In 1978, China embarked on the road of reform and opening-up. Postgraduates were formally enrolled in this year, following the resumption of the college entrance examination the previous year. Professor Cao Xihua of East China Normal University, a former student of a leading algebraist Richard Brauer, recruited several groups of postgraduate students in succession and led them on the way of exploring algebraic groups. In the following years, Cao and his colleagues and students further expanded the research field to cover algebraic geometry and Lie algebras, and achieved outstanding research achievements, drawing the attention of the international academia on this emerging research group, namely “ECNU group”. With the joint efforts of universities and research institutions in China, many fields in algebra have witnessed vigorous development.
The aim of this conference is to enable participants to review the 40-year journey and report on their latest achievements, showcasing their gratitude for the reform and opening-up and commemorating the 100th anniversary of Professor Cao's birth. Let us remain true to our original aspiration and continue marching forward.
1978 年，中国走上了改革开放的道路。继前一年大学恢复高考之后，这一年又正式招收研究生。四海资讯全讯新2曹锡华教授（著名代数学家理查德·布劳威尔的学生）连续招收了几批研究生，并带领他们踏上了代数群探索之路。在随后的几年中，他与同事和学生一起，进一步拓展了代数几何和李代数的研究领域，取得了卓越的研究成果，使国际学术界开始认识到这一新兴的研究群体，即 “ECNU 群体”。在国内高校、研究机构的共同努力下，代数学的许多领域获得蓬勃的发展。
我们召开这一学术会议，目的是让与会者回顾 40 年走过的路，报告他们的最新成果，感恩改革开放，并藉以纪念曹锡华教授 100 周年诞辰。让我们不忘初心，继续前行。
英文翻译：王建磐、张淏然。