CUHK-Shenzhen Lauches Yau Class, Ushering in a New Era of Math and AI Excellence
On April 13, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen) officially inaugurated the Yau Class at the university’s SIN Wai Kin International Conference Centre. The inauguration ceremony brought together over 200 experts from government, academia, industry, media and secondary schools, marking a significant milestone in developing talents in fundamental disciplines and higher-education collaboration between Shenzhen and Hong Kong.
The Yau Class at CUHK-Shenzhen is named after the renowned mathematician Yau Shing-Tung, who was awarded the Fields Medal in 1982 in recognition of his groundbreaking mathematical contributions.?With strong support from the Shenzhen government, Professor Yau, CUHK and CUHK-Shenzhen, the Yau Class admits approximately 50 students each year and aims to cultivate outstanding talent in mathematics and artificial intelligence. It offers single-major, double-major, and integrated Bachelor-Doctor pathways through a joint training initiative in partnership with CUHK’s Zhizhen School of Interdisciplinary Mathematical Sciences (Zhizhen School).
At the inauguration ceremony, Professor Yau Shing-Tung, Professor Xu Yangsheng, President of CUHK-Shenzhen and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and Professor Poon Wai-yin, Provost of CUHK, jointly unveiled the plaque for the Yau Class. Professor Cai Xiaoqiang, Associate Vice President of CUHK-Shenzhen, presided over the ceremony.
President Xu Yangsheng said in his speech that over the past 12 years, CUHK-Shenzhen has established eight schools and eight colleges, with more than 13,000 students enrolled. He noted that the launch of the Yau Class marks a new milestone in collaborative education between CUHK and CUHK-Shenzhen, and is another significant step forward for the “One Brand, Two Campuses” initiative. Focusing on fundamental mathematics and cutting-edge artificial intelligence, the Yau Class is poised to identify and develop top-tier talented people capable of original thinking and interdisciplinary innovation, addressing the growing national demand for expertise in basic sciences and advanced technologies.
Professor Poon Wai-yin, Provost of CUHK, emphasized in her speech that mathematics, as the foundation of all sciences, is essential to advancing AI and national technological innovation. To that end, CUHK established Zhizhen School in 2025, with Professor Yau as its founding dean. Under the “One Brand, Two Campuses” framework, CUHK and CUHK-Shenzhen will offer students of Zhizhen School and the Yau Class cross-campus learning opportunities, access to top academic resources, and an international academic platform, seeking to cultivate future mathematics leaders with strong academic integrity, original thinking and a sense of social responsibility.
As a globally renowned mathematician and educator, Professor Yau Shing-Tung pointed out in his speech that basic science is the foundation of applied innovation and industrial development, and the rise of the Greater Bay Area provides a major opportunity for the coordinated advancement of basic and applied sciences. He further noted that the establishment of the Yau Class at CUHK-Shenzhen serves as an important pilot program for talent development in mathematics and AI. By bringing together leading mathematicians from across the country and collaborating closely with platforms such as the Shenzhen Loop Area Institute, the Yau Class is dedicated to nurturing innovative, forward-looking scholars who will advance China’s basic sciences while also contributing to the nation’s pioneering progress in AI and related industries.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, students from the Minerva Shining Chori performed the?Ode to Space-Time, a piece written by Professor Yau. The song beautifully blends the logical elegance of mathematics with a humanistic spirit.
The establishment of the Yau Class at CUHK-Shenzhen marks a significant step toward deeper higher-education collaboration between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. It also serves as a major response to the country’s efforts to train top-tier talent in fundamental disciplines. Looking ahead, the two universities will leverage their coordinated strengths, bring together world-class educational resources, and build cross-campus, interdisciplinary learning platforms for student growth. In doing so, they will support the continued development of the Greater Bay Area and contribute to the national strategy for scientific and technological self-reliance, ushering in a new phase in the advancement of China’s higher education.
