Efim Zelmanov, chair professor of SUSTech

Shenzhen is a city with great energy, ambitious people and a place where everything is in the process of development, said Efim Zelmanov, chair professor of the Southern University of Science and Technology — also known as SUSTech.

Zelmanov, 67, is a Russian-born American mathematician who was awarded the Fields Medal in 1994 for his solution of the restricted Burnside problem. The problem was one of the oldest questions in finite group theory posed in 1902.

"In the past 25 years, I have been to almost everywhere in China but I never imagined that I would eventually move to China," he said. He used a mathematics concept to describe China's growth: "There is a concept called derivative, which shows a trend of growth. The growth in China has been completely astonishing," he said.

Speaking of the reason why he jumped out his comfort zone in California, where he enjoyed a high reputation, and embarked on a new life in Shenzhen, Zelmanov said that he feels a huge energy in the air. Shenzhen is a good place to work in, as people like to share their ambitious plans and want to make a difference, he added.

In 2019, the SUSTech International Center for Mathematics was established. It is one of 10 Nobel Prize Laureate laboratories funded by the Shenzhen city government. This year, he took a bold decision to go from a distinguished visiting professor to being the chair professor of the university.

"I'm very touched and overwhelmed with the level of support from the local government. I have talked to the SUSTech president Xue Qikun, who is an outstanding physicist, and there were things that scientists like us both understand," he said.

"The local government really wants local science to be strong and every time we have a new idea, we can come directly to the local government and officials will be very supportive," he said.

In the three years since its establishment, the center has seen fruitful results not only in scientific research but in talent recruitment.

According to Zelmanov, his center has hired competent people thanks to the university's program that encourages talents to visit the city and the university. "It is very difficult to hire somebody who has never been to Shenzhen. But when the talents get involved in the atmosphere and go around, they will find the city attractive and then they will choose to move to Shenzhen," he said. "I hope in the near future, the center will be lively, with a lot of visitors, discussions, students and seminars."

Shenzhen has a profound connection with mathematics. Zelmanov said the city is where the information revolution took place, and the way information works relates to mathematics.

"Each time when you use your mobile phone or log onto your email account, you use mathematics," he said. "At such a place as a great industrial technological hub, it is important to develop first-class mathematics. It's really breathtaking that the leaders of the city perfectly understand this."

He added that an ecological system is taking shape, linking up universities, undergraduates, graduates, fundamental research, applied research and divisions in technological companies, like Huawei.

"While the ability of SUSTech is limited, there are many other universities," he said. "They together can benefit the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in which Shenzhen is included," he said.

yinruowei@chinadaily.com.cn