Married couple Wanfang Chen and Yuxiao Li came to KAUST in August 2016 to pursue their Ph.D. studies in the field of statistics. Both students are based in the University's Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Science & Engineering division—Chen under the supervision of Distinguished Professor Marc Genton and Li under the supervision of Professor Ying Sun.
Prior to joining KAUST, both Chen and Li obtained their undergraduate degrees in mathematics at the Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT). Chen completed her master's degree in econometrics at Xiamen University (XMU), China, while Li completed his master's in statistics at the University of California, Irvine (UCI).
Opportunities to learn
Chen and Li were attracted to KAUST because of the University's excellent faculty and advisors, wonderful facilities (both labs and recreational facilities), considerate support for students and the diversity of the KAUST community.
"As students at KAUST, we can focus on our study and research with very supportive help from our advisors as well as our colleagues. We have a lot of opportunities to learn both on the campus and outside the campus at the international workshops and conferences. We also benefit from the amazing community diversity by communicating with and learning from people with various backgrounds," Li said.
"In addition, we are provided wonderful sports facilities in multiple sports centers. My husband and I have been enjoying the social nights for badminton, swimming classes and workout training sessions. We also like the diverse events organized by different communities at KAUST, such as the badminton tournament (we got the runner-up for mixed doubles in the University Badminton Championship 2016), barbecue at South Beach, the Flavors food festival and so on. All of these make a colorful and enthusiastic life for us at KAUST," Chen noted.
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