GUO Hongcheng stood before a glowing screen displaying code. “Last class, we talked about how to define a class and control its attributes,” he said, as students from around the world typed quietly along.
Now an assistant professor at Fudan’s School of Data Science, Guo teaches the university’s first all-English Python course for international students. The class is part of a new English-taught program in data science and big data technology, launched this fall to train globally minded talent for China’s emerging tech sectors.
Few in the room might guess that Guo once turned down a two-million-yuan annual salary offer from Huawei’s “Genius Youth” program — a dream job for many young engineers in China’s booming tech industry. But he chose a different path, leaving behind a corporate lab for a classroom.
Before joining Fudan University, Guo had spent nearly four years conducting research on large language models at Microsoft and Alibaba. “I wanted to take on a harder but more meaningful challenge,” he said, “to turn AI research into real-world impact.”
Guo designs his lessons to be hands-on. Each session blends explanation with coding practice, and assignments are designed with increasing levels of difficulty. “You can’t just listen and take notes — you have to work with your hands.”
For Vardan from Armenia, this approach makes learning intuitive. “He explains things so clearly that we can grasp the key points quickly,” he said. Naranzaya from Mongolia, who had no background in programming, admitted she felt anxious at first but soon gained confidence with Guo’s patient guidance.
Guo believes teaching and research feed into each other. “My students sometimes surprise me with creative solutions I hadn’t thought of,” he said. “That exchange of ideas makes teaching deeply rewarding.”
He was drawn to Fudan not only for its interdisciplinary culture but also for what he calls a people-centered system — one that values potential over seniority and gives young researchers room to grow. “Here we’re encouraged to explore, even if it means failing many times,” he said. “That kind of freedom is essential for true innovation.”
Since arriving three months ago, Guo has resumed his research on large language models and multimodal AI while developing “AI for Health” projects. He spends time in hospitals observing doctors’ workflows, seeking ways AI can make a real difference. “Every researcher has their own vision of the ideal AI,” he said. “But our goal is to meet real needs and make technology useful.”
He envisions a complete cycle — from university research to industrial application and back again — where innovation truly serves people’s lives. “Maybe one day,” he smiled, “we’ll see our work quietly shaping everyday life.”
(END)
Writer: LI Wenyi
Editor: WANG Mengqi, LI Yijie
