Liu Jun, a world-renowned statistician and Harvard professor, has officially returned to China to take up a senior academic role at Tsinghua University. His appointment as the “Xinghua Distinguished Chair Professor”, the highest academic honor at the institution, was confirmed on August 30.
For Liu, this marks both a professional milestone and a personal return to his birthplace. Born on Tsinghua’s campus, where his father was a teacher, Liu spent his early years surrounded by academia. His return decades later underscores both his enduring connection to China and the country’s increasing efforts to attract top global talent in science and technology.
Early Struggles and Passion for Mathematics
Liu’s fascination with mathematics began at the age of 12, despite the challenges of growing up during the Cultural Revolution. At that time, educational opportunities were scarce, and even basic resources such as math books were difficult to obtain. Universities were closed, and high school students were often sent to rural areas for agricultural labor.
To support his son’s interest, Liu’s father borrowed and even hand-copied textbooks for him. Liu devoured any material he could find, regardless of whether it was meant for high school or university students. He later recalled that solving mathematical problems with just a pencil and paper felt like a game.
His determination paid off when he was admitted to Peking University. While he spent much of his student life playing bridge and socializing, his natural talent shone through. By the time he graduated in 1985, he was ranked among the top of his class in mathematics.
Pursuit of Knowledge Abroad
Shortly after graduation, Liu was awarded a scholarship from the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, which enabled him to study in the United States. He began his academic career at Rutgers University in New Jersey, where he faced the challenge of adapting to a new culture and language. Yet mathematics, as a universal language, helped him succeed.
In 1988, he transferred to the University of Chicago to study under statistician Wing Hung Wong. While there, he became active in student movements supporting the 1989 pro-democracy demonstrations in Beijing. His activism prompted his mentor to ask whether he intended to pursue politics or mathematics. Choosing the latter proved to be a defining moment in his career.
Liu completed his PhD in statistics in just three years, graduating in 1991. That same year, he began his career as an assistant professor at Harvard.
Academic Achievements in the U.S.
Liu’s academic trajectory was meteoric. After starting at Harvard, he moved to Stanford University, where he advanced from assistant professor to full professor in statistics. In 2000, he returned to Harvard as a tenured professor, where he became one of the leading figures in biostatistics, bioinformatics, and computational biology.
His contributions to statistical theory and its applications in big data, machine learning, and biomedical research have been recognized worldwide. Among his many honors:
- COPSS Presidents’ Award (2002) – the most prestigious recognition in international statistics.
- Morningside Medal in Applied Mathematics (2010) – awarded to leading mathematicians under 45.
- Pao-Lu Hsu Award (2016) – recognizing excellence among statisticians of Chinese origin.
- Fellow of the American Statistical Association (2005).
- Election to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (2025).
Building Bridges with Tsinghua
Despite his long career in the U.S., Liu never lost touch with his academic roots in China. Since 2005, he has regularly visited Tsinghua University as a guest professor. In 2015, he played a key role in founding the Centre for Statistics at Tsinghua, and in 2023 he helped spearhead the creation of the Department of Statistics and Data Science, which officially launched in July 2024.
His work included recruiting top international faculty and strengthening Tsinghua’s role in global data science research. The decision to return permanently reflects a natural progression of this long-term collaboration.
Why Now?
Liu’s decision comes at a time when China is investing heavily in science, technology, and artificial intelligence. Meanwhile, funding constraints in the United States—particularly cuts that affected research at Harvard under the Trump administration—created a shifting academic environment.
At the August 30 ceremony, attended by senior Tsinghua leaders, Liu emphasized that his return was motivated by both professional opportunities and personal values. He described statistics and data science as fundamental to artificial intelligence and critical to the future of interdisciplinary research.
