Faculty of Science

UESTC Winter School – Chengdu

Published on in News

From February 2 to 7, the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Montpellier hosted 20 students from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC) in Chengdu, China, for an immersive week focused on mathematics, innovation, and French culture.

This week was marked by:

  • lectures given by faculty members from the University, highlighting the legacy of Grothendieck and Jean-Jacques Moreau
  • presentations and tours of key facilities such asIMAG, Euromov, the MIPS cluster, and the Business Innovation Center ( BIC) in Montpellier
  • special sessions focusing on contemporary applications of mathematics in the sciences of motion, modeling, and AI
  • a cultural immersion experience that included exploring Montpellier’s heritage, a day trip to Avignon, and a visit to the beach—a first for some students.

Monday, February 2

  • Welcome breakfast
  • Opening ceremony attended by Clare Hart, Vice President of Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole and delegate for international relations and European cooperation; François Pierrot, Vice President for International Relations at the University of Montpellier; and Jean-Michel Marin, Dean of the Faculty of Sciences.
  • Lecture: " Alexander Grothendieck and the Power of Abstraction " by Jean-Michel Marin
  • Lunch cocktail
  • Presentation to students at the Faculty of Sciences in Montpellier on the UESTC Summer Schools.
  • Lecture: " Jean-Jacques Moreau and the Birth of Non-Smooth Mechanics " by Pierre Alart

Tuesday, February 3

  • Lecture: " From Convex Analysis to Contact Dynamics: The Legacy of Moreau. Applications in Granular and Fractured Media: Bridging Theory and Engineering " by Frederic Dubois
  • Introduction to the MIPS Training and Research Center ( Mathematics, Computer Science, Physics, and Systems)
  • Visit to the Business Innovation Center (BIC) in Montpellier

Wednesday, February 4

  • Lecture: "Computational Cardiovascular Biomechanics: A Multiscale and Multiphysics Perspective " by Franck Nicoud
  • Presentation of the University of Montpellier’s International Strategy by François Pierrot – Vice President for International Relations at UM
  • Tour of the former Montpellier School of Medicine
  • Guided Tour of the Jardin des Plantes in Montpellier

Thursday, February 5

  • Lecture: " From Musculoskeletal Models to Motion Analysis and Bioengineering " by Franck Jourdan
  • Lecture on " Mathematical Foundations of Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning" by Jean-Michel Marin
  • Networking cocktail party

Friday, February 6

  • Guided tour of the city of Montpellier
  • Discussion with researchers from IMAG (Montpellier Alexander Grothendieck Institute) and a tour of IMAG
  • Tour of the EuroMov Laboratory (Human Movement Sciences)

Saturday, February 7

  • Guided tour of the city of Avignon
  • Lunch on the Rhône
  • Tour of Le Grau-du-Roi
  • Closing Night

A huge thank you to all the speakers, the organizing teams, and the students for their dedication and curiosity!