The first International Symposium on Official Statistics was successfully held at Renmin University of China (RUC) from September 24 to 25. Hosted by RUC and co-organized by the National Statistical Society of China (NSSC), the event gathered a distinguished assembly of professionals from the global statistical community.

The first International Symposium on Official Statistics is held at Renmin University of China from September 24 to 25. [Photo/ruc.edu.cn]

Hundreds of participants, representing institutions including the International Statistical Institute, the International Association for Official Statistics, the United Nations Statistics Division, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, Eurostat, and China's National Bureau of Statistics, engaged in robust discussions centered on the theme "Modernizing Official Statistics: Data-Driven Better Life".

Lin Shangli, president of Renmin University of China, delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the International Symposium on Official Statistics on September 25. [Photo/ruc.edu.cn]

The opening ceremony on September 25 was addressed by Lin Shangli, president of RUC; Kang Yi, head of the National Bureau of Statistics and president of the NSSC; and He Xuming, president of the International Statistical Institute and professor at Washington University in St. Louis. Shantanu Mukherjee, acting director of the UNSD, made a video speech. Li Yang, dean of the School of Statistics at RUC, presided over the ceremony.

Throughout the symposium, experts delivered special reports focusing on the modernization of government statistics, the application of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence in government statistics, and the international statistical exchange and cooperation.

Experts in discussion during the symposium's roundtable forums. [Photo/ruc.edu.cn]

The event also included two roundtable forums, delving into the "Cultivation of High-Level Talent in Government Statistics" and "International Cooperation in Government Statistics".