Non-traditional Security and Set Pair Analysis National Conference

The Non-traditional Security and Set Pair Analysis National Conference was held on Oct. 17-18, 2009, by the Center for Non-traditional Security and Peaceful Development (NTS-PD) of Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China. More than 64 experts, professors, post-doctoral fellows, and graduate students attended the conference, coming from Beijing, Tianjing, Shanghai, and thirteen other provinces.

The conference was opened by Yu Xiaofeng, Director of the Center for NTS-PD. A total of 29 speakers presented their research, including Mi Hong, Vice-director of the Center for NTS-PD; Jiang Yuqiang, Vice-dean of the College of Economics of Zhejiang University; Wang dong, professor of Nanjing University; Jing Juliang, professor of Hefei Industrial University; Wang Decai, professor of Zhejiang Industrial University; and Zhao Keqing, Director of the Connection Mathematics Institute, who also gave the closing speech.

The topics presented at the conference included the following: non-traditional security model research, environmental security, water resource security, information security, geological and natural hazard security, mining security, non-military equipment safety, public crisis, and more. In addition, conference participants extensively discussed the development and theories of Set Pair Analysis, which is a mathematical approach that uses matrix pairs to analyze uncertain events and predict crises of real life. They also debated how Set Pair Analysis should deal with the “certain” and its relationship with the “uncertain” from the perspectives of philosophy and mathematics.

Non-traditional security poses an ongoing challenge for all countries in their continual process of development, a challenge that is tightly connected with the “uncertain” factors of society. In response, the Center for NTS-PD has decided to establish the Institute for Non-traditional Security and Set Pair Analysis. The Institute’s director will be Zhao Keqing. In addition, the Center for NTS-PD will edit and publish a volume of collected works on the topic of Non-traditional Security and Set Pair Analysis.

(written by Zhao Keqing and Li Chen,translated by Albert Zhou and Yu Xiaofeng)