10 Sep 2026
On the afternoon of 4 September 2026, the School of Mathematics and Physics at XJTLU held its 2026 New Master Students' Induction on campus. The session covered the School's introduction, programme overviews for the four MSc programmes, the Development Adviser (DA) support system, and a graduate representative's sharing, providing a comprehensive welcome to the new cohort.
Professor Shaozhong Deng, Deputy Dean of the School of Mathematics and Physics, extended a warm welcome to the 2026 cohort of postgraduate students and expressed his sincere appreciation for their choice of the School of Mathematics and Physics. He emphasised that the School will do its utmost to support students throughout their studies and life at XJTLU. He also encouraged the new students to make the most of their time from the very first day, taking the initiative in learning, thinking, and planning for their studies and future. In an era of rapidly advancing artificial intelligence, he reminded them not to overlook the importance of building a strong foundation in their chosen fields—the stronger their foundation, the better they will be able to make effective use of AI. He also encouraged them to cherish the teachers, classmates and friends they will meet during their time at XJTLU.
Applied Maths
Dr. Xinyao Yang, Programme Director of the MSc Applied Mathematics, introduced the programme. Built around core skills in mathematical modelling and data analysis, the curriculum combines foundation courses, specialised directions and practical components. Students can select modules in areas such as partial differential equations, scientific computing and optimisation algorithms, and may choose between academic research and industry-collaborative dissertation projects, including those jointly supervised with the JITRI Academy. The School offers a range of research topics and training support.
Financial Maths
Dr. Yi Cao, Programme Director of the MSc Financial Mathematics, presented the programme. Integrating traditional financial theory, mathematical modelling and machine learning. Its machine-learning pathway is a distinctive highlight, developed with two industry partners — ForthTech in Hong Kong and Predictiva in the UK — offering real market data and quantitative finance internship opportunities. Graduates build stable careers in financial engineering, quantitative research and risk management.
Actuarial Science
Dr. Ran Xu, Programme Director of the Actuarial Science, described the programme, which covers core subjects aligned with the Society of Actuaries (SOA) and the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA). The curriculum spans life insurance, annuities and pension mathematics, non-life insurance and risk theory, probability and statistical learning, loss models, and quantitative finance. Graduates typically enter life insurance, health insurance, property insurance, enterprise risk management, pension and investment management.
Data Science
Dr. Long Bai, Programme Director of the MSc Data Science, described the programme. Emphasising interdisciplinary training in computing, statistics and domain knowledge. Compulsory modules in the first semester include Data Mining and Big Data Analytics, Database Management, and Mathematics and Statistics for Data Science. Students are expected to concentrate on an application area such as healthcare, finance, information technology, bioinformatics or machine learning, and complete their dissertation through a JITRI industry project or under an XJTLU academic supervisor.
DA Support System
Speaking on behalf of the Student Development Advice Centre, Ms. Liu Siqing introduced the Student Development Advisor Team and Career Business Partner supporting postgraduate students of the School of Mathematics and Physics. She outlined a wide range of non-academic support resources covering student community activities, psychological counselling, career planning and development, among other areas. She encouraged students to make full use of one-on-one consultations, career workshops and the External Mentor Programme to plan their personal development paths in advance.
Sharing from Graduate Representative
Zexi Li (MSc Data Science, 2024–2026), a graduate representative of the Class of 2026, shared his experience under the theme "Don't rush — build a solid foundation first." From an undergraduate degree in applied mathematics at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics to an MSc in Data Science at XJTLU and now a PhD at XJTLU, he took part in SSLC and JITRI joint training during his master's studies. Around three points — find your pace, take the initiative, and take the long view — he advised new students to build solid foundations and balance research, internships and life.
The new semester has set sail, and SMP will continue to support every student with its existing faculty, curriculum, and support systems as they pursue their academic and career goals.
By Qinru Liu
Photos courtesy of Yifan Feng
10 Sep 2026