the signing ceremony for the study tour cooperation between the massachusetts institute of technology (mit) and the college of business at shanghai university of finance and economics (sufe) took place at the wudong road campus. distinguished guests attending the ceremony included professor david simchi-levi, a member of the u.s. national academy of engineering and a professor of engineering systems at mit, and dr. michelle wu. also present were ding dong, deputy director of the international office at sufe, wei hang, chair of cob council, xu songwei, director of the mba center, liu songge, director of the international exchange and accreditation office, among others. the meeting was chaired by sun qi, vice dean of the school of business.
at the meeting, chair of cob council wei hang first extended a warm welcome to the distinguished guests who had traveled from afar on behalf of the college of business and briefly outlined the history and development of shanghai university of finance and economics as well as the development of its business education. he provided a detailed overview of the research achievements and international rankings the school has attained over the past five years, emphasizing the school's proactive pursuit of collaboration opportunities with renowned global institutions. the partnership with mit on the study tour program is undoubtedly a significant milestone in the school's internationalization strategy. he expressed his hope that both parties would work together closely in future collaborations to achieve shared success.
deputy director ding dong then delivered a speech on behalf of shanghai university of finance and economics. she expressed the university's eagerness to further strengthen collaboration with world-class institutions such as mit, jointly promoting talent cultivation and scientific research in the field of data science, thereby contributing greater wisdom and strength to societal development.
cob associate dean sun qi further elaborated on the college of business's strategic development goals, its international accreditation and rankings, the strong faculty, diverse educational programs, and extensive global collaboration network. he emphasized that the school is committed to cultivating high-quality financial professionals with a global perspective and innovative capabilities. the partnership with mit will provide faculty and students with broader development platforms and opportunities for advanced studies.
professor david simchi-levi also shared his deep connection with china. since his first visit to china in 2002, he has visited the country many times over the past 20 years, witnessing the rapid development of cities like shenzhen and shanghai. he expressed his high admiration for china's achievements in data management and application. he mentioned that this collaboration with the college of business at shanghai university of finance and economics is an opportunity he has long looked forward to, and he is eager for both parties to engage in in-depth cooperation and exploring limitless possibilities together.
subsequently, both parties officially signed the cooperation agreement, marking the formal launch of the study tour program and paving the way for deeper collaboration and a shared future.
following the ceremony, professor david simchi-levi was invited as a guest speaker at the 170th session of the shanghai university of finance and economics financial leaders club and the second session of the "financial technology innovation forum," where he delivered a keynote speech titled "research and practice in reshaping operations management through applied data science."
professor david simchi-levi's research team developed a novel approach using digital twin technology to quantify supply chain resilience, identify hidden risks, and formulate mitigation strategies. this research is not only theoretically innovative but has also been practically validated across various industries and regions, including oil and gas, retail, consumer goods, financial services, government, insurance, aviation, industrial equipment, and software. he provided an in-depth analysis of supply chain resilience cases of ford motor company and denso corporation, demonstrating how stress testing can identify and mitigate potential supply chain risks. these cases illustrate the effectiveness of data-driven approaches in assessing and enhancing supply chain resilience. by applying these methods, companies can better understand the vulnerabilities of their supply chains and take appropriate measures to improve their resistance to potential disruptions.
finally, he emphasized that companies should go beyond merely identifying risks and invest in digital twin technology to better understand the financial impacts on their business and continuously reassess risks. digitalization not only helps companies automate these capabilities but also allows them to proactively identify risks, thus maintaining business health and ensuring the satisfaction of customers and shareholders.
during the interactive session, the audience actively participated and asked numerous questions, engaging in deeper exchanges with professor david simchi-levi.