The Department of Mathematics marked the 20th anniversary of the Special Programme in Mathematics (SPM) with a two-day homecoming celebration that brought together alumni, current students, faculty, and friends of the programme.
University Professor Chong Chi Tat opened proceedings with a personal account of how and why he founded SPM two decades ago. Five alumni speakers followed across both days, representing careers spanning academia, industry, and entrepreneurship — from mathematical research at the frontier of the Langlands programme, to climate technology, to applications of model theory in geometry and combinatorics. A panel discussion concluded Day 1, covering research, careers, artificial intelligence, and the enduring value of the SPM experience.
The celebration drew participants from different cohorts and corners of the world — a testament to the lasting bonds that SPM has built over twenty years.
