In the summer of 2016, the School of Statistics and Management invited four internationally renowned professors from The University of Hong Kong, University of Connecticut, Purdue University, and North Carolina State University to offer international summer curriculum to SUFE students. The curriculum mainly focused on hot topics such as big data calculation, data processing, decision making, and big data applications, etc. These courses helped students learn advanced theories from international perspectives and apply that knowledge in practice activities.
From July 5th to July 8th, Professor Yan Jun from the University of Connecticut offered a course named Statistics Calculation. His own research includes interest in the field of Survival Analysis, Equation Estimation, and Statistics Calculation. He has published articles in top magazines in various fields, such as Ecology and Hydrology.
Statistics Calculation serves as an important tool in the subject of statistics, and covers computer algorithms, numerical matrix algebra, spline functions, optimization, nonlinear equations, resampling, Markov Chain Monte Carlo, and many others. With the dawn of the age of big data, statistics calculation has become an integral part in moving forward. Professor Yan Jun, adopted a teaching method of combining cases with theory during the course, and proposed his own opinion about the popular big data issue and shared his own experience using R project with the students, which was a benefit to them all.
From July 12th to July 15th, Professor Lv Wenbin from the Department of Statistics of North Carolina State University came to SUFE to lecture. Professor Lv graduated from the Department of Statistics of Columbia University in New York City in 2003, commencing a Doctor’s degree. His research area mainly concentrates on the modeling and analysis of survival and longitudinal data, high dimensional data variable selection and dimension reduction, statistics and machine learning methods in personalized medicine, etc. He has published more than 50 dissertations in various statistics magazines and he himself is the subeditor of several magazines including Biostatistics, Biometrics, and Statstica Sinica.
The thesis of Professor Lv’s lecture was called, “The Statistical Study Method for Big Data Processing in Personalized Medicine.” Professor Lv was able to take his seemingly esoteric models and formulas and make them simple and easy to follow by using illustrations that pleased many of the students. They said that the course not only allowed them to have access to the international forefront of statistical theory and knowledge, but also revitalized their interest and laid a solid foundation for their path in exploring statistics in the future.
From July 13th to July 14th, Professor Fong Qi from the Krannert School of Management at Purdue University offered the course named, “Business Decision Making Driven by Data Analysis,” in the teaching computer room of the School of Statistics and Management. Her field of study focuses on purchasing strategy of enterprise production chains, in addition to product development, expansion management, resource planning, and economic growth mode, etc.
The course mainly concentrated on business related decision making problems in management science, with the use of technology and data analysis. The major purpose of the course was not only about equipping students with basic management knowledge within a short period of 16 classes, but also aimed to inspire students to become intelligent technology users as well. Professor Fong Qi divided her course into two separate focuses: theoretical models and practical cases. She provided the course content to every student straightaway, and combined had daily Excel software activities. This way all students secured a chance to speak and actively put forward their own ideas, experiencing the fun of interaction with the teacher.
From July 25th to July 28th, Professor Shen Haipeng from the University of Hong Kong taught “Functional Data and its Application.” Dr. Shen graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and is currently a professor at the School of Business and Economics of the University of Hong Kong. His research field includes data-driven decision making, basic statistical analysis (high dimensional data included), and complex structures. Interdisciplinary research such as neuroimaging and bioinformatics are also within the scope of his study.
This course covered big data application in the fields of finance, business, marketing, banking, and medical services. Despite the summer heat, students persisted and explored linear model and regression analysis, with an internationally renowned professor which made for an unforgettable experience.
The international summer curriculum helped students become more aware of the advanced trends within the field, and exposed them to new problems which they are now able to spot and solve. It also improved students’ mathematical foundation, English ability (listening, speaking, reading, and writing), logical thinking, critical thinking, and innovative thinking. This broadened all of their horizons and widened their thoughts which could lead to great scientific research innovation. As an annual summer project, the curriculum is of great importance to SUFE and receives it's full support. The school has completed 12 courses in 3 years and plans to continue to offer international curriculum, and will continue it's full effort to provide students with high-quality, diversified statistics discipline curriculum, and construct a platform to further cultivate talent to follow the international strategy for development.
Translated by: Tang Zheying
Edited by : John Jackson Zhang Boxin
Source: SUFE News
