jin,Professor of the School of Statistics and Data Science, Southeast University; Professor Cun-Hui Zhang, Distinguished Professor at Rutgers University; Professor Annie Qu of the University of California, Santa Barbara; Chao Shen, Director of the Xuanwu District Science and Technology Bureau; and Xiaobao Xu, Deputy Director of the Talent Office of Southeast University. The opening ceremony was chaired by Zhiyuan Liu, Party Branch Secretary of the School of Statistics and Data Science.
In his remarks, Pan Liu, Executive Deputy Secretary of the CPC Southeast University Committee, welcomed the distinguished guests and young scholars and expressed his appreciation for their continued support. He noted that Southeast University, as one of China’s oldest institutions of higher learning, has long upheld the mission of advancing scholarship and cultivating talent for the nation. He emphasized that the establishment of the School of Statistics and Data Science represents an important step in optimizing the University’s disciplinary layout and strengthening foundational disciplines. He added that Southeast University is committed to building a data science innovation hub with broad influence and to providing young scholars with first-class platforms, strong institutional support, and a favorable environment for both academic and personal development. He warmly invited outstanding young scholars from around the world to join Southeast University and contribute to the advancement of data science and technological innovation.
Speaking on behalf of Xuanwu District, Chengwu Tang, Deputy District Mayor of Xuanwu, congratulated the forum on its opening. He highlighted the close cooperation between Southeast University and Xuanwu District in university-local integration, industry-education collaboration, and talent cultivation, including the joint establishment of platforms such as the Big Data Joint Laboratory and the Large Model Industrial Empowerment Center. He also noted that Xuanwu District has developed a strong industrial foundation and innovation ecosystem in big data and artificial intelligence, supported by major platforms such as the Jiangsu International Data Port and the Jiangsu Data Exchange. He expressed the hope that both sides would further deepen cooperation and jointly build a new highland for collaborative innovation among government, industry, academia, and research. He also extended a sincere invitation to leading experts and young scholars to pursue development opportunities in XuanwuDistrict.
In his speech, Jiashun Jin reviewed the development of statistics at Southeast University and introduced the progress and future plans of the School of Statistics and Data Science. Since its establishment in 2024, the School has been committed to building a world-class academic institution. It is currently structured around three departments and one big data center, plans to create 80 faculty positions, is actively seeking authorization to offer doctoral programs, and is expected to enroll its first undergraduate cohort in 2026. He noted that the School is recruiting globally, offering competitive support packages and strong academic resources while fostering an open, dynamic, and supportive environment for faculty and students alike. He welcomed outstanding scholars from home and abroad to join the School and work together to advance the high-quality development of data science.
The keynote session featured three distinguished scholars. Weinan E delivered a lecture titled Towards an Understanding of the Principles behind Deep Learning, examining deep learning from a mathematical perspective and proposing that symmetry and stability may hold the key to understanding neural networks. Annie Qu presented Representation Retrieval Learning for Heterogeneous Data Integration, sharing new approaches to heterogeneous data integration and their applications in healthcare, text, and imaging. Cun-Hui Zhang gave a lecture titled Large Tensor Factor Models, introducing recent advances in high-dimensional tensor modeling and major progress in computational efficiency and accuracy.
During the forum, 12 young scholars presented their latest research on high-dimensional statistics and probability theory, complex networks and graph models, causal inference and survival analysis, multi-source heterogeneous data integration, and the application of statistical methods in social and environmental systems. Their presentations showcased emerging research advances and sparked lively academic discussion.
More than 170 young scholars from around the world attended the event, together with representatives from the Xuanwu District Science and Technology Bureau, the Talent Office of Southeast University, and the School of Statistics and Data Science. The forum marked a promising beginning for deeper academic exchange and interdisciplinary collaboration in statistics and data science.
