In June 2025, Shanghai Jiao Tong University launched its graduate "AI + Course" project applications. Among 97 competing courses, 22 were ultimately selected following expert review and the Graduate AI + Course Development Committee's rigorous evaluation. Among them, "Selected Topics in Quantitative Trading and FinTech," led by Prof. Samuel Drapeau of the School of Mathematical Sciences, emerged as a standout.

Elite Team Ensures Course Excellence

The course team includes Samuel Drapeau, Lin Yiqing, Luo Peng, Wang Di, and Xiao Qian—faculty with deep expertise and rich practical experience in quantitative trading and FinTech. Over six years of development, the course has been refined through collective discussion, balancing theory with practice, and offering diverse learning resources including expert lectures, case studies, group discussions, and hands-on projects.

Technology Empowerment: Platform as a Data Tool

The Center has developed the Fastbox comprehensive data platform with UI and API capabilities. This platform integrates massive financial data, provides user-friendly interfaces and Python-compatible API access, enables standardized backtesting, and includes initial robustness and risk reporting tools—forming a unified framework for model building and evaluation.

Goal-Driven: Cultivating Interdisciplinary Talent

The course pursues three AI+ objectives: (1) integrating AI into quantitative trading and FinTech education; (2) providing practical platforms to enhance hands-on skills via Fastbox; and (3) promoting cross-disciplinary innovation at the intersection of mathematics, computer science, and finance. Teaching practice is expected to begin in June 2026.