YNU builds training hub for statistics talents in western China

Yunnan University (YNU)'s statistical talent training model – modularization of curriculum system, integration of talent training, digitization of teaching resources, process-based academic assessment, and internationalization of teacher-student training – has seen the cultivation of a large number of new-era statistics talents for China in recent years.

There was a phenomenon of emphasizing the mathematical derivation and theoretical learning, ignoring data thinking and practical application in the education of statistics majors in the university before 2006.

After 15 years of exploration, the university has broken down the barriers of disciplines and formed a professional statistics curriculum system with five focuses – mathematics, statistics, computer science, knowledge in a certain field, and practical training. This requires that theoretical courses be matched with experimental courses and practical training, and the proportion of experimental learning must be at least 50 percent.

YNU has also added undergraduate-master transition courses and specialized creative integration courses requiring three to five teachers for all core courses.

In addition, the university has selected young teachers to study at famous foreign schools to master cutting-edge statistical thinking and become proficient in programming. It has already formed a bilingual teaching team led by academicians and more than 20 statistics professionals.

This talent training model has cumulatively benefited more than 1,500 undergraduate, master's and doctoral students over the past 15 years. The foreign advanced study rate of YNU undergraduates reached 41 percent last year.

YNU will cooperate with top universities and enterprises at home and abroad to continuously optimize the education of statistics talents.