Dear colleagues and students, 

I am glad to have the opportunity to speak to you as a representative of SUSTech faculty. Welcome to Shenzhen, and welcome to the SUSTech！

I joined to SUSTech, about one year ago. My career started at the Academy of Sciences at the former Soviet Union: I was lucky, at that time the Soviet Mathematics was top rate, one of the best in the world. Then for 30 years, I worked at major US universities: Wisconsin, Chicago, Yale University and the University of California.

During all this time I had strong scientific and personal ties with China. I visited China every year. Three years ago, at the invitation of SUSTech and Shenzhen City government, I worked with my Chinese colleagues to establish Shenzhen International Center for Mathematics at SUSTech, and then I understood that my heart is at this Center and that I decided to join to SUSTech full time in July of 2022.

Mathematics is a basis and a prerequisite for any engineering and technology education. SUSTech is a Science and Technology university. Therefore, you will have many mathematical courses. 

We live in the time of Informational Revolution, of Artificial Intelligence.  Artificial Intelligence is rooted in Mathematics and the corresponding mathematical theory is still at the early stage of its development. You may play a big role in it. 

Mathematics is difficult. Be ready to work hard. But it is worth it. 

SUSTech is a relatively small elite university. The number of students will increase but not by much. We focus on quality. Classes are small which improves interaction between students and faculty. The faculty is truly international. When we search for a new talent, we search in the whole world, not only in Guangdong or in China. And most classes are taught in English.

And the last advice. Please, take your education in your own hands. You need Education. If you did not quite understand something during the lecture, please, ask questions. Please, come to see your professors in their offices. Your professors will be happy to talk to you. 

Good luck ! 

亲爱的同事们、同学们：

我很荣幸能作为教师代表站在这里发言。首先，欢迎你们来到深圳，来到南科大！

我的职业生涯始于前苏联科学院，我很幸运，因为当时苏联的数学科学是世界一流的。之后的 30 年里我一直在美国工作，曾就职于威斯康星大学、芝加哥大学、耶鲁大学和加利福尼亚大学。一年前，我加入了南科大。

在此期间，我始终与中国保持着密切联系，我每年都会来中国。三年前，应深圳市政府和南科大的邀请，我与中国同事一起在南科大建立了深圳国际数学中心。看着中心从无到有，我感到非常激动。我决定要留下来，并于2022年7月全职加入南科大。

数学是所有工程和技术教育的基础和前提。南科大是一所理工科大学，因此，你会在这里学习许多数学课程。

我们生活在信息革命和人工智能的时代。人工智能植根于数学，而相应的数学理论仍处于发展初期。在这方面，我对你们寄予厚望。学好数学并不容易，你们要做好刻苦学习的准备，但相信我，一切都是值得的。

深圳是一座充满活力的城市，南科大也是一所充满活力的大学。南科大是一所小而美的精英大学。我们的学生数量增幅不大，但是我们非常注重教学质量。实行小班授课，加强学生与教师之间的互动。我们拥有国际化的师资队伍。面向全球招聘人才，而不是仅仅局限于广东省或者中国国内。南科大绝大部分课程都采用英语授课。

最后，我想说，一定要抓紧你的学业。如果在课堂上有不明白的地方，请主动提问，请来办公室与教授们讨论，我们非常乐意与你们交流。

我衷心祝愿你们在南科大学有所成！