Basic research is the foundation of science and the source of innovation. Mathematics, as an important cornerstone of basic research, has a profound impact on national scientific and technological progress and economic and social development. At present, China's mathematics discipline has made significant progress in research level, talent cultivation, and social application, and is in a critical stage of moving from a mathematical power to a mathematical powerhouse. In this context, the Sino French Mathematics Joint Research Center, led by Wuhan University, is committed to building a high-level cooperation platform in the field of mathematics between China and France. It is an important strategic measure to promote breakthroughs in original scientific research and the cultivation of high-level talents.
In the face of the current international competition in science and technology, the center is focusing on opening up new paths for cooperation with Europe, and through deep collaboration with top French mathematical institutions, building an open, inclusive, and mutually beneficial model of international scientific research cooperation. As a mathematical powerhouse with a profound tradition, France's disciplinary system and research accumulation will provide solid support for the development of mathematics in China.
The exchange of mathematics between China and France has a long history. As early as the 1980s, Wuhan University was the first to establish the Sino French Mathematics Experimental Class with the support of the two governments, cultivating a group of internationally influential mathematicians represented by Professor Ma Xiaonan from the University of Paris Diderot. Peking University, University of Science and Technology of China, Fudan University, Shandong University, Nankai University and other universities have also maintained long-term close cooperation with the French mathematical community. On this basis, the center will collaborate with top universities such as the University of Paris Diderot, É cole Polytechnique, Sorbonne University, University of Paris Saclay, and Paris University of Arts and Sciences to carry out talent cultivation and scientific research, and explore new mechanisms for joint training of top talents in basic disciplines.
In June 2024, at the first Sino French Education Development Forum held in Paris, Wuhan University and the University of Paris Saint Germain jointly signed a letter of intent to establish a Sino French Mathematics Joint Research Center, marking the comprehensive launch of the center's construction. The center has established a Sino French Joint Academic Committee, with Academician Zhang Weiping from Nankai University serving as the Chinese director and Professor Marc Rosso from Paris Saint Germain University serving as the French director, jointly guiding the academic development and research layout of the center.
In the future, the Sino French Joint Research Center for Mathematics will focus on cultivating top talents in mathematics, supported by advantageous subject groups, and guided by high-end and incremental reforms as strategic choices, to carry out substantive, multi-level, and high-level international cooperation in scientific research and education. The center will strive to enhance the international influence and academic status of China's mathematics discipline, promote original breakthroughs in important mathematical problems, promote the in-depth application of mathematics in national economic and social development, and make important contributions to building a world-class mathematics discipline and achieving technological self-reliance and self-improvement.