Dean's Letter

"We educate leaders who, with the power of AI and finance, shape a better world." -- Prof. Yilei Shao   

As we approach the technological singularity, our world is undergoing transformations of an unprecedented scale, presenting a juxtaposition of rapid advancements and complex challenges. This paradigm shift is not limited to our external environment but extends to the realm of human cognition. In this context, the task of higher education to foster a generation endowed with resilience and intellectual acumen is more pertinent than ever. Talent development has never been as directly connected to shaping the future as it is now.

The Shanghai AI-Finance School at ECNU is a school younger than AI itself. Our choice to focus on the convergence of artificial intelligence and finance stems from their striking parallelism: both domains are characterized by their dynamic complexity and straddle the boundary between the sciences and humanities. Their impact extends beyond their respective fields, influencing both scientific inquiry and humanistic discourse. Finance has been instrumental in shaping the post-World War II global order, whereas artificial intelligence is poised to redefine the current geopolitical landscape and the prospective coexistence of humanity with alternative intelligence. In essence, AI and finance epitomize the intricate interplay of large scale systemic governance and societal dynamics.