Course Agenda

Instructor & Course Materials

About Your Instructor

  • Name: Qiu Fei (邱飞)
  • Office: Room 62-518, Business School, Building 62
  • Personal Homepage: qiufei.site

Course Resources:

Feel free to visit my homepage for additional research and teaching materials.

Course Philosophy

Learning by Doing

The core philosophy of this course is: Learning by Doing.

  • The textbook contains a large amount of hands-on code for you to practice.
  • You will also encounter many mathematical formulas — but don’t be afraid!
  • Our focus is on application, not abstract theory.
  • Once you start running and testing the code yourself, you will gain confidence and a sense of security.

“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”

Course Assessment

Grading System (100-Point Scale)

Your final grade is composed of two equally weighted parts:

Component Weight Details
Regular Performance 50% Lab reports, in-class interaction, attendance
Final Assessment 50% Group analysis report (2 students per group)

Final Assessment Details:

  • Form groups of 2 students.
  • Use the methods taught in this course to analyze Chinese listed company data.
  • Submit a written group analysis report.

AI Policy

This course encourages the use of AI tools.

  • You are welcome to use AI assistants (e.g., ChatGPT, DeepSeek) to help you learn, write code, and understand concepts.
  • AI is a powerful productivity tool in modern data science — learning to use it effectively is itself a valuable skill.

Course Interaction Platform

Join TeacherMate (微助教)

All course interaction, attendance, and quizzes are managed through the TeacherMate platform.

URL: teachermate.com.cn

Requirements:

  • You need a WeChat (微信) account to use TeacherMate.
  • Please register and join the course on TeacherMate before our next class.

In-Class Quizzes via TeacherMate

Each chapter includes a short in-class quiz completed on TeacherMate:

  • 4 questions per chapter:
    • 2 Multiple-Choice questions
    • 2 True/False questions
  • Quizzes must be completed during class on your phone via WeChat.
  • These scores contribute to your Regular Performance grade.

Cloud Computing Platforms

Why Cloud Platforms?

Before we dive into data, we need the right tools. We will use Cloud-based Python environments rather than installing software locally.

The Benefits:

  • Zero Setup: No need to install Python, Anaconda, or libraries on your personal laptops.
  • Standardization: Everyone runs the exact same environment. If code works for me, it works for you.
  • Accessibility: Code from any device (Windows, Mac, iPad) via a standard web browser.
  • Focus: We spend our time learning Applied Statistics, not debugging local IT issues.

Important: Real-Name Verification

Cloud platforms in China require real-name identity verification (实名认证).

  • You will need to verify your identity when registering for the cloud platforms.
  • International students: Please have your passport or student ID ready for the verification process.
  • This is a standard requirement for all cloud services in China.

Primary Platform: Tencent Cloud Studio

URL: cloudstudio.net

For this course, Tencent Cloud Studio will be our primary workspace.

  • What is it? A browser-based Integrated Development Environment (IDE) backed by Tencent Cloud.
  • The Interface: It looks, feels, and operates exactly like Visual Studio Code (VS Code), the industry standard for data science and software engineering.
  • Functionality:
    • Writing pure Python scripts (.py).
    • Running interactive Jupyter Notebooks (.ipynb).
    • Managing project files and datasets.

Cloud Studio: Key Features for Us

Why did we choose Tencent Cloud Studio for Applied Statistics?

  1. Pre-configured Environments: You can select a ‘Python’ template and start coding immediately without installing packages like pandas, numpy, or scipy.
  2. GitHub Integration: You can seamlessly clone course repositories and submit your statistical analysis assignments.
  3. Resource Allocation: It provides sufficient free cloud computing power (CPU/RAM) for the datasets we will analyze in this class.

Backup Platform: Alibaba ModelScope

URL: modelscope.cn

As data professionals, we always need a backup plan. Our secondary platform is Alibaba ModelScope.

  • What is it? Alibaba’s Model-as-a-Service (MaaS) platform, primarily designed for the AI and Open Source community.
  • The Feature We Need: It provides free, powerful Jupyter Notebook environments (similar to Google Colab).
  • When to use it:
    • If Cloud Studio is ever under maintenance.
    • If we need to run computationally heavy statistical models or machine learning algorithms later in the semester.

Platform Comparison

Feature Tencent Cloud Studio Alibaba ModelScope
Interface VS Code (IDE) Jupyter Notebook
Best For Full project management, coding Quick data analysis, ML
Learning Curve Moderate (VS Code standard) Low (Standard Notebook)
Role in Course Primary Workspace Backup / Advanced

Action Items

Your Action Items (Before Next Class)

Please complete the following steps before our next class:

  1. Cloud Studio: Go to cloudstudio.net, create an account, complete real-name verification, and create a workspace using the Python template.
  2. Test the Environment:
    • Create a new file named test.ipynb.
    • Type: print('Ready for Applied Statistics!')
    • Run the cell.
  3. Backup Platform: Visit modelscope.cn, create an account, and locate the ‘Notebook’ section.
  4. TeacherMate: Register on teachermate.com.cn via WeChat and join the course.

Questions?



Let’s get ready to explore data!