In recent years, 45 of 110 undergraduates in Wuhan University’s experimental Mathematical Economics and Mathematical Finance program have been accepted to study doctoral or master degrees at renowned universities.
These students got admitted to 17 doctoral programs in universities such as Harvard University, Yale University, and University of Pennsylvania. Among these students, 12 obtained full scholarships. In addition, 161 students who were admitted in master programs in economics, finance, mathematical finance, financial engineering, and statistics. The number of accepted students and the number of programs the students were accepted in to both achieved new highs for WHU.
Notably, Wang Zixuan, who refused an offer to a masters in finance from Massachusetts Institute of Technology last year, spent one year studying in Harvard University before being accepted in a joint Harvard Business School and Economics department doctoral program. Only five students were selected for the program and no other Chinese. Li Minshen, who graduated from among the first students from the experimental math program dubbed the “Hongyi School”, was accepted into economic doctoral programs at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Rochester, Washington University in St Louis, the University of Michigan Ann Arbor and Ohio State University. Three of these universities offered full scholarship.
WHU’s Institute for Advanced Study was founded in 1994. The experimental class of Mathematical Economics and Mathematical Finance was chosen to be in the first “Personnel Training Model Innovation Experimental Area” and “National Fundamental Scientific Top Talent Training Plan” programs started by the Ministry of Education, the only economic and financial program in Ministry’s plan.
The institute’s advantage has been to teach mathematical economics and finance using international norms. The program adopted an innovated curriculum, used the most modern textbooks, focused on students’ ability to independently learn and in doing so developed a high number of well trained scholars and financiers. More than 400 students have moved on to well-known global universities to study further degrees, becoming the backbone of a new generation of Chinese mathematic and economic thinkers. Among economic majors at all universities in China, WHU’s experimental class of Mathematical Economics and Mathematical Finance sends the largest number of students abroad for further study.
(Rewritten by Aoqi Li, Edited by Sijia Hu & Yoni)
