On November 4, Wu Weixing, Deputy Party Secretary and President of CUEB, met with a delegation from the University of Alberta (UA) led by Huang Cen, Vice-Prov and AVP International, and Chris Frei, Chair of the Department of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, at the Hechang Hall of Boyuan Building. Li Kunpeng, Vice President and member of Party Standing Committee of CUEB, also attended the meeting. Centered on deepening institutional ties, facilitating joint cultivation programs, and fostering research innovation, the two sides concluded with the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI).

Extending a warm welcome, President Wu introduced CUEB’s academic profile and global engagement to the delegation. He outlined the university’s dedication to serving national and capital development through open education and pioneering work in cross-disciplinary fields such as statistics, fintech, and AI. Recognizing UA’s esteemed global reputation and expertise in areas like AI and mathematical finance, President Wu envisioned a partnership where both institutions could achieve synergy by pooling expertise in joint programs, exchanges, and research.

Huang expressed her gratitude to CUEB for the warm hospitality and provided an overview of UA. She highlighted its deep commitment to collaborations in China, evidenced by several impactful joint programs, and its ongoing search for new ventures in talent cultivation and research. She hoped this visit would open the door to strengthening practical cooperation with CUEB in Statistics and Management, with a focus on methodically advancing Sino-foreign cooperative education to nurture top-level international innovators.

Chris Frei, a renowned expert in risk management, algorithmic trading, and quantitative finance, spoke highly of his visit. He expressed interest in developing deeper ties with CUEB’s School of Statistics and Data Science, particularly in co-developing curricula, nurturing innovative personnel, expanding faculty exchanges, and enriching cross-cultural academic engagement.

The signing ceremony, witnessed by President Wu and other representatives, marks a significant step forward in the institutional partnership. This agreement paves the way for co-developing academic programs, enhancing mutual mobility, and strengthening research ties. Prior to this meeting, the LOI had already been signed by UA’s Provost and Vice-President (Academic) Verna Yiu and Faculty of Science Dean Declan Ali.

Throughout their five-day visit to CUEB, Huang Cen and Chris Frei have a packed schedule featuring campus tours, academic talks, roundtables with faculty, student sessions, and class visits. The two universities shall also advance talks on key issues like curriculum integration, faculty recruitment, and specific terms of the agreement.

Participants from CUEB included Liu Wenchuan, Director of the International Cooperation and Exchange Department (Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs Office); Vice Directors Zhao Lingfei and Wei Huaying; Ren Tao, Dean of the School of Statistics and Data Science; Yu Peng, Dean of the School of Accounting; and Sha Yezhou, Deputy Dean of the School of Statistics and Data Science, among others.

Established in 1908 in Edmonton, UA is a founding member of the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities. It also belongs to the Worldwide Universities Network and the Worldwide Energy University Network. With over 46,000 students, about 8,400 of whom are international, China is a key partner. UA ranks 94th globally and 4th in Canada in the 2026 QS World University Rankings.

UA enjoys global recognition in engineering, medicine, science, and business, and leads in frontier disciplines such as artificial intelligence and machine learning—fields in which it ranks first in Canada and second in North America. Notably, one of the lead developers of AlphaGo is an Alberta alumnus. The university has an extensive track record of cooperation with China through initiatives such as the Canada Study in China Program (CLIC) and the Global Academic Leadership Development (GALD) project, which have provided platforms for thousands of students and administrators from both countries. It also runs joint education programs with Xi’an Jiaotong University, Wenzhou Medical University, and Beijing Sport University.