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The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) held the inauguration ceremony for the Zhizhen School of Interdisciplinary Mathematical Sciences (Zhizhen School) today (1 September), welcoming its first cohort of 14 outstanding students from Hong Kong and the mainland. Following the Ministry of Science and Technology of China’s recent designation of 15 Hong Kong laboratories as “State Key Laboratories” – including four from CUHK – Zhizhen School is committed to realising its vision of nurturing national-level research talent, with a focus on identifying outstanding mathematical science students.

Officiating at the inauguration ceremony were CUHK’s Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Dennis Lo Yuk-ming; Founding Director of the Zhizhen School and CUHK’s Distinguished Visiting Professor-at-Large Professor Yau Shing-tung; CAS Academician, Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences Professor Tian Ye; CUHK’s Provost Professor Isabella Poon Wai-yin; Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education) Professor Irwin King Kuo-chin; Associate Vice-President (Communications and Public Relations) Ms Agnes Tsang; Chairman of the Department of Mathematics Professor Zou Jun; Executive Director of the Zhizhen School Professor Eric Chung Tsz-shun; Chair of The University of Chicago’s Department of Mathematics and Fields Medalist Professor Ngô Bảo Châu; Associate Dean of Qiuzhen College, Tsinghua University Professor Wang Xiaofang; Vice President, Beijing Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Applications Professor Wu Rongling; Vice-Director, Shanghai Institute for Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Sciences Professor Shang Zaijiu; Vice-Director, Shanghai Institute for Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Sciences Professor Li Yi; and Deputy Director, Shing-Tung Yau Center of Southeast University Professor Wang Shuanhong.

In his welcome address, Professor Lo said: “Mathematics forms the foundation of virtually all scientific disciplines including natural science, engineering, medicine and artificial intelligence. The Zhizhen School pioneers effort in nurturing a cadre of top scientists for Hong Kong, the country, and indeed the world. The School targets to ultimately recruit 40 students every year, with ten coming from Hong Kong. We believe this international education platform could further stimulate the potential of students talented in mathematics, allowing them to interact with each other and top teachers from around the world, thus taking elite mathematical education to new heights.”

Professor Yau encouraged students at the Zhizhen School to aspire to become not only future scientists but also leaders who harness mathematical wisdom to advance societal progress. He emphasised that nurturing future pioneers in mathematics requires building a solid foundation from an early age, particularly around 13 to 14 years old – a critical period for developing innovative thinking and scientific intuition. He especially urged local students with mathematical potential to seize the opportunity to join the Zhizhen School as early as possible and benefit from its specially designed interdisciplinary curriculum in mathematical sciences. He added that he looks forward to these students realising their potential in the interdisciplinary fields of mathematics and technology, contributing to Hong Kong’s development as an international innovation and technology hub, and injecting fresh momentum into the nation’s technological self-reliance and long-term development.

Henry Wong Houyuan, a representative of the inaugural cohort of Zhizhen School students, said: “With the establishment of Zhizhen School, CUHK becomes even more special. The School makes full use of CUHK’s diversity and offers us new possibilities. During the preparatory study programme, I already experienced the professionalism and inclusiveness of our School. My classmates also inspired me: their active questions in class, their passion for research and discussion after class, and especially their love for mathematics. I feel truly excited to join this community.”

Despite the high bar it sets for admissions, the School has admitted 14 outstanding students from various regions across China in early 2025. It will continue to expand its intake, recruiting talented local and mainland students with promising mathematical potential. Through its unique eight-year bachelor’s-PhD programme, the Zhizhen School is dedicated to cultivating top talent in mathematical sciences, supporting Hong Kong’s development as an international hub for post-secondary education, promoting the “Study in Hong Kong” brand and enhancing the city’s global competitiveness in innovation and scientific research.

Innovative curriculum to nurture top talent in mathematical sciences

The first school of its kind in Hong Kong, the Zhizhen School is committed to nurturing outstanding talent in mathematical sciences, with highly selective admission standards and dedicated courses designed specifically for its students. The entire programme leading to a doctoral degree lasts approximately eight years. Students will receive foundational training in mathematics and physics during their first three years of study, in addition to elective subjects such as artificial intelligence, engineering and statistics. In the fourth and fifth years, students will begin their postgraduate coursework under the guidance of leading mathematicians, physicists and AI experts from around the world. The School adopts a training model similar to that of Tsinghua University’s Qiuzhen College and will deepen its collaboration with that institution under Professor Yau’s leadership. Zhizhen School students will also have opportunities to participate in exchanges, research and internships at world-renowned institutions during their studies.

World-leading mathematicians and Tsinghua University students address academic conference

The “Frontier in Mathematical Sciences” academic conference, held on the same day, featured keynote lectures by Professor Ngô; Professor Gao Ziyang of the University of California, Los Angeles; and Dr Kostas Psaromiligkos, Postdoctoral Researcher at Clermont Auvergne University, France. They covered the topics “On the Bernstein stable centre and cocentre in relation to Langlands functoriality”, “From sparsity of rational points on curves to the generic positivity of Beilinson-Bloch height” and “Bernstein theory and the Lafforgue variety”, respectively. Students from Tsinghua University’s Qiuzhen College Mr Li Xuanyou and Mr Zhao Zibo also shared their research outcomes.

For details about the Zhizhen School’s programme, please refer to the appendix.