Peking University was the pioneer in China to conduct teaching and research in the field of probability and statistics, appointing Pao-Lu Hsu as Professor of Mathematics in 1940 after he obtained his Ph.D. and D.Sc. from the University College London. Consequently, a course in Mathematical Statistics was offered in 1940s, and the first graduate student completed his study in 1951. As a part of the first national program on scientific development, the Division of Probability and Statistics was established at Peking University in 1956. The program had developed a wide curriculum for eight years in probability and statistics, with more than 200 undergraduates and 8 graduates who finished their studies and became the driving force in conducting research and disseminating the knowledge of probability and statistics in China. In 1985, the Department of Probability and Statistics was established, with Chen Jiading as the Chair; in 1991, the Institute of Mathematical Statistics of Peking University was established; in 1995, the Department of Probability and Statistics and the Department of Mathematics merged to form the School of Mathematical Sciences.
The Department of Probability and Statistics consists of two teaching and research sections: the probability and the statistics sections. There are more than 20 faculty members, including 1 Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 3 elected into the National Major Talent Program, 3 supported by the Distinguished Youth Program of the National Science Foundation of China, and 3 supported by the National Major Youth Program. They can be divided into three main research areas: mathematical statistics and machine learning, probability theory, and biostatistics.
The Department of Probability and Statistics attaches great importance to student training and aims to establish a comprehensive training system, so as to cultivate high-quality talents with international vision, innovative spirit and practical ability who can play a leading role in statistics and data science and related industries for the country. After exploration and practice, a training model of "focusing on classroom teaching to lay a solid foundation; intensifying scientific research training to enhance scientific research innovation ability" has gradually formed. The department has cultivated a group of students with solid theoretical foundations and the ability to independently engage in scientific research, which has delivered a large number of outstanding talents in probability, statistics and data science to domestic universities, scientific research institutions and high-tech enterprises. Many young Peking University students are active in the international academic frontier, leading the development of our disciplines.
Through the efforts of several generations of probabilists and statisticians at Peking University, the Department of Probability and Statistics has distinct characteristics and advantages in teaching, scientific research and talent training. The Department of Probability and Statistics will continue to give full play to the traditional advantages of mathematical statistics; strengthen interdisciplinary developments across the fields of economy and finance, life sciences and medicine, and atmospheric environment; make more original and pioneering contributions to modern machine learning, genomics, medical diagnosis and other fields; and contribute to Peking University's construction of "world-class statistics ", as well as to the developments of China’s public health, society，economics, and national security.
We warmly welcome prospective faculty members and students who are willing to engage in probability and statistics to join us!
