On February 18, 2025, Dr. José Antonio Seade Kuri, President of the Mexican Academy of Sciences, visited Renmin University of China (RUC). After meeting with RUC’s President Lin Shangli, Dr. Seade delivered at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies (RDCY) a keynote speech titled Modelling the World, an Approach from Science at the first Global Masters Forum under the RDCY Forum for Area Studies and engaged in discussions with experts. The event was moderated by Wang Wen, Dean of RDCY. Nearly 200 participants, including faculty and students from Renmin University of China, Peking University, Tsinghua University, Beijing International Studies University, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, as well as representatives from think tanks, enterprises, and media, attended the event. Following the session, China News Service and Shenzhen TV promptly reported on the event.

Dr. Seade obtained his BSc in mathematics from the National University of Mexico (UNAM) in 1976 and his Masters and PhD from the University of Oxford in 1977 and 1980, respectively. Since then, he has worked at the Institute of Mathematics, UNAM. Dr. Seade was elected President of the Mexican Academy of Sciences in August 2023.

As a distinguished mathematician, Dr. Seade began his speech by introducing methods to understand the world by mathematical angles and concepts. He emphasized that modelling the world does not mean shaping it but rather using models to better understand the world we live in. Mathematics, he noted, is omnipresent in daily life and across various fields of knowledge, and its development has always been intertwined with human progress. As we look at the world where we live, we see that movement is an essential feature. Everything moves, everything changes, and movement is best described by flows.

Dr. Seade illustrated the concept of flow with examples from celestial mechanics and investment, then introduced the idea of a Dynamical System, which he described as an ideal system for modeling phenomena in everyday life。

Additionally, Dr. Seade provided a brief overview of the Mexican Academy of Sciences and the development of modern science in Mexico. He highlighted that Mexican Academy of Sciences, founded in 1959, has over 3,000 members from fields such as medicine, astronomy, biology, and social sciences, including several Nobel laureates. He expressed his hope for enhanced exchange and collaboration with Chinese universities and scientists in the future.

Following his speech, Dr. Seade engaged in a lively interdisciplinary dialogue with experts, including Chai Yu, Director-General of the Institute of Latin American Studies in the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), Senior Research Fellow; Cui Shoujun, Director of the Institute of International Development Studies, Director of Center for Latin American Studies, Professor of the School of International Studies, Renmin University of China; Dong Jingsheng, Director of the Center for Latin American Studies, Professor of the Department of History, Peking University; and Gong Xinqi, Deputy Dean of School of Interdisciplinary Studies, Professor at Research Center for Applied Mathematics, Renmin University of China. They engaged in discussions on topics such as traditional versus cutting-edge research methods, the relationship between artificial intelligence and mathematics, the relationship between mathematics and the development of other scientific fields, as well as the development of developed and developing countries and China-Mexico relations.

President Seade noted that traditional and cutting-edge research methods, while different in approach, ultimately converge. He described mathematics as a foundational language and tool for better understanding other scientific phenomenon, as well as an art form capable of producing beautiful results. Like many other disciplines, AI relies heavily on mathematics, and its advancements are transforming the world. While AI has the potential to improve human well-being, he cautioned against the risks of its misuse.

President Seade also interacted enthusiastically with the audience. When asked about academic exchanges between China and Mexico and how to build an independent and innovative knowledge system, he stated that promoting mutual learning and exchange between the two countries and establishing an independent knowledge system so as to better support Mexico’s self-development were key goals of his visit. He pointed out that, as in many other fields, China’s development in the scientific domain has left a profound impression, particularly in mathematics, where progress has been remarkably rapid. He looked forward to deeper exchanges and collaboration between China and Mexico across various educational and scientific fields.

Awarded numerous accolades in mathematics, including the Ferran Sunyer i Balaguer Prize twice and the Solomon Lefschetz Medal in 2021, President Seade’s research interests include singularity theory, dynamical systems, and complex geometry. He encouraged young mathematicians to follow their passion for science, remain dedicated, and maintain discipline, assuring them that success would follow.

In his closing remarks, Dean Wang Wen emphasized that China and Mexico are both ancient civilizations with long histories. Both countries have original, profound, and traditionally powerful modes of thinking, which form a solid foundation for establishing an independent knowledge system. As representatives of developing countries, the two nations should further deepen their cooperation and jointly promote the progress and development of human science.

The Global Masters Forum is a flagship initiative under the RDCY Forum for Area Studies, following the U.S. Series and the Ambassador Forum. It aims to foster dialogue and understanding across countries, fields and disciplines, through speeches and exchanges of global experts, building bridges of multilateral cooperation for scholars and representatives from the political and business sectors, advancing practical collaboration, deepening researches of area studies.

Accompanying President Seade were participants from the Embassy of Mexico in China: J. Enrique Escamilla N., Deputy Head of Mission; Sergio A. Kwiatek, Head of Political Affairs; Antonio Portilla, Head of Department of Development Cooperation and Educational Affairs; and Isabel Lan, interpreter for Chinese and English.