Profile-清华丘成桐数学科学中心

From YMSC Director

Ever since its establishment in the early twentieth century, Tsinghua has always been regarded as the first-class university in China, being famous for its strong disciplines of engineering and applied sciences. Tsinghua University is far-sighted in recognizing the fundamental and strategic role of mathematics in science. In December 2009, Tsinghua University held the Inauguration Ceremony of the Mathematical Sciences Center, and invited me to be the first Director. This invitation carried with it the firm commitment and great expectations from the core leadership of Tsinghua University. This commitment gives me time and the opportunity to fully develop Yau Mathematical Sciences Center. I hope that on the basis of the sustained support, strategic investment and effective management of Tsinghua University, Tsinghua mathematical disciplines will develop into the forefront of Mathematics in the world. Many people have been working very hard for our common goal. I believe that with your support and participation, YMSC will make a significant contribution to mathematicians and mathematical disciplines around the world.

Shing-Tung Yau

Director, YMSC of Tsinghua University

Deputy director
Shi Zuoqiang
Deputy director
Yang Fan
Deputy director
Yang Xiaokui
Deputy director
Liang Tong

In December 2009, Tsinghua University established the Mathematical Sciences Center, with internationally renowned mathematician Professor Shing-Tung Yau as director. In late 2014, the Ministry of Education officially approved the establishment of the Yau Mathematical Sciences Center (YMSC) at Tsinghua University.

Under the leadership of Professor Yau, YMSC has achieved remarkable progress over the past decade. The Center has excelled in recruiting exceptional faculty members, nurturing promising young scholars, and spearheading cutting-edge research encompassing a wide range of disciplines within the Mathematical Sciences. As a result, YMSC has emerged as a world-class research institute. Embracing an ethos of openness, inclusiveness, and international cooperation, YMSC continues to attract top scholars from across the globe, while also serving as a hub for a growing cohort of talented young mathematicians and physicists.

Distinguished Faculty

Over the past decade, YMSC has assembled an exceptional team of mathematicians. Leading the Center is renowned mathematician and Fields Medalist, Shing-Tung Yau, known for his groundbreaking work on the Calabi conjecture and positive mass conjecture in general relativity. World-renowned algebraic geometer Eduard Looijenga has also contributed to the faculty for nearly a decade starting from 2013. In 2019, esteemed statistician Donald Rubin joined YMSC, followed by Fields Medalist Caucher Birkar and renowned mathematical physicist Nicolai Reshetikhin in 2021.

Emerging Mathematicians

Research Domains & Achievements

YMSC's research team boasts a significant number of young mathematicians in their 30s, over 30 of whom have graduated from the world's top 20 universities in mathematics, including Harvard University, Yale University, and the University of Chicago. Several scholars have been selected for prestigious national support and funding programs, including three recipients of the Chang Jiang Scholars Program and three awardees of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars. Additionally, 31 researchers have been chosen for the national high-level talent program. Research works of YMSC scholars cover both Pure and Applied Mathematics, including Representation Theory, Algebraic Geometry and Number Theory; Geometry and Topology; Analysis, Partial Differential Equations and Dynamical Systems; Mathematical physics; and Probability Theory and Applied Mathematics. More than 100 academic papers are published in SCI-indexed journals each year. In 2022, about 150 SCI-indexed papers were published, including those in top international journals

International Academic Platform

YMSC has established Memoranda of Understandings with nearly 30 world-renowned universities and research institutes, including Harvard University, Stanford University, Caltech, and Oxford University. Each year, more than 300 scholars in mathematics and related fields visit YMSC for exchanges and cooperation, including winners of the Nobel Prize, the Fields Medal, and the Wolf Prize.

Mathematics Talent Incubator

Talent cultivation holds a special place at YMSC. Faculty members and researchers actively engage in undergraduate and graduate education and regularly participate in programs such as the Yau Mathematical Sciences Leaders Program. They play a crucial role in training undergraduate students at Qiuzhen College and serve as advisors to graduate students, with the aim of nurturing the next generation of mathematical leaders in China. YMSC is also dedicated to identifying and nurturing talented young mathematicians worldwide. Various mathematics competitions and awards, such as the S.-T. Yau High School Science Award, S.-T. Yau College Student Mathematics Contests, ICCM Best Thesis Award, and ICCM Medal of Mathematics attract talented youth at different stages of their mathematical journey.

Today, mathematical sciences are faced with unprecedented development opportunities. With strong support from Tsinghua University，YMSC is determined to cultivate top math talents, achieve original research results，and build a most advanced mathematical sciences research center, in a bid to make Tsinghua University one of the most prestigious university in the world.

Yanqi Lake Beijing Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Applications，BIMSA

BIMSA is located in the waterfront of Yanqi Lake, in Beijing’s northern Huairou District. It was first initiated by YMSC, now in cooperation with Tsinghua University and China Academy of Science, with strong support from the Beijing municipal government and the Huairou district government. Officially established in the summer of 2020, it aims to build a world-class research institute，focusing on applied mathematics and other inter-disciplinary areas. BIMSA now has 114 researchers in the areas of Geometric Topology, Cryptography，Machine Learning, Mathematical Physics, Financial Mathematics，and Dynamical System.

Tsinghua Sanya International Mathematics Forum (TSIMF)

Tsinghua Sanya International Mathematics Forum (TSIMF) is an international comprehensive mathematics conference center of Tsinghua University locating in Sanya City, Hainan Province. It covers an area of 140 acres and has a construction area of about 30000 square meters, integrating conference, catering and accommodation.

At the beginning of 2009, Hainan Province sent a delegation to the United States for high-level talents recruitment. During the trip, they held a talk with Professor Shing-Tung Yau at Harvard University. Professor Yau pointed out that Banff International Research Station in Canada and the Mathematical Research Institute of Oberwolfach in Germany have played a very important role in the critical period of the development of world mathematics, and China should draw on their experience to build the country’s first international mathematics conference center in Asia.

In July and September 2009, national leaders held meetings with Professor Shing-Tung Yau and expressed their supports for the initiative. In June 2010, Tsinghua University and Hainan Province reached a consensus on cooperation and decided on the location of the TSIMF: the capital city of Hainan Province. Mr. Shi Weixue, a Tsinghua alumnus and an entrepreneur, donated money for the construction of TSIMF.

On December 18, 2013, the TSIMF facility was inaugurated. It includes a conference building of over 9000 square meters, a library, an accommodation area of 170 rooms, as well as relevant catering and basic recreation facilities. Up to now, YMSC has organized about 30-40 international conferences on mathematics. It also supports a number of academic conferences in other disciplines related to mathematics.

TSIMF is an important move that Tsinghua University makes to support the development of mathematics. It is the unique world-class mathematical forum in Asia which promotes the academic exchanges of the Chinese Mathematical community. TSIMF has been a milestone for math talents cultivation in China and Asian region.

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