Prof Fang Kaitai, Prof Stephen Chung (Dean of the Division of Science and Technology), Prof Pan Jianxin, Dr Ye Huajun and another student of Prof Fang's at Prof Pan's lecture to a UIC audience
“I was in dreamland one morning when my advisor woke me up and asked me to come over to his office. He offered me an opportunity to a scholarship for a doctoral study in the UK supervised by a teacher he knows,” Dr Ye Huajun, Programme Director of Statistics, reminisces how he ultimately went to the University of Manchester and met his mentor, Prof Pan Jianxin.
Dr Ye brought his knowledge to UIC in 2007 and became one of the students' favourite teachers. Students like to stop by his office whenever they feel confused about study or life.
Last December, renowned statistician Prof Pan was invited to lecture at UIC. He had a catch up with Dr Ye about the days in Manchester and reminisced, “Huajun was the first and best PhD student I have ever supervised.”
It's a small world after all. It turned out that Dr Ye had been working with Prof Pan's teacher, Prof Fang Kaitai.
Prof Fang Kaitai taught in Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) from 1990 to 2005. Prof Pan received his Doctorate Degree in Statistics at HKBU in 1996 thanks to Prof Fang's guidance. Prof Fang designed the Statistics Programme for UIC in 2004 and joined the College as the first Programme Director in 2006, whereas Prof Pan is now Head of Probability and Statistics at the University of Manchester.
At his lecture Prof Pan expressed gratitude towards Prof Fang: “I was very fortunate to have met him in my twenties, and to have been the first PhD student he has advised at HKBU. All the statistical methods I use today, I learned from Prof Fang.”
The veteran teacher Prof Fang has fostered many like Prof Pan who stand on the cutting-edge of academics at home and abroad. For instance, his earliest doctoral student, a Princeton University professor Jianqing Fan, is the winner of the 2000 Committee of Presidents of Statistical Societies Presidents' Award.
Moreover, Prof Fang is a productive researcher and has published a wealth of works including statistics textbooks.
At the moment, Prof Fang and Dr Ye are working on the further development of the Statistics Programme and creating options of graduate study for students.
Prof Fang Kaitai (first from left) and Prof Pan Jianxin (first from right) meet at an international academic conference in Toronto last August
Editor: Deen He
(Reprinted from MPRO’s UIC Beacon Issue VIII, March 2014)
