On May 6, 2026, a delegation led by Ding Xinjian, former Director of the Science and Technology Information Division of Ningxia Highway Management Center, and Zhang Lei, Executive Vice President of Ningxia Highway Survey and Design Institute Co., Ltd., visited the School of Statistics and Data Science for a formal visit and exchange program. Liu Zhiyuan, Secretary of the Directly Affiliated Party Branch of the School, together with other faculty members, warmly received the delegation on behalf of the School. The two sides held friendly discussions on cooperation in areas such as the integrated application of artificial intelligence in transportation and the joint development of a university–local research center.

The meeting focused on the development trends of the integration of artificial intelligence with the transportation industry. The two sides discussed how to leverage the School’s research strengths in statistical modeling and data analysis to promote the digital, intelligent, and high-quality development of Ningxia’s transportation industry. They also exchanged views on key issues such as deepening university–local industry–university–research cooperation and enabling the efficient transformation of scientific and technological achievements. In particular, they discussed plans to jointly conduct research on key industrial technologies through the co-construction of a university–local research center, promote high-level talent exchange and interdisciplinary talent cultivation, and help bridge key links between university-led technological research and local application scenarios.

In addition, the two sides reached consensus on the integration of technologies and application scenarios in areas such as expressway operation monitoring, low-altitude simulation and planning, and intelligent infrastructure maintenance. They plan to jointly promote the development of an “AI + transportation” industry demonstration zone based on solid research accumulation.

The meeting marked another step for the School in leveraging its strengths in statistics and data science to continuously empower the high-quality development of the regional digital economy. It also further deepened collaborative innovation among government, industry, universities, research institutes, and users, laying a solid foundation for long-term, stable, practical, and efficient cooperation between Southeast University and Ningxia Highway Survey and Design Institute Co., Ltd.