On August 26, 2025, at 10:00 AM, the Faculty of Data Science held the first academic special-topic lecture of the new academic year. The lecture specially invited Professor Ning Jianting from Wuhan University as the keynote speaker. Under the title "Provably Secure Searchable Symmetric Encryptions: Definition, Construction, Attacks and Defenses," he summarized and reviewed key developments in Searchable Symmetric Encryption (SSE) and pointed out future prospects and directions in the field. Approximately one hundred faculty members and graduate students specializing in data science and computer science attended the event.

Professor Ning Jianting is currently a Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the School of Cuber science and engineering of Wuhan University. He has been recognized as a National Youth Talent and is a Distinguished Minjiang Scholar of Fujian Province. As an authoritative expert in the fields of cryptography and information security, his research covers public-key cryptography, blockchain security, and privacy protection technologies. He has published over 100 papers in top-tier conferences and journals such as ACM CCS, NDSS, and IEEE TIFS, and has been honored with the Best Paper Award at the European Conference on Computer Security (ESORICS 2020) and the Outstanding Youth Award from the Chinese Association for Cryptologic Research. He has also served as an editorial board member for IEEE TIFS, a program committee member for top conferences including IEEE S&P, and as a special/youth editorial member for journals such as Computer Technology and Development, Journal of Cyber Security, and Cybersecurity. Additionally, he has been a review expert for national and provincial-level major projects and talent programs.

The lecture delved into the significant developments and research progress in Searchable Symmetric Encryption (SSE), emphasizing its critical role in balancing user privacy protection and efficient data access. The presentation included a classification of SSE schemes, a detailed analysis based on query expressiveness, and a comprehensive examination of existing attack methods and corresponding defense mechanisms. Professor Ning pointed out that although SSE has made remarkable progress in privacy protection, it still faces emerging challenges. In the future, there is a need to better balance convenience and security, allowing users to effectively protect their personal privacy while enjoying the benefits of pay-as-you-go models and cloud services.

The lecture was conducted in a lively atmosphere, with students actively participating in discussions and enthusiastically asking questions, demonstrating a strong interest in the field of Searchable Symmetric Encryption. New students expressed that through Professor Ning's in-depth explanation, their understanding of the balance between privacy protection and data access efficiency was significantly enhanced, and it provided valuable insights and directions for their upcoming graduate studies. The lecture not only broadened the knowledge horizons of the students but also inspired them to further explore related fields, making it a highly rewarding experience.