June 23, 2021
The Class of 2022 of the NYU Shanghai - NYU Stern MS Quantitative Finance (MSQF) and MS Data Analytics & Business Computing (MSDABC) programs kicked off the 2021-2022 academic year with Orientation at NYU Shanghai on Wednesday, June 16th.
MSQF and MSDABC students check in at Orientation
Orientation included a range of presentations and workshops to help students familiarize themselves with program and campus resources, prepare for a rigorous academic year, and get to know faculty and their fellow classmates.
NYU Shanghai Chancellor Tong Shijun welcomes new students
The day began with welcome remarks from NYU Shanghai, NYU Stern, and program leadership. As Eric Mao, Associate Dean of Graduate and Advanced Education at NYU Shanghai, remarked: “You are embarking on a truly exceptional course of study. Exceptional not because it is taking place in the midst of a pandemic, but exceptional because it represents the union of two outstanding institutions, NYU Shanghai and NYU Stern.”
In his speech delivered via Zoom, Raghu Sundaram, Dean of NYU Stern School of Business, remarked on the strength and record number of applications received this year, highlighting how students will enjoy getting to know each other. Indeed, the third cohort of the joint programs, composed of 43 MSDABC students and 64 MSQF students, is an impressive group with diverse academic backgrounds.
Prior to enrolling in their NYU Shanghai - NYU Stern MS program, students completed their undergraduate studies all over the world, including from universities located in Australia, Canada, China, France, Hong Kong, Japan, Sweden, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Their undergraduate majors range from STEM subjects as Economics, Mathematics, Engineering, and Data Science to humanities and social science subjects such as Fine Arts, Communications, and Marketing. Please stay tuned for the class profiles of the two programs to be published on the official website (stern.shanghai.nyu.edu) in the coming week.
Eric Mao, Associate Dean of Graduate and Advanced Education, welcomes students
Following welcome remarks, MSQF and MSDABC cohorts separated for program-specific academic orientations. Led by Academic Directors, Professor Jeffrey Wurgler and Professor Jiawei Zhang, respectively, the sessions included introductions, an overview of the curriculum, including the capstone project, and academic policies. The directors shared tips for a successful year, emphasizing the importance of teamwork and collaboration, time management, and curiosity. Both directors also encouraged students to attend faculty office hours to delve further into course material, learn more about faculty research, and seek out advice regarding their career interests and goals. The access to faculty at both institutions, after all, is a hallmark of the NYU Shanghai - NYU Stern programs, as the faculty provide varied expertise and perspectives.
MSQF and MSDABC students at Orientation
After a catered lunch with faculty, students listened to presentations from the Career Development Center (CDC), Library Services, Health & Wellness, and Campus Facilities. In the CDC presentation, students learned about the yearlong recruitment process and timeline. The CDC team highlighted how students should focus this summer term on exploring their career interests and goals through career coaching sessions with CDC’s career advisors, industry speaker series, company and industry research, and job preparation workshops. They shared various resources for researching specific industries and companies, identifying open positions, and utilizing NYU platforms in their job hunt. In the presentation by Graduate Business Library staff, students learned about the Library’s vast physical and electronic book archives, databases, workshops, and data services, all of which serve to enhance the academic experience for students. The day ended with a happy hour at a nearby music lounge so that students could mingle with each other, as well as program staff and faculty.
Students interacting with MSQF capstone project director Han Shen Lin during the happy hour
Following Orientation, students immediately launched into coursework. On Thursday, both programs had the first class meeting of Statistics & Data Analysis taught by Professor Ming Liao. On Friday, MSQF students began Foundations of Finance with Professor Yiqing Lv, while MSDABC students started Dealing with Data & Intro to Python Programming with Professor Ying Rong. For more information about the curriculum, see here for MSDABC and here for MSQF.
MSDABC Class of 2022 group photo
MSQF Class of 2022 group photo
On Saturday, students had the opportunity to explore Shanghai and continue to get to know each other through a local tour organized by the Office of Graduate and Advanced Education (OGAE). Throughout the summer, OGAE has planned several social and extracurricular events, such as networking lunch, and company visits to supplement the in-classroom learning experience.
MSQF and MSDABC students during the Bund Tour
MSQF and MSDABC students will study at NYU Shanghai from June through January, and then travel to New York City in February 2022 to complete the spring semester at NYU Stern. This program structure redesign was determined to accommodate continued Covid-19 travel restrictions in place in Summer 2021.
We look forward to an engaging and successful academic year with our new students!