On the morning of September 16, 2024, the College of Mathematical Sciences at Zhejiang Normal University held an inauguration ceremony for new students in Zhengyang Hall. A total of 83 undergraduates, along with 30 master’s and doctoral students, gathered to begin a new chapter in their lives. The event was attended by the college’s leadership, faculty, and staff, and was hosted by Yang Feng, Chair of the College Committee.
The ceremony began with the national anthem, followed by an address from founding dean Prof. Kong Dexing, who encouraged students to focus on Learning, Innovation, and Achievement, and to strive for self-improvement and contribute to society and the nation.
During the ceremony, Dean Kong presented Professor Xu Songhua with a certificate of appointment as Honorary Professor. Professor Xu, who holds a PhD from both Zhejiang University and Yale University, has made significant contributions to research in intelligent decision support for medical big data, intelligent healthcare, computer science, and applied technology.
Distinguished Professor Marcello Pellilo, representing the faculty, addressed the students with two pieces of advice for their studies: Get fishes, which emphasized the importance of building a strong foundation in mathematics and staying updated in relevant fields, and Don't be shy, ask questions, encouraging them to seek clarification whenever needed, both in and out of class.
Li Wenyu, representing the 2024 cohort in Intelligent Medical Engineering, shared her motivation for choosing her major: a commitment to benefiting people in local communities and her aspirations for future studies. Yu Yue, a senior representative from Artificial Intelligence Class 221, encouraged the new students to value their learning opportunities, strive for continuous improvement, and work diligently to achieve their life goals.
Continuing the College’s tradition, each new student received a commemorative certificate of enrollment, followed by a group photo.
Later that day, Dean Kong delivered the inaugural lecture for the 2024 cohort, titled When Mathematics Meets Medicine. He explored the emerging interdisciplinary field of Mathematical Medicine, which integrates mathematics, physics, and medicine, while also relating to computer science, information theory, and big data science. He emphasized that this interdisciplinary approach aims to enhance treatment accuracy, reduce healthcare costs, and improve access to quality medical resources, addressing challenges such as the difficulty and expense of accessing medical care and contributing to tiered diagnosis and treatment as part of the Healthy China initiative.
