Hello every new student. On behalf of the faculty members and the support staff, I sincerely welcome all of you to start your undergraduate/graduate degrees at the School of Mathematics in Southwest Jiaotong University.

Your arrival time cannot be any better. Our country is undergoing historic changes, our university is making big leaps into becoming a research intensive university, and our School is experiencing unprecedented changes as well. The Big Data era you are facing is nothing but the era in which mathematics, statistics and computing are badly needed. If a country’s becoming better is for her own people in the end, in my mind, your growing into citizens who are open minded, knowledgeable, creative, ambitious, and willing to serve your county and people, is the ultimate goal of the School.

Our expectations on you cannot be any higher. Everything we do will be reflected on you, from program updates and modifications, from seizing opportunities to prepare you to catch up the trends and meet the current needs, and from planting the seeds in your soul of mathematics, statistics and computing that one day will surprise you and your co-workers on how much more you can do.

There are various challenges in front of you. One particular challenge is for you to do more, deeper and better in a much freer university environment where there are no parents checking you, no high school teachers coaching you, no so many pressing deadlines waiting for you and no frequent feedbacks reminding you. To come thus far, you have fought successful battles in which you saw clearly who your competitors were (mostly your classmates). In some sense, to be successful in a university, one needs to fight a successful battle against oneself and the alluring environment. Are you prepared? Are you ready?

Regardless how busy your university life will be, to make every effort you have made or will make worth something, ALWAYS find regular time periods to play sports games. You also need to pick new friends who can bring new dimensions to enrich your university life.

Where there’s a will there’s a way. Wish all of you success!

                                                                            Honorable Dean, School of Mathematics