Percolation is one of the important research directions of statistical physics. Over the past 20 years, scientists have continuously used percolation models to study propagation problems in complex networked systems. Almost all percolation theories focus on modeling influence mechanisms between direct neighbors to the best of our knowledge. However, growing evidence in social and ecological systems suggests that indirect influence is pervasive in the dynamical behaviors of the system.

From December 4 to 5, the 2021 Shenzhen International Conference on Frontiers of Statistics and Data Science was held at the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech). The event was organized by the Department of Statistics and Data Science (STAT-DS) and co-organized by the SUSTech International Center for Mathematics.

On 5 September 2021, Department of Statistics and Data Science held a welcome and orientation session for newly admitted undergraduate students, including 46 students from two programs: Statistics and Data Science and Big Data Technology. The event was hosted by department vice chair prof. TIAN Guoliang.

On 21 and 22 August 2021, the inaugural Shenzhen International Conference on Biostatistics, jointly hosted by Department of Statistics and Data Science (Stat-DS), SUSTech and Center for Biostatistics, College of Science, SUSTech, was held at convention center in SUSTech. The conference gathered 16 leading researchers from prestigious universities around the world in the field of Biostatistics, to present and discuss their latest research and the hot topics in related fields.

Recently, the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China (MOE) announced the application results of new undergraduate majors in universities for 2020. With the ample support from the MOE and the Department of Education of Guangdong Province, the undergraduate major in Data Science and Big Data Technology applied for by the SUSTech Department of Statistics and Data Science in 2020 was approved by the MOE, an indication of a major breakthrough and achievement in the department’s commitment to provide quality education. With the newly approved program and the existing program (major in Statistics), the department now offers two undergraduate programs.