On March 1, 2023, the Department of Statistics and Data Science of the Faculty of Science and Technology invited Professor Guocan Feng to give a lecture entitled "Problem-driven Mathematical Modelling." Professor Feng is the director of the Guangdong Provincial Mathematical Modelling Competition Committee and the judge of the Mathematical Modelling Competition for many years. He is also a member of the Special Committee on Mathematical Modelling of the Chinese Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics and a Professor of the School of Mathematics of Sun Yat-sen University. The lecture aimed to raise students' awareness of modelling competitions and improve their competitiveness.

Dr. Huajun Ye, Head of the Department of Statistics and Data Science, hosted the lecture and expressed gratitude to Professor Feng for his visit and guidance.

Professor Feng briefly introduced the history of the modelling competition and gave high recognition to the preparation and achievements of the competition in our school. He emphasized that modelling is an innovative project driven by solving practical problems and that problem-driven is the driving force of innovation. Professor Feng also encouraged students to create opportunities to apply their learning during their time at university to enhance innovation.

During the Q&A session after the lecture, students asked questions about solving problems in competitions and how to approach modelling and learn about it. Professor Feng advised that simple and effective solutions can achieve good results and suggested that students attend more school training and related courses to develop their modelling skills. He also suggested that schools can organize clubs or learning centers to gradually develop students' modelling skills.

Professor Jianxin Pan, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology, presented a souvenir to Professor Feng.

Professor Feng poses for a group photo with the teachers

Reporter: Chujun Huang

Photographer: Wanbing Wang

Editor: Alex Yi Zhao