Historical Evolution

The School of Mathematical Sciences at Hebei Normal University has three origins: the former Mathematics Department of Hebei Normal University, the Mathematics Department of the former Hebei Teachers College, and the Mathematics Department of the former Hebei College of Education. The Mathematics Department of Hebei Normal University was established in early 1950, evolving from the Department of Physics and Chemistry of Hebei Normal College in Tianjin. In August 1956, it was relocated to Shijiazhuang and became the Mathematics Department of Shijiazhuang Teachers College, later renamed the Mathematics Department of Hebei Normal University in 1962. The Mathematics Department of Hebei Teachers College originated from the Mathematics Department of Hebei Normal Junior College in 1951, renamed as the Mathematics Department of Hebei Beijing Teachers College in 1956, and incorporated the Mathematics Department of Beijing Railway Teachers College in 1961. After relocating to Xuanhua, Zhangjiakou in 1969, it was renamed the Mathematics Department of Hebei Teachers College and moved to Shijiazhuang City in 1981. The Mathematics Department of Hebei College of Education was established in 1986. In 1996, the four schools merged to form the new Hebei Normal University, and in November 1998, the Mathematics Departments of the former Hebei Normal University, Hebei Teachers College, and Hebei College of Education merged to form the Mathematics Department of Hebei Normal University. In January 2000, it merged with the Computer Science Department to form the School of Mathematics and Information Science. In April 2019, after the separation of the Computer Science Department into the School of Computer and Cyber Security, the School of Mathematics and Information Science was renamed the School of Mathematical Sciences in October 2019.

Disciplinary Development

The Mathematics discipline of Hebei Normal University was among the first to be authorized to confer master's degrees after the formal establishment of the degree system in China in the early 1980s. It was authorized to confer doctoral degrees in Basic Mathematics and Applied Mathematics in 1998 and 2006, respectively. It established a postdoctoral research station in 2007 and was approved as a first-level doctoral degree-granting discipline in 2011, becoming the first in Hebei Province. Over the years, with key support from Hebei Province and the university, the Mathematics discipline has achieved significant development. In 2005, it was selected as a prominent characteristic discipline in Hebei Province. In 2013, it was identified as a national key discipline cultivation discipline by Hebei universities, and in 2016, it was identified as a "Double First-Class" discipline construction site in Hebei Province. In the fourth round of national disciplinary assessment announced by the Ministry of Education, Mathematics was classified as a Category B discipline, especially achieving new breakthroughs in the fifth round. While advancing academic development, Mathematics has actively served societal needs, establishing platforms for basic theoretical research and applied R&D. Currently, it has several provincial-level research platforms, including the Hebei Province Basic Mathematics Basic Discipline Research Center, Hebei Applied Mathematics Center, Hebei Province Key Laboratory of Computational Mathematics and Applications, Hebei Province Collaborative Innovation Center for Digital Education, Hebei Province International Joint Research Center for Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Sciences, and Hebei Province Foreign Academician Workstation. Additionally, the Hebei Mathematical Society is affiliated with our college.

Scientific Research

The Mathematics discipline has distinctive research teams in operator algebra and operator theory, intelligent computing and applications, combinatorial mathematics, differential equations, and dynamical systems. Since 2018, it has undertaken 58 projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, including one key project, one international (regional) cooperation and exchange key project, and one National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars project. It has undertaken 44 provincial and ministerial projects, winning one second prize and two third prizes of the Hebei Provincial Natural Science Award; it has hosted 25 high-level international and national academic conferences. In terms of scientific research, Mathematics has created several firsts for the university: the first National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars project, the first introduction of overseas high-level talent program awardees, the first introduction of winners of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, and the only national excellent doctoral dissertation.

Talent Cultivation

The Mathematics discipline is an important talent cultivation base for middle school mathematics teachers in Hebei Province. It has maintained a high-quality tradition of education over the years, with significant achievements in undergraduate and graduate education and a continuous emergence of talented individuals. Currently, the discipline offers three undergraduate majors: Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, Applied Statistics, and Data Computing and Applications, enrolling over 370 undergraduates annually, with the Mathematics and Applied Mathematics major being a national first-class undergraduate major construction point. The first-level discipline of Mathematics enrolls over 10 doctoral students and over 70 master’s students annually. The college sends hundreds of doctoral and

master's graduates to research institutes at home and abroad every year, many of whom have become key forces in universities and research institutions. Notable alumni include Liu Jianya, Distinguished Young Scholar of China and Vice President of Shandong University; Li Zenghu, Distinguished Young Scholar of China and Professor at Beijing Normal University; Liu Peidong, Distinguished Young Scholar of China and Professor at Peking University; Guo Junyi, Vice Chairman of the 12th Council of the Chinese Mathematical Society and Professor at Nankai University; Feng Rongquan, Secretary of the Mathematics Discipline Appraisal Group of the Seventh Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council and Professor at Peking University; Wang Yanfei, Distinguished Young Scholar of China and Researcher at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Zhang Meizhi, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Hebei Provincial People's Congress and Chairman of the Hebei Provincial Committee of the China Democratic League; and Liu Minghui, President of China Gas Holdings Limited. Currently, in the field of basic education in Hebei Province, more than a hundred graduates of the Mathematics discipline hold school-level leadership positions, and over 90 are special-grade teachers and senior teachers.

Faculty Strength

The Mathematics discipline has a strong faculty, currently comprising 34 professors, 41 associate professors, 4 foreign full-time and part-time teachers (including 1 high-end foreign expert from the National Bureau of Foreign Experts), and 25 teachers with overseas experience. The faculty team includes 2 national distinguished experts, 2 experts receiving the State Council Special Allowance, 2 recipients of the National Natural Science Foundation of China Overseas Joint Fund (Outstanding Young B), 2 recipients of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, 2 awardees of the Ministry of Education's New Century Excellent Talents, 1 Chinese Academy of Sciences Hundred Talents Program awardee, 1 recipient of the National Excellent Doctoral Dissertation, 1 Hebei Yan Zhao Scholar, 2 recipients of the Hebei Province Outstanding Youth Fund, 2 Hebei Province outstanding young and middle-aged experts with significant contributions, 1 Hebei Province teaching master, and 1 Hebei Province outstanding returned personnel.

Applied Research

While achieving fruitful results in basic research, the discipline has also made breakthroughs in applied research. Relying on the Mathematics discipline, the college has established the Software College and the Internet of Things Research Institute through school-enterprise cooperation, providing a platform for the integration of Mathematics with Information, Geography, Electronics, and other disciplines. In 2013, it was approved as Hebei Province's first collaborative innovation center focused on educational technology – the "Hebei Province Collaborative Innovation Center for Digital Education." In 2015, the center's "Smart City and Educational Equity" project won the Global Smart City Project Award at the 5th Barcelona Smart City Expo and Global Summit, becoming the only Chinese project to receive this honor. Its E•School educational product, through digital and networked transformation of "teaching" and "learning," has effectively promoted reform and educational equity in basic education, currently being piloted in 24 primary and secondary schools in Hebei Province. Currently, the college is undertaking the development of the "Beitai Tianyuan" national general-purpose scientific computing software – Image Processing Toolbox research and development project, expected to achieve new breakthroughs in applied research.