On the morning of May 14, 2025, Professor Zhang Pingwen, President of Wuhan University and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, met with Professor Thomas J. Sargent, the 2011 Nobel Laureate in Economics and Chair Professor of Economics at New York University. The meeting was attended by Vice President Yuan Yufeng, Wang Liping (Party Secretary of the School of Economics and Management), Nie Jun (Dean of the School), Deng Hexiang (Deputy Director of the Office of International Affairs, presiding), and Zhang Chen (Deputy Director), among others.

President Zhang Pingwen extended a warm welcome to Professor Sargent for his return visit. He emphasized that Wuhan University places high priority on the development of digital-intelligent education and is vigorously advancing related disciplines. He expressed hope that Professor Sargent could offer valuable insights, particularly in interdisciplinary talent cultivation spanning mathematics, economics, and finance. President Zhang sincerely invited Professor Sargent to serve as an academic advisor, recommending world-leading scholars for exchanges and jointly fostering high-caliber talent.

Professor Sargent expressed gratitude for the hospitality and spoke highly of the short-term course on "Generative AI Economic Laboratory: Applications of Machine Learning in Economics" held during his visit. He praised the exceptional academic caliber of Wuhan University’s faculty and students and commended the university’s forward-thinking initiatives in digital-intelligent education. He explicitly conveyed his willingness to deepen strategic collaboration in areas such as smart education systems and interdisciplinary talent development. During the discussion, both sides engaged in fruitful exchanges on economics research frameworks and cross-disciplinary education. Professor Sargent admired President Zhang’s profound scholarship and looked forward to future visits to further strengthen cooperation with Wuhan University.

During his stay in Wuhan, Professor Sargent was also invited as a distinguished guest to deliver a keynote speech at the 2025 World Digital Education Conference.

Professor Sargent is a leading figure in the "Rational Expectations" school and has made groundbreaking contributions to macroeconomics and monetary economics. He was jointly awarded the 2011 Nobel Prize in Economics with Christopher Sims. His seminal work, Recursive Macroeconomic Theory, is widely adopted by top universities globally. In recent years, he has focused on developing open-source computational tools like QuantEcon, driving innovation in economic research methodologies. This meeting further solidified Wuhan University’s collaboration with world-renowned scholars, injecting new momentum into the university’s digital-intelligent education initiatives and economics discipline development.

Reporters: Jiang Shengjun, Luo Yu; Reviewer: Nie Jun