Chinese Academy of Sciences SIAM Student Chapter Hosts 13th Annual Meeting

In July 2024, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) SIAM Student Chapter successfully held its 13th Annual Meeting. The conference—which explored computational mathematics and its real-world applications—attracted more than 40 attendees from various institutions, including the CAS Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science (AMSS), the Central University of Finance and Economics, Peking University, Tsinghua University, and even Louisiana State University (LSU). This event served as a valuable opportunity for student attendees to chat about cutting-edge research, seek academic advice from distinguished scientists with experience in the field, and exchange ideas with colleagues from other academic institutions in Beijing and beyond.

The CAS SIAM Student Chapter was founded in June 2011 thanks to the initiative of then-SIAM President Lloyd Nick Trefethen of the University of Oxford and faculty advisor Ya-xiang Yuan of CAS. The chapter has continued to grow steadily over the years and currently services roughly 200 members.

The CAS SIAM Student Chapter was honored to host SIAM Past President Susanne Brenner of LSU, who delivered a public lecture at the meeting that traced computational mathematics’ fascinating history—including scientists, machines, and algorithms—from ancient times to the modern day. She also discussed the goals, practices, challenges, and opportunities that are associated with computational math. Brenner’s engaging lecture, which was accompanied by illustrative videos, sparked lively conversations among audience members.

Additionally, two early-career researchers gave presentations at the conference about their recent work. Biqiang Mu of AMSS spoke about the use of two-step estimators to solve non-convex localization and pose estimation problems, and Jinting Wang of the Central University of Finance and Economics introduced value-at-risk-based queueing game systems. These talks addressed innovative research topics in applied mathematics and encouraged student attendees to further investigate related areas of study.

The 13th Annual Meeting also featured a discussion session that allowed students to ask Brenner and Yuan both academic and career-related questions. During this segment, Brenner shared valuable suggestions for organizational strategies and future student chapter activities based on the practices of the LSU SIAM Student Chapter (for which she is a faculty advisor). She also distributed commemorative SIAM pens to all participating students, which made the interaction even more memorable. Yuan then offered his perspectives on effective research methodologies and career development in applied mathematics.

The CAS SIAM Student Chapter is grateful to both the speakers and attendees for their valuable contributions and looks forward to similarly successful events in the coming months.