On May 16, 2025, Professor Zhang Zhenzhen from the School of Economics and Management at Tongji University was invited to deliver a lecture titled “Data-Driven Optimization and Its Applications in Transportation” at the Young Scholars Salon hosted by the Institute of Economics and Social Development at Nankai University. The session was chaired by Professor Xiao Jianhua, Director of the Modern Logistics Research Center at Nankai University and attended by faculty and students from the logistics discipline.
Professor Zhang structured the talk around uncertainty optimization theory, analyzing the core concepts and theoretical differences among three major methodological frameworks: stochastic programming, robust optimization, and distributionally robust optimization (DRO). She placed particular emphasis on how DRO constructs fuzzy sets and performs dual transformations in a theoretically sound manner. Using two academic papers as case studies, she then explored how stochastic programming and DRO can address complex decision-making problems in vehicle routing under uncertain travel times. In closing, Professor Zhang discussed the application potential of DRO in domains such as air transportation management and addressed challenges related to algorithmic complexity.
During the interactive session, faculty and students engaged in lively discussions about the lecture’s content and approaches to conducting high-quality academic research.
Professor Zhang Zhenzhen has long focused on the theory and algorithm development of large-scale integer programming and uncertainty optimization, with applications in logistics and transportation planning, smart manufacturing, and more. She has published over 30 papers in top international journals such as Operations Research (UTD24), INFORMS Journal on Computing (UTD24), Transportation Science, and Transportation Research Part B: Methodological. She currently serves as a member of the Freight Planning and Logistics Management Technical Committee of the World Transport Convention and as Executive Secretary-General of the Transportation Division of the Society of Management Science and Engineering.
The Young Scholars Salon is part of the Nankai Institute of Economics and Social Development Academic Forum lecture series, which invites academically promising young scholars to engage in targeted academic exchanges. Through this series, the institute aims to strengthen collaboration, connect internal and external academic resources, and broaden the scholarly horizons and impact of its faculty and students.
