Top-tier math institute inaugurated in Hetao

The Hetao Institute of Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Sciences was officially inaugurated yesterday in the Hetao Shenzhen‑Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone.

Shing‑tung Yau, a world‑renowned mathematician who founded the Hetao Institute of Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Sciences, is surrounded by journalists at the institute’s inauguration ceremony yesterday. Zhen Jianhong

The institute — founded by Shing‑tung Yau, a world‑renowned mathematician, Fields Medalist, and dean of Qiuzhen College at Tsinghua University — will focus on pure and applied mathematics as well as interdisciplinary areas such as mathematics + artificial intelligence.

The institute intends to leverage the scientific, educational, and industrial strengths of Shenzhen and Hong Kong to attract top international researchers and teams, build a world‑class platform for mathematical and interdisciplinary research, and develop talent and innovation. It also aims to provide foundational support for breakthroughs in cutting‑edge fields like artificial intelligence, robotics, and the low‑altitude economy.

At yesterday’s inauguration ceremony, the institute introduced its inaugural cohort of 17 senior researchers, comprising prominent professors and scholars who will drive its early research agenda.

A corner of the newly inaugurated Hetao Institute of Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Sciences. Zhen Jianhong

The institute also signed cooperation agreements with The Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Quantum Science Center of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Hetao College, the Shanghai Institute for Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Sciences, the International Digital Economy Academy, and Shenzhen Middle School.

A native of Shantou, Guangdong Province, Yau won the Fields Medal in 1982 for his proof of the Calabi conjecture. His work has had a profound impact on theoretical physics, differential equations, and other interdisciplinary fields.

With a global vision for talent development, he founded the Yau Mathematical Sciences Center at Tsinghua University. Yau also launched 50 Yau Math Classes for gifted youth across 19 provinces and cities in China — programs that have nurtured a new generation of promising scientific leaders.