A new book by Dr Xiaoguang Qi, associate professor at International Business School Suzhou at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University and deputy director of the Operations and Supply Chain Excellence Institute at XJTLU, explores the organisational culture of multinational companies (MNCs) from a business anthropology perspective.

Business anthropological research is an emerging interdisciplinary field that combines management studies and anthropology, the study of humanity.

“Business anthropology can be defined as a practically oriented scholastic field in which business anthropologists apply anthropological theories and methods to identify and solve real business problems in everyday life,” said Dr Qi.

Dr Qi’s book, 'Study of Organizational Culture in the Chinese Operations of Multinational Companies: A Business Anthropology Perspective' (People’s Publishing House, April 2016), is based on his postdoctoral research of over 10 years of observation of MNCs in China.

He explained that due to economic globalisation, transnational cultural exchanges are becoming more frequent: “How to treat cultural differences and how to serve MNCs’ organisational cultures and cross-cultural management by applying the differences to cross-cultural communication is a practical problem in contemporary global business,” he said.

In the book, he focuses on two international shipping companies located in Dalian, Liaoning Province, China. One is a Japanese company, meant to represent eastern culture, while the other is a French company, to represent western culture.

Through several anthropological research methods, such as participant observation, informal interviews and various survey techniques, the unique organisational cultures in the daily business context of the two companies are investigated.

Dr Qi’s research shows that organisational culture is dynamic and changeable. As a MNC enters the Chinese market with its parent company’s original organisational culture, the organisational culture will develop to combine both the company’s home culture with Chinese culture. The new culture will help MNCs to operate in China successfully.

In order to operate MNCs successfully in China, in his book Dr Qi suggests that upon entering a new market, MNCs need to first respect and learn the local environment and culture before developing “harmoniously” with it. This is to ensure, according to Dr Qi, that the companies understand cultural differences, discover new trade and development opportunities, and avoid unnecessary trade and management costs.

“MNCs can fully reflect the cross-cultural advantage after forming a new organisational culture by combining its home culture and the new culture, taking advantages of its own and competing more effectively with its peers,” added Dr Qi.

Unlike other scholars who are viewing this topic from a management perspective, Dr Qi carries out research and analysis from the perspective of business anthropology, making his research unique and distinctive.

Dr Christopher Marquis, professor of management and organisations at Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University, said that since research in the field of business anthropology was in the early stages of development Dr Qi’s work has the opportunity to be a “foundational piece in an area that will likely increase in prominence in the future”.

“The book provides a fresh angle to understanding formal and informal organisations in a business context. I strongly recommend Dr Qi and his book, which I believe will bring new insights to the integration of anthropology and management studies,” he added.

Dr Qi currently teaches a Year Four module on business strategy as part of the BA Accounting programme, in which he has embedded his research theories and approaches developed for the book: “I hope my students are daring to explore new areas, accept diversity and are willing to contribute to lifelong learning,” he said.

Dr Qi is a lifelong member of, and a PhD supervisor at, Wolfson College at the University of Cambridge, and an honorary fellow of the Global Social Media Impact Project at the University College London. He was also a visiting research professor at Peking University, and currently a visiting professor at Tsinghua University.

Three PhD students at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University took part in a two-week industry internship to build their skills in making rechargeable lithium ion batteries and support them in their research work.

Ruowei Yi, from the Department of Chemistry, and Ziyi Zhao and Chenguang Liu, from the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, (all pictured below) travelled to Dongguan in China’s Guangdong province for the internship at Dongguan Hongde Battery Co. Ltd.

The internship included detailed training on the process for making individual batteries, as well as the opportunity to make button batteries themselves, crucial skills needed for their research at XJTLU.

Lithium ion batteries are one of the most common rechargeable batteries in portable electronics, with electrodes that are typically made of lightweight lithium and graphite.

The three students are working on PhDs focused on the mass fabrication of graphene in order to incorporate it into electrodes that can be used to create batteries with exceptionally high storage capabilities.

Their work is part of a wider research project at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University that is developing a method to apply graphene in nanoscale level as an alternative electrode materials for conducting electricity. The project has already identified that graphene, which was only experimentally discovered in 2004, delivers higher power and energy density compared to conventional lithium ion batteries.

“This internship was a great chance for them to relate their theoretical knowledge with practical field work and to experience a real industrial environment.” said Dr Li Yang, from the Department of Chemistry, who co-organised the internship with Professor Cezhou Zhao, from the electrical and electronic engineering department at XJTLU.

“The knowledge they gained can be transferred to XJTLU and help us design our research more practically. The PhD work they are doing is a crucial part of our overall project.”

During the internship Ruowei, Ziyi and Chenguang worked side by side with the R&D engineers at the company to acquire knowledge about various types of batteries, as well as the charging and discharging, manufacturing and testing process of lithium ion batteries.

They also took part in a tour of the facilities, taking in sites that included the research and development centre, and the areas for raw materials preparation, electrode-making and final assembly. They were welcomed and supported by Yinqin Li, chief technology officer at Hongde (pictured in first photograph).

Ruowei said the internship was a really important experience, helping him build an overall image of battery manufacturing, including raw material preparation, battery assembling and performance testing.

“I have just begun my PhD and the lithium ion battery is a new field for me. Through this internship I was able to quickly acquire the practical skills and knowledge I need for my research. All these are fundamental skills for my future study,” he said.

The internship was possible thanks to a partnership between XJTLU and Hongde that was developed following by RMB 2 million grant (entitled “Graphene-based Lithium Ion Batteries”), led by Professor Zhao and Dr Yang, towards the development of the Suzhou Municipal Key Lab for New Energy Techniques.

The Suzhou Municipal Key Lab for New Energy Techniques was established in 2008, mainly focusing on the research and development of the latest renewable energy technologies in response to the global energy crisis and with an aim to find clean and renewable energy power sources. The grant from the Suzhou Industrial Park Initiative, under the platform development of the Suzhou Municipal Key Lab, is supporting the three-year graphene research project.

More practical internships are available through the partnership, something that Ruowei believes is very important to PhD students and their research: “Close contact with an industrial environment gives students more opportunities to find out problems or details they may not think of in the laboratory, inspiring them with novel ideas and innovation.

“Internships build the bridge between theories and industrial production, accelerating the industrialisation of laboratory results. For students who have just begun their PhD work, internships let them seize the key point of their research in a relatively short time,” he said.

A well-known brand supplier in China, China Dongguan Hongde Battery Co., Ltd. was established in 2005. The company's main product is high-capacity lithium-ion batteries which are used in nearly 100 types of products related to the use of cellular phones. Their products have been sold to Southeast Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe and other dozens of other countries and regions.

A new hand-painted map of the Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University campus has been released, including the soon-to-open South Campus.

"Hand-painted XJTLU" was first created in October 2014 to help teachers and students familiarise themselves with the campus. In May 2015 an enhanced second edition was released and made available in the XJTLU Museum and academic departments as a special souvenir gift for external visitors.

This third edition of the map, released for the University's 10th Anniversary celebrations, is a carefully-painted depiction of the North and South campuses. The map shows the main roads around the campus, the student dormitories and public facilities, as well as all the buildings of XJTLU. The 'cultural spaces' listed on the reverse of the map have been expanded to 26 from the original 12 to include sites on the South Campus. These cultural spaces include the Liverpool Room, which features a football shirt signed by Liverpool FC players, and the biological science history corridor, which shows the development of biology over the past 250 years, amongst many others.

Copies of the map can be found in the XJTLU Museum, on the first floor of the Central Building.

Postgraduate students in International Business School Suzhou at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University have been meeting potential mentors to support them in their career planning.

They met the mentors at an event organised by the IBSS Career Services Team, who have worked to extend the University’s external mentor programme to IBSS postgraduate students.

At the event, students were able to spend time with each mentor, discussing their career backgrounds and students’ aspirations. It is hoped this event will be the start of ongoing discussions between students and mentors.

“Students can learn from mentors’ abundant life and work experience, while a productive mentee-mentor relationship can also lead to internship opportunities, company projects or even a permanent position,” said Keshu Han, student employability officer in IBSS.

Huikang Lin, chief strategic officer at Panpan Food, has worked in various specialisations in different countries around the world. He said: “Despite now living in Xiamen, I am keen to be involved in this programme to share my knowledge and work experience with younger generations. I would like to keep the “sharing and caring” spirit going.”

The IBSS Careers Services Team has successfully implemented a series of activities to support postgraduate students to ready themselves for future competitive job markets. These include the IBSS postgraduate students CV book project, a communications skill seminar, and a workshop on how to use LinkedIn effectively.

“The mentoring programme is another example showcasing IBSS’ commitment to providing quality employment guidance to our students,” added Keshu.

Lingxin Dong, an MSc Finance student in IBSS and an IBSS postgraduate student ambassador, appreciated opportunity to meet mentors: “I got to know industry professionals and learn their career paths. I might also be exploring some internship opportunities. This mentor programme encourages us to consider our own career path and broaden our horizons.”

Jiajun Yang, deputy manager of the IB department at Bank of Shanghai, Suzhou branch, believes that having a mentor provides students with a diverse outlook on the world outside of university, as well as helping them broaden their personal networks in industry to help them find more opportunities and become more competitive when applying for jobs.

“I would like to help these students get closer to the real job market by providing them with useful information, such as how graduate programmes work in most corporations, why internships are important and how to prepare for SHL questions and structured-question interviews,” he said.

IBSS postgraduate external mentors:

• Huikang Lin, chief strategy officer, Panpan Food
• Frances Gong, regional manager, CPA Australia
• Yihua Gu, financial controller, GLP
• Yiqing Liu, senior audit manager, E&Y
• Jeffrey Pan, VP&GM, Jiangsu branch, AIG
• Jiajun Yang, manager of IB department, Shanghai Bank, Suzhou branch
• Elton Xu, general manager, Wilshire Associate
• Peng Liu, manager of fund department elevator
• Lei Shen, investment manager
• Yuan Shen, GM EDC, Elevator Drive
• Yanling Ni, supply chain manager, Siemens
• Jian Zhou, import logistics minister, Samsung
• Andy Dong, leader of global sourcing, GE Healthcare
• Jenny Chai, senior consultant supply chain, Partner Consultant Co., Ltd
• Haijun Man, plant general manager, Eaton
• Ligang Yao, director of talent, Management Asia
• Denis Liu, ethical supply chain manager, Twinings
• Huayong Ji, managing director
• Charles Huang, general manager
• Marko Dimitrijevic, global supply chain manager/director of supply chain LSE group.

Students from the United Kingdom, Mexico, Turkey, Canada and the United States of America, as well as China, have joined the Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University China Studies Summer School.

The programme runs throughout the month of July and will take the students to Xi’an, Hangzhou and Chengdu as well as showing them the best of Suzhou, where XJTLU is located.

Maria Flores (pictured below), a recent social science masters graduate from The University of Guadalajara, Mexico, with a background in international relations, said she appreciated the opportunity to learn about China outside of the classroom: “This course also includes field trips and practical work, which is really attractive to me. The opportunity to travel around China was a really big bonus.”

The overarching theme of the course is social change in China, with lectures on topics including ‘The Middle Classes in China’, ‘What is ‘Chineseness’?’ and ‘Migrants in the City’. In addition to the lectures there will be discussion groups, site explorations and practical projects as well as Chinese language classes.

“I want to know more about China, particularly the language,” said undergraduate student Tutku Zengin, from Turkey. “In my country there aren’t many people studying Asia, the focus is more on Europe and the US. I don’t think that’s right. I think the future is in Asia and by learning about it I can help to shape my country’s future.”

The summer school programme is led by Professor David Goodman, a leading China Studies scholar and head of the Department of China Studies at XJTLU. His most recent book, Handbook of the Politics of China, presents the very latest in research on Chinese politics, including key structures and issues.

There have also been guest lectures for students on the summer school, including two from Professor Jean-Louis Rocca of the Paris Institute of Political Studies and one of Europe’s leading sociologists of contemporary China.

The group will make trips to several cities, expanding on what they learn in-class and engaging in first-hand observation. Starting in Suzhou, a long-term cultural centre of China famous for its silk, gardens, canals, painting and wood carving, the group will also travel to Xi’an, an ancient Chinese capital housing, amongst other treasures, the Terracotta Army. They will also visit Chengdu, famous for spicy food and pandas.

“Even without the travel, if we’d just stayed in Suzhou and learned about China, I still would have done it,” says teacher Dan Hagerty (pictured above). “The academic atmosphere and being able to speak with people who’ve lived here for a while is really fascinating to me.”

Lecturer Dragan Pavlicevic, who recently joined the Department of China Studies, believes studying China is still an attractive prospect for students from across the world, thanks to China’s continued role as part of the international political and economic landscape: “Developments in China have consequences for the whole world. Being able to understand them will provide opportunities to productively use that specialist knowledge in a world where interactions between China and the rest of the world are increasingly becoming a norm,” he said.

Apart from the summer school programme, the Department of China Studies also offers a visiting student programme, an undergraduate BA China Studies and PhD opportunities.

An academic from the Department of China Studies at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University has commented on China’s “16+1”, a cooperation mechanism between China and 16 Central and Eastern European countries.

Dragan Pavlićević, a lecturer in China Studies, wrote commentaries for The Diplomat, the premiere international current-affairs magazine for the Asia-Pacific region, and the International Public Policy Review, which offers knowledge and expertise on Asian and world affairs to the public as well as the business community.

Dragan analyses the development and progress of the 16+1 framework, which was designed to boost cooperation between China and the CEE countries but has faced challenges, some of which Dragan addresses in his commentaries.

Across both articles he stresses, among other points, that the 16+1 is a highly complex grouping and that “the European members of this group have trouble finding common interests and articulating common policies under the 16+1 framework”. This, coupled with the “unsubstantiated” assumption that the arrangement is a threat to the EU, has led to the perception that the initiative stalling, he writes.

“There is palpable frustration on both sides of the China-CEE platform regarding the speed and substance of developments under the 16+1 framework. There is a shared sense that the platform has been underachieving,” he writes.

However, he concludes that this is not the case and that the “the mainstream doom-and-gloom perceptions of the 16+1 are mistaken”. He writes that the format is unlikely to fail, but will instead grow in importance over the coming years.

He cautions that China will be required to be the driving force behind the initiative and should take the lead in addressing the challenges: “Beijing…must act quickly to rectify its approach so as to become more responsive to the diversity and complexity of the CEE region,” he writes, indicating that a new set of policies to broaden the scope and modalities of economic cooperation will be crucial to “reinvigorating the initiative”.

Dragan joined the Department of China Studies at the beginning of July and will be teaching two modules on China’s international relations.

His research at XJTLU will be focussed on the implications of China's export of high-speed railways as well as on understanding the impact of China's multilateral diplomacy in Europe on European internal and foreign policies. He is also interested in China's domestic politics and will continue working on journal articles concerned with state-society relations and as well as preparing a book on grassroots political participation in contemporary China.

He feels it’s a ‘privilege’ to be working at XJTLU due to the opportunity it affords him to experience first-hand China’s rapid development: “For a specialist on contemporary China it is of utmost importance to be able to observe and keep pace with these developments. Being based in China also provides me with an opportunity to understand better the narratives that shape development of Chinese policies, both domestically and in terms of China's foreign policy,” he said.

Prior to joining XJTLU, Dragan was a visiting research fellow at the East Asian Institute, National University of Singapore. He is also contributing analyst at the geostrategic consultancy Wikistrat.

A seminar on themes related to Asia and Pacific studies and the Chinese economy took place at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University on 8 and 9 July 2016.

Professor Charles Van Marrewijk, director of research at International Business School Suzhou at XJTLU, welcomed participants to the event, which was organised by IBSS in collaboration with Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) and featured 15 presenters from universities and policy-making institutions around the world.

Universities represented included National University of Singapore, Singapore Management University, Deakin University, The University of Nottingham Ningbo China, the University of Liverpool and Queen’s University Belfast among others. Policy making institutions included the Asian Development Bank Institute, the Central Bank of Estonia and Japan’s Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Across two days and multiple sessions, participants presented their research papers looking at various topics including foreign exchange markets and investment, structural transformation and political turnover, economic dynamics and economic performance, migration and economic growth and trade issues in East Asia.

They showed their results regarding economic integration in relation to trade, investment, foreign exchange in East Asian countries, while important issues in China were also highlighted, including challenges from internal migration, regional inequality and political influence on the performance of the private sector. Each paper was allocated to a discussant who provided detailed comments on strengths and weaknesses of the paper and ways for its author to improve it.

Sessions elicited animated discussion among participants who took advantage of the roundtable format to share insight and knowledge.

Zhengning Liu, from National University of Singapore and who presented a paper, was interested in attending the seminar not only because of the China’s economic growth but also as he was keen to visit XJTLU. He was impressed by his experiences at the University: “XJTLU is beyond my expectation and I’d like to visit again. I’ve found the event very helpful for my paper due to its unique roundtable discussion format. Everyone can read and discuss everyone’s paper, making this conference very useful for my research,” he said.

On Saturday 9 July, a special session hosted by Asian Development Bank Institute focused on financial inclusion, financial development and stability - key issues for domestic investment in the context of developing countries. Nimesh Salike from IBSS chaired the session and highlighted the significance of the papers on policy implications for, in particular, central banks.

Peter Morgan, from ADBI, said: “This event is a good forum for us to increase our contacts and network, particularly to identify emerging talent among young scholars in the region.”

Paulo Regis, one of the co-organisers of the seminar and director of the Research Institute for Economic Integration at XJTLU, said: “XJTLU and IBSS ambition to be a research-led institution requires the promotion of research opportunities and dissemination of our work. This event is an excellent opportunity to attract partners and generate opportunities to interact and learn from top researchers in other institutions. Moreover, it provides a platform of international visibility for XJTLU and IBSS.”

The event, the fourth in this series of seminars that began in 2013, is part of the efforts of the Research Institute for Economic Integration to promote research in international economics, with special attention on the Asia and pacific region and the Chinese economy, as well as build a network of researchers in the region.

The institute examines subjects such as trade, investment, business strategies, international cooperation, corporate and public governance, exchange rates, financial inclusion, economic and social sustainability, economic growth, industrial agglomeration, and environmental protection.

“China plays a key role in the Asia Pacific region’s economic integration. Understanding and capturing the linkages and interactions among provinces, cities or counties within the Chinese economy is key to understanding the processes of integration,” added Yang Chen, deputy-director of the institute.

The Asian Development Bank Institute, based in Tokyo, is a think tank focused on identifying effective development strategies for Asia and the Pacific, and on providing support to Asian Development Bank member countries in managing development challenges.

Dr Kai Liu from the Chinese Cultural Teaching Centre at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University has been named as ‘Outstanding Teacher’ at the fourth XJTLU Annual Teaching Prizes for his teaching excellence and innovation.

Organised by XJTLU’s Academic Enhancement Centre, the annual teaching prizes aim to identify and share best teaching practices across the University and are awarded to those staff who have made an outstanding contribution to teaching and the enhancement of students’ learning experiences at XJTLU.

Among the award categories, the prize of ‘Outstanding Teacher’ is given to individuals whose teaching is stimulating, enthusiastic and consistently challenging, stemming from expert knowledge of the subject, how to teach it and how learners learn. The outstanding teacher not only encourages and facilitates active learning, but gives prompt and quality feedback to help students’ learning.

Dr Liu currently teaches the bilingual module ‘Law and Morality’ to Year One students. “Law is a precise and complex discipline, so I need to stimulate students’ interests in this course. Because 80 percent of students will study abroad, I teach them some useful and practical law knowledge combined with my own experiences.

“For example, when it comes to contract law, I’ll refer to real life situations in foreign countries, such as signing a housing rental or labour contract. I teach them how to read the contract items and how to use laws to protect their own rights. The effect of teaching is very good and students often discuss things with me after class,” said Dr Liu.

XJTLU’s Year One public elementary courses were initially taught in Chinese only, however Dr Liu started to try bilingual teaching with the support of centre leaders. He said he has to take into consideration Year One students’ levels of English at the same time as introducing them to commonly used professional English terms and concepts.

Dr Stuart Perrin, dean of learning and teaching at XJTLU and chairman of the Annual Teaching Prizes panel, commented on Dr Liu’s teaching: "He used U-talk, an online chat community and platform for the students to discuss and develop ideas, and he took those ideas and used them in lessons."

Dr Bo Xie, director of the Chinese Culture Teaching Centre, said: “Dr Liu is passionate about teaching and is very innovative. His classes are always well prepared, which makes students participate and learn actively. He is one of the most diligent teachers I have met. Apart from a lot of teaching work, he spends his time on research, which makes him rich in high-quality academic achievements.”

“Dr Liu winning the award helps promote and highlight the work of CCTC,” Dr Perrin added.

Dr Liu joined XJTLU in 2014 and holds a PhD in commercial law, particularly focused on comparative corporate governance, from the National University of Malaysia. He has 12 years’ experience of legal study, research and teaching across countries and dedicates much of his time to academic activities such as exploring teaching reform, conducting comparative surveys, participating in international conferences, giving seminar presentations and drafting journal articles.

The Chinese Cultural Teaching Centre is responsible for teaching general social sciences courses and research, and aims to cultivate students’ active learning habits.

Global health expert Dr Don Prisno from the Department of Public Health at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University has been recognised for his contribution to Tacloban City and the Eastern Visayas region in central Philippines.

He was named as a winner at the 2016 Sangyaw Awards for the work he has been conducting in the area, including bringing world-renowned academics to lecture and hold workshops in Tacloban, and holding the first global health course in Tacloban through the University of the Philippines Manila School of Health Sciences.

Commenting on Dr Prisno’s contribution, a member of the award committee said: “He has contributed much to the City of Tacloban through his continuous work in improving academic excellence and research among the universities in the city.”

Dr Prisno said: “I am elated with the award as I feel the importance of my work is based on how populations look at it. This becomes a reflection and feedback of what I do in my field. This provides me a better understanding on how I approach my further research studies in global health and public health, particularly on health equity with an emphasis on marginalised populations.”

Given by the City of Tacloban and the Sangyaw Foundation, the Sangyaw Awards are an annual recognition of individuals and organisations who have contributed to the development of the City of Tacloban and the islands of Leyte and Samar, which make up the Eastern Visayas region.

CNN’s Anderson Cooper, the Tzu Chi Foundation of Taiwan, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund and the United States Agency for International Development have all previously been recognised with a Sangyaw Award.

Tacloban City and the Eastern Visayas region has a combined population of 4.5 million people and became well-known globally when super-typhoon Haiyan hit in November 2013. The disaster killed 6,000 people and displaced 3.9 million people from their homes.

Dr Prisno has been conducting a research study on the risk, recovery and resilience of the population after the disaster and has started the groundwork for a Haiyan Resource Centre that will become a repository of information. He was awarded research funding, through the XJTLU Research Development Fund, to conduct research on this particular disaster.

“This research seeks to understand the determinants of risk, recovery and resilience among those affected by the devastating typhoon,” he said. “It will also present the experiences of the vulnerable population focusing on the aged group, as well as the determinants of why people living in high-risk areas decided to remain.”

Aside from his study on the super-typhoon, Dr Prisno has also led initiatives on rural health education as part of the advancement of the United Nation’s Millennium Developments Goals in the area.

This is the second award received by Dr Prisno in 2016 after his global health course, held in Ukraine in January, was named the best event of the year among medical universities in the country.

Dr Prisno’s work in global health and public health has consistently been recognised through a number of prestigious awards given by the World Health Organisation, the International Union for Health Promotion and Education, the International Association for Ecology and Health, Junior Chamber International, and from the President of the Republic of the Philippines.

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Gold Finance Group at a forum organised by Gold Finance Group at the weekend.

The agreement will see both sides jointly establish the XJTLU-GF School of Film and Television Arts and the XJTLU-GF Centre.

Gold Finance Group will provide financial support for XJTLU’s infrastructure construction, while XJTLU will make full use of its advantages in education. In addition, the two sides will set up a council to jointly manage the initiatives, share resources and promote new developments in higher education.

The School of Film and Television Arts mixes digital media arts, film and television production and technology with performance and acting. As well as offering two undergraduate courses from September 2016 it has plans to provide courses in applied areas such as international actor training and performing arts, creating a distinctive flavour that is unique among schools of its kind in China.

Professor Youmin Xi, XJTLU executive president, said: “The XJTLU-GF School of Film and Television Arts will make full use of XJTLU’s international education experience, as well as Gold Finance Group’s global market and industry resources to provide China’s flourishing cultural industry with international-standard talents and intelligence.”

The XJTLU-GF Centre will integrate academic research resources in XJTLU’s International Business School Suzhou, Department of Mathematical Sciences and finance-related research institutes, to strengthen applied research. Professor Xi said the centre was committed to becoming an internationally-renowned centre of excellence for innovative finance-related education and that he believed the strategic cooperation between XJTLU and Gold Finance Group would make a “great contribution” to society.

The strategic cooperation with XJTLU is Gold Finance Group’s largest project in the field of education. Jie Wei, chairman of Gold Finance Group, said: “Besides financial support, we hope to inject our resources into education through cooperating with XJTLU, working together to strengthen the development of international education in China.”

In a subsequent session at the forum, Professor Xi delivered a keynote speech on urbanisation and public-private partnerships, saying that the implementation of private partnerships was crucial to breaking through the restrictions of resources and management in public services construction: “Government and enterprises should make urban planning and design decisions from the perspective of future social development,” he said.

Gold Finance Group, a leading third-party financial services provider, was established in 2008 and is headquartered in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. The company has substantial operations within the Yangtze River delta region and has overseas branches in South Korea, Canada and Europe. It develops industries such as finance, education, culture, and medical treatments to drive emerging urban construction.

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University’s 10th anniversary is not just a celebration of the physical existence of the organisation.

For 14 members of staff across the University it also marks somewhat of a personal and professional milestone, as they celebrate a decade of working here at XJTLU.

Among them, driver Jianhua Chen and administrator Xiaoyan Wu have worked here since before the University’s buildings were even built, two of three administrative staff brought in to support the work of the senior academics who were developing XJTLU at the time.

Each long-term member of staff has their own memories and reflections on the 10 years they have spent at XJTLU. Here are just some of their stories.

International from the beginning

Dr Stephen Jeaco, who is now a lecturer in the Department of English, Culture and Communication, arrived to set up what would become the Language Centre at XJTLU. He is the University’s longest-serving international member of staff.

His was a role crucial to the development of XJTLU as an English-medium university and Stephen was required to develop curricula, teaching methods and materials, and to recruit staff.

“My first official day of work was 1 July 2006 when the Foundation Building opened for the first time,” he said. “That first academic year there were about 160 students knocking around this huge building and the entire academic staff could sit around one table!”

Aside from developing the English language provision he also became involved in discussions about the physical environment of the University’s first building, the Foundation Building, from developing signage to determining where whiteboards were placed.

“It was really interesting to be involved from the beginning,” he said.

Between 2006 and 2012 his responsibility grew from six tutors to more than one hundred, reflecting the rapid growth of XJTLU.

Over 10 years he has seen many changes, not only at XJTLU but in Suzhou too, reflecting that the east side of Jinji Lake, where Stephen lives and where XJTLU is located, has undergone remarkable transformation.

Having been here since the beginning, Stephen is confident about the University’s future: “We’re well-placed to be a leading international university,” he says. “We’re bringing people from all over the world in terms of staffing and students, and that’s been an incredible development over the past few years. I think the University’s ambitions for the future are very good.”

Change in career

For Christy Wang, from the President’s Office, joining XJTLU meant a dramatic change in career – from an English teacher at a university in Wuhan to personal assistant to the new University’s first ever Vice President for Academic Affairs, Professor Jeremy Smith.

She remembers the huge amount of work that was required in those early days to get the new university off the ground and how she quickly had to learn how to manage her time effectively.

“At that time we only had a small number of support workers, so I had to work on multiple tasks simultaneously and play different roles,” she said. “I was the secretary to nearly all academic meetings and committees and the most challenging thing was to allocate time to the different tasks.”

She learnt a great deal from both Professor Smith and his successor Professor David Sadler, who joined the University in 2010, especially about the British higher education system and academic management.

Christy is proud of XJTLU’s achievements over the past 10 years, especially of the community of staff and student that has been created: “I feel the XJTLU community we’ve created, and that continues to grow, is our biggest asset for development in the next 10 years,” she said.

“I’m really impressed by how proud our alumni are. For the 10th anniversary celebrations we have nearly 800 alumni registered, many of whom are from the first cohort. They’re coming to Suzhou from around China and the world to see how the University has grown.”

Risk, transformation and success

For Dr Zhoulin Ruan XJTLU’s biggest accomplishment has been its students. He was particularly impressed by the first group of students to enroll in 2006, who he describes as very ambitious and who took a risk to come to XJTLU, a university that at the time was extremely different to what else was on offer.

Their risk paid off however and XJTLU students have enjoyed great academic success from the very beginning: “The first cohort came here with just a Gaokao certificate. If they had gone to a local university they would have been among millions of ordinary Chinese graduates, but after four years at XJTLU many of them went on really top universities, like Cambridge and Imperial College London, to study masters degrees,” he said.

“It gave us confidence to say 'We proved ourselves. We did it.' Our students were accepted by top universities that only the top 10 percent of students in China were able to do. It was a huge confidence boost, that we are producing graduates at that level.”

Dr Ruan also took a risk to come to XJTLU, joining the XJTLU after completing his PhD in the United Kingdom and noting that the University was virtually non-existent at the time.

But it has been the students, their enthusiasm and subsequent achievements, which have convinced Dr Ruan he made the right move: “Because of the success of our students, our institution has attracted a lot of interest, not just from the local Chinese higher education sector but from the UK and internationally. We’re a model for the localisation of the UK higher education system,” he said.

After supporting the creation of the Language Centre, Dr Ruan would go on to create the Department of English, Culture and Communication at the University, which will soon become the Department of English, covering English language, literature and translation, while communication will be separated out to form part of the new School of Film and Television Arts, due to be opened in 2017 on the new South Campus.

And for Dr Ruan transformation, whether it be the academic departments and programmes on offer, the physical environment of the University’s campus or the students themselves, is a key aspect of XJTLU: “When the students come into the University, and when they leave after four years, we see great transformations have happened in them. That’s the key thing we’ve achieved over the past 10 years and what has established our reputation,” he said.

Therese Healy, consul general of the Consulate General of Ireland Shanghai, paid a visit to Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University last week to seek potential cooperation between XJTLU and Irish universities.

Professor Youmin Xi, executive president of XJTLU, welcomed Ms Healy and briefly introduced the University during the meeting.

He said: “XJTLU has integrated the best practice of Western and Eastern education and is dedicated to cultivating talents who can adapt to future world development trends. In addition, XJTLU also aims to impact higher education in China.”

He added that XJTLU had set up research institutions with local government to carry out research focused on social problems, such as urbanisation, population ageing, smart and green cities amongst others. He also indicated that by establishing the research centres, as well as an international technology transfer centre and innovation hub, XJTLU hopes to attract international universities and research institutions to communicate and exchange experiences and ideas.

“XJTLU has cooperated with the British Council to provide training for Chinese primary and secondary school English teachers and hopefully we can carry out cooperation in the aspects of research and education with Ireland in the future,” he continued.

Ms Healy pointed out that university student employment is a challenge in Ireland, as it is in China, and that the University of Limerick, founded in 1972 by the Irish government, has good experience in solving these employment challenges.

She said that the University of Limerick provides students paid and semi-paid work placements, with the experience students gaining making them more employable: “I would like to introduce the University of Limerick to XJTLU and hope the two universities can seek potential cooperation and learn experiences and best practices from each other.

“Most of the Irish students who study in China are in Beijing and Shanghai, I would also like to encourage them to study in Suzhou in the future,” she said.

The scholarship committee at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University met on 14 July 2016 and approved the awarding of academic scholarships for the 2016/17 academic year to 479 students, in recognition of their academic achievements during the 2015/16 academic year.

The University offers progression scholarships and retention of entry scholarships to students based on their academic performance in the previous academic year. The progression scholarship is further categorised into two awards - the University Academic Excellence Award and the University Academic Achievement Award.

Students whose marks are in the top five percent of their programmes receive a University Academic Excellence Award of RMB 10,000, while students whose marks are in the top 5.1 to 10 percent of their programmes receive a University Academic Achievement Award of RMB 5,000. In both cases, students must also have achieved an overall average mark of 65 percent. Recipients of the entry scholarships or retained entry scholarships in 2014/15 can retain their scholarship if their marks continue to rank in the top 25 percent of their programmes in 2015/16.

This year, 244 students were awarded with University Academic Excellence Award, 221 students the University Academic Achievement Award and 14 students the retention of entry scholarship.

If you have any queries, please contact the Registry Office.

View the list of students awarded academic scholarships.

The first-ever international transport symposium in Suzhou was held at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University on 16 July 2016.

The symposium focused on critical issues and challenges related to transport and urban sustainability, addressing topics that most Chinese cities are facing and exploring new approaches to tackling.

The event was organised by the Department of Urban Planning and Design at XJTLU and sponsored by Suzhou SND Tram Limited.

Professor David O’Connor, dean of research and graduate studies at XJTLU, welcomed participants with an inspiring opening speech, saying: “Meeting the urban transportation demands effectively while simultaneously cutting down on carbon emissions is clearly a difficult but important challenge. However, it was heartening to find so many fresh ideas being brought to bear on the problem at the symposium.”

More than 60 people from across the world attended the symposium, including highly regarded scholars, young researchers, leading local practitioners, and a number of delegates from different sectors nationwide.

Across the day-long programme, seventeen speakers from various transport and urban planning departments and institutes presented latest research around four the major themes of global and local perspectives on sustainable transport policy and planning, transport and integrated development, travel and governance, and transport and smart technology at the cutting edge of big data.

A wide range of interesting topics and case studies were presented including the concept of moving from car-based to people-based cities, adaptive planning of transport infrastructure, effects of suburban transit proximity on greenhouse gas emission in greater Shanghai, the integrated transport hub in Shanghai Hongqiao, the impacts of rail transit on urban regeneration in Chongqing, a comparative analysis of railway station squares, high-speed rail and the spatial-economic impacts on the Yangtze River Delta and Suzhou region, discourse on urban travel and transport and social equity in London, potential volunteered geographic information on future transport systems, traffic modelling on the freeway network in Jiangsu province, big data and transport planning in Hangzhou, and public bike usage in Suzhou.

The high-quality presentations sparked animated discussions among participants who took the opportunity to enthusiastically share experiences and viewpoints.

Yuanqiu Bao, a chief practitioner at CCDI Suzhou, a leading planning company, shared information on her company’s work and approaches to transport planning practice in China: “This kind of event is very rare in Suzhou. This symposium significantly broadened the horizons of domestic practitioners. With such inspiring exchanges and learning experiences, new ideas can be stimulated,” she said.

On the morning of Sunday 17 July, a special tour to the Suzhou New District Tram headquarters was hosted by sponsor, SND Tram Limited. Delegates were impressed by the city’s vision to create a high-quality tram system, demonstrated through interactive videos and models. They also experienced the driver training facilities.

Participants then went on a tram ride to a newly created public transport interchange hub, where the SND tram connects to line one of Suzhou metro and integrates with several other transport modes such as bus and regional coaches including airport coaches. A tour of the classic Suzhou Garden, the Lingering Garden, concluded the event.

Professor Haixiao Pan, from the Department of Urban Planning at Tongji University, had just successfully hosted the 14th World Conference on Transport Research in Shanghai. He said: “We need to explore new approaches to understanding the complexity in transport and sustainability. I’m very glad to attend the conference and the tramway tour to know the rich contents.”

Dr Robin Hickman, from the Bartlett School of Planning at University College London, enjoyed his first visit to XJTLU and Suzhou: “The venue was great, we had very high-quality speakers from across the world and it was great to see the innovative transport projects, including the LRT and high-speed rail in Suzhou. The conference programme, banners and catering were all excellent. Very well done,” he said.

Participants were also impressed by the active involvement of urban planning and design students who acted as event assistants and engaged in discussions, raising good questions. Dr Moshe Givoni from Tel Aviv University expressed interest in setting up student exchange programmes between Tel Aviv University and XJTLU.

Year Three urban planning and design student Jordan Liu, from Myanmar, was among the students who attended and enjoyed the symposium: “I’m glad and proud that the symposium was held at XJTLU. It’s such a great opportunity to have been a part of what just happened today. I’m looking forward to more of events like this in the future.”

“I’m happy and proud to be an assistant of such a great conference. The participants were all so nice,” added Year Four student Yi Zhu.

Dr Chia-Lin Chen (pictured above), chief organiser of the symposium and a lecturer in the Department of Urban Planning and Design at XJTLU, said: “In Chinese, ‘jiaotong’ literally means ‘transport’. This first transport symposium held in Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University is particularly meaningful. It provides an exceptional chance to exchange ideas in a global-local nexus and an excellent platform for international visibility. It is great to see the event open up opportunities for future research collaborations both locally and globally.”

Speakers at the event represented:

• Bartlett School of Planning and Transport Institute, University College London
• Transport Research Unit, Tel Aviv University
• Institute for Climate Change and Sustainable Development, University of Malta
• Urban studies and planning programme, Virginia Commonwealth University
• Department of Urban Planning, Tongji University
• School of Urban Rail Transportation, Soochow University
• Department of Urban Planning and Design, XJTLU
• Transport unit at Suzhou Planning and Design Research Institute Co., Ltd.
• Institute of Traffic Planning and Design, CCDI Suzhou.

For Professor Janet Beer, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Liverpool, the joint venture partnership with Xi’an Jiaotong University, that created Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, is the continuation of a long-term relationship between the city of Liverpool and China.

“Liverpool has a very long-established Chinese community,” she says. “It was one of the earliest, if not the earliest, in the UK to be settled in the 1860s.”

At the time, Liverpool was one of the United Kingdom’s key ports and from 1834 the city established strong trade links with China that saw boats coming directly from Shanghai bringing silks and cotton wool.

While some Chinese people simply visited for trade, others found opportunities to settle in the city, forming a community in the Cleveland Square area near the docks where they worked.

“It’s natural that sailors from all over the world gravitated to the city,” says Professor Beer, “but immigrant populations in successive waves have always made Liverpool their home. That doesn’t surprise me as it’s a very welcoming city and a great place to live.”

Nowadays, the Chinese population in the city is estimated to number more than 25,000 buoyed by the significant numbers of Chinese students who study at the University of Liverpool. Some 65 percent of the University’s overseas student population is Chinese, attracted in-part, Professor Beer believes, by the University’s reputation in the country: “I think it’s partly because we’re in the joint venture that we attract students from all over China and Hong Kong to study,” she says, adding that Chinese students are “very, very important members of our student and alumni communities”.

The importance of China to global higher education

China is not just having an impact on the University of Liverpool, Professor Beer points out, but also on higher education worldwide.

And it’s not just a question of the large numbers of Chinese students studying around the world, but also one of the country’s attitude towards higher education: “The appetite for higher education in China is a model for nations all over the world,” Professor Beer says. “The appetite and understanding that higher education is vital to economic, social and cultural well-being is higher here than any other country.”

She praises the Chinese government’s efforts to promote China as a destination for overseas students, suggesting it points to a recognition of the contribution overseas students make to the knowledge economy: “It is well-known and proven that graduates over the course of their lifetime will earn more,” she says, “they will also save their countries, and this is true worldwide, a huge amount of money in costs that don’t have to be incurred because they’re well educated - by being law abiding, a good parent, by paying their taxes and generally being fit and healthy.”

Visiting XJTLU

Professor Janet Beer has been Vice-Chancellor of the University of Liverpool since February 2015 and she made her first visit to XJTLU in July 2015 to attend the University's graduation ceremonies.

She enjoyed meeting XJTLU graduates and their families and playing a part in celebrating their achievements. She called graduation a “rite of passage” and praised the graduation ceremonies’ combination of both the UK and Chinese traditions.

She also toured the campus and spoke to colleagues working at XJTLU, and was impressed that the University lived up to her expectations: “Since starting at the University of Liverpool, one of the things that has been a revelation is the nature of the joint venture with XJTU that has resulted in this wonderful university,” she says. “It is unique in terms of giving the dual degrees and in being a hybrid between the Chinese and UK system. I think it’s an absolutely wonderful model.”

The “respectful” partnership at the heart of XJTLU has been a key part of its success, she believes, and something that everyone can be very “proud” of.

She thinks the foresight that XJTLU founders had 10 years ago has positioned the University firmly at the forefront of transnational education, leading where other similar developments follow: “These kinds of programmes are now being developed all over the world,” she says, “and visiting XJTLU has demonstrated to me that the University of Liverpool and XJTU were far ahead of the curve in terms of the visioning of this partnership. That vision is being fulfilled beyond, I’m sure, everybody’s wildest expectations.”

During her visit, she was impressed by the “beautifully landscaped” campus and high-quality buildings, both on the existing North Campus and the new South Campus development, pointing out the “stunning” terracotta finish on the Academic Exchange Centre building.

But it’s the speed in which XJTLU has developed, in just 10 years, that left the biggest impression on her: “One of the most amazing things about XJTLU is how far it’s come so fast,” she says, highlighting the University’s unique offer and growing reputation as a collaborator for industry and other universities in both research and continuing professional development education, as well as the development of the postgraduate offer alongside undergraduate programmes.

“The progress has been astonishingly fast,” she concludes.

The next 10 years

Professor Beer is excited for XJTLU’s future and the continual development of the links between China and Liverpool. She believes the University will consolidate its reputation in terms of its student experience and high-quality education at undergraduate and postgraduate level, in particular the development of research degrees.

Additionally, she hopes to see XJTLU develop its research institutes to a high level, in partnership with the University of Liverpool but also with other universities and research centres, and with government and industry. “I see that as the logical next step for the University,” she adds.

With the 10-year anniversary a chance to celebrate all that the joint venture and XJTLU has achieved, as well as look to the future with optimism and enthusiasm, Professor Beer was keen to share a message: “Happy 10th anniversary XJTLU. It is a delight for me as the Vice-Chancellor of Liverpool to be involved in this joint venture with you and to be able to celebrate your special anniversary.”

The chairman of the German Ecological Engineering Society paid a visit to Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University and discussed further cooperation with the University’s Research Institute of Urbanisation.

Dr Gunther Geller, accompanied by staff from Suzhou DeHua Ecological Technology Corp, met with Professor Youmin Xi, executive president of XJTLU.

During the meeting, Professor Xi introduced XJTLU’s development and academic research and emphasised the importance of research to the University’s strategic development. Dr Geller explained in detail the philosophy and practice of ecological engineering, ecological urban planning and ecological civilisation construction.

Professor Xi and Professor Andre Brown, XJTLU vice president, expressed their strong support of and great interest in international cooperation. Professor Xi said that he hoped both sides could explore more cooperative possibilities to achieve mutual benefits.

In addition, Dr Geller also spoke to XJTLU academics, Dr Yixin Zhang, Dr Mona Wells, Dr Eduardo Medina Roldan and Dr Zheng Chen as well as to undergraduate and PhD students from the Department of Environmental Science at XJTLU.

He analysed the governance of German and Chinese water systems and the construction of ecological towns as well as the ecological construction of the newly-constructed Valley View University in Ghana.

Dr Geller said: “Ecological measures are the best way to solve current and future problems of our water environments. During a project’s implementation, understanding local customs and enhancing communication with local people is very important for guaranteeing an ecological project will run smoothly.”

Dr Zhang said that XJTLU’s Research Institute of Urbanisation and the Department of Environmental Science were willing to cooperate with Dr Geller, and will jointly hold a forum on ecological engineering in November, bringing together experts within the field to promote eco-town and eco-civilisation construction: “I expect that both sides will also cooperate on more specific research projects, academic conferences, exchange of talents and technology to make contributions to the construction of ecological civilisations and environmental protection,” he added.

Dr Geller is a world expert in the areas of ecological wetland construction, low-carbon community construction and ecological water conservancy. He has organised Germany’s leading wetland experts to publish national standards for the construction of wetlands in Germany and has practice experience in ecological construction.

Around 800 Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University alumni from across the world gathered together yesterday to celebrate XJTLU’s 10th anniversary – the largest get together of alumni in the University’s history.

The event started with a morning of presentations and speeches from key figures at the University.

Professor Youmin Xi, executive president of XJTLU, welcomed attendees to the event, saying: “I am glad to see your achievements and to welcome you back. Every one of you is an ambassador for XJTLU. Let’s imagine the next 10 years, your future and XJTLU’s future. I hope all of you can take XJTLU’s 10th year as an opportunity to establish a goal and strive for it.”

Jiefu Chen, chairman of the Shanghai branch of the XJTLU Alumni Association, gave a presentation on the branch’s members, activities and how to join.

Jiefu (pictured below left) started XJTLU in 2007, studying BSc Financial Mathematics, and graduated in 2011. He is currently working as a big data financial product manager for Sinolink Securities in Shanghai.

He said that study at XJTLU helped him form his own working style and way of thinking: “My ability to collect information, which has helped a lot during my current work, was strengthened during my study at XJTLU. Additionally, XJTLU also equipped me with strong adaptability. I hope XJTLU can fully integrate West and East and cultivate more global citizens in the future,” he said.

Lifu Shao, who was among the first students to attend XJTLU in 2006, also attended the day’s celebrations. He studied BSc Information Management and Information Systems and is currently working as regional sales manager for Shanghai HongYan Returnable Transit Packaging.

He spoke about the risk he took in choosing XJTLU at a time when the University was newly-founded and untested: “It was indeed a risk for me to go to a fresh new university that had no past and an uncertain future. But it was the risk I had to take.”

He said that he didn’t regret making the decision to help form the future of XJTLU, saying that he benefitted from, and witnessed the growth of, the University: “That amazed me then and still does today,” he said.

Dr Minzhu Yang, vice president of XJTLU, concluded the morning’s event saying: “I hope more alumni liaison groups can be set up in the future and that some of you can come back to XJTLU and become the mentors to current students.”

A party was held in the evening and was a chance for attendees to relax and socialise.

Yang Yu, who studied BA Marketing and graduated from XJTLU in 2014, donated a handmade birthday cake to the party.

Yang is currently running her own business, Vicki Studio, which provides training in baking. Besides providing training herself, she also invites professionals from France, South Korea and other countries, to deliver training. The studio recruits students not only in Mainland China, but also from other countries, such as Japan, Malaysia and Thailand.

She said she became interested in baking during her time at XJTLU but also considered going abroad for further study after she graduated: “It was a hard decision to make, whether I should pursue my interests or continue further study,” she said. “At that time, my tutors at XJTLU encouraged me to pursue my interests and I really appreciate their encouragement. Without it, I would not have the success I have today.”

She said the skills in information integration and marketing that she gained during her time at XJTLU, as well as the University’s supportive atmosphere, helped enormously in setting up and running her company.

“I hope XJTLU can continue this culture to help more students pursue their own interests and realise their dreams,” she said.

Qinghua Yang, from the Student and Admissions and Career Development Office at XJTLU, said: “This is the largest number of alumni in one gathering at XJTLU in its 10-year history. The event aimed to help the University keep in touch with its alumni, to serve them better and establish an interactive relationship between XJTLU and its graduates.”

There are currently nine XJTLU alumni association branches based in Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Shaanxi, Guangdong, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, Canada and Britain.

The official celebrations for our 10th anniversary are on 26 July. To get you in the mood, here are 10 fun facts about Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University!

1)

Neither of our parent universities are based in Suzhou, so how did XJTLU come to be built here in the ‘Venice of the East’? During initial discussions between the University of Liverpool and Xi’an Jiaotong University, it was revealed that Xi’an Jiaotong had considered setting up a branch campus in Suzhou, within the then-new Suzhou Industrial Park. These plans didn’t work out, but the SIP government was willing to offer support to, and land for, a new campus, which would be jointly owned by Liverpool and Xi’an Jiaotong. The location of XJTLU’s beautiful campus was decided.

2)

Liverpool, the home of our parent university, has the largest and longest-established Chinese community in the whole of Europe. In 2000 this was commemorated by the construction of a Chinese ceremonial archway, the largest of its kind in Europe, on Nelson Street in the city’s Chinatown. It was built piece by piece in China and put together in Liverpool by Chinese workmen.

3)

172

The number of students we recruited in our first year and who were crucial to the University’s success. Professor Kelvin Everest from the University of Liverpool wrote in his book, The History of XJTLU: “These students, and their parents, were taking a bold leap into a new kind of educational experience, and one which testified to their own brave readiness to try something different.”

4)

Fourteen members of staff have been at the University since its very beginning 10 years ago. These include driver Jianhua Chen and administrator Xiaoyan Wu, who have worked here since before the University’s buildings were even built, and Stephen Jeaco, who set up the Language Centre and is the University’s longest serving international member of staff.

“My first official day of work was 1 July 2006 when the Foundation Building opened for the first time. There were about 160 students knocking around this huge building and the entire academic staff could sit around one table! I remember the first graduation ceremony and the first time students went across to Liverpool on 2+2. It was really interesting to be involved from the beginning and I think the University’s ambitions for the future are very good,” said Stephen.

Read more stories from our long-term staff.

5)

Exploratory visits and discussions by the University of Liverpool that would eventually lead to the establishment of XJTLU began in 2003, the same year that the University of Liverpool celebrated its own 100th anniversary as an independent degree-awarding institution.

Did you know the phrase ‘red-brick’ university, used to describe major British universities, was derived from the University of Liverpool’s Victoria Building, which was built in 1892 during the University’s earliest years?

6)

Did you know there is a secret tunnel connecting our North and South Campuses? Running underneath the road and small canal that separate the two areas, the tunnel has been decorated with murals designed by our student clubs and organisations!

7)

The University of Liverpool and Xi’an Jiaotong University came together to form XJTLU thanks, in part, to the work of Chinese academic Professor Michael Fang, a world-renowned expert in electrical engineering who had a very successful career at the University of Liverpool. From the early 1980s Professor Fang visited Xi’an Jiaotong every year, encouraged Chinese staff to visit Liverpool and took on doctoral students. His strong connections would form the basis of discussions between Liverpool and Xi’an Jiaotong about the formation of a new joint venture university and he would become XJTLU’s first executive vice president when the University finally opened in 2006.

8)

As a gift for our 10th anniversary, the University of Liverpool has given XJTLU a traditional British narrow boat which has been named the ‘Liverbird of Suzhou’.

It was named after the ‘liver bird’, a symbol of the city of Liverpool. While not a real species of bird, it has an appearance similar to that of a cormorant and its origin is subject to many myths and legends. The image of a liver bird is used on the University of Liverpool and XJTLU's crests as well as on the logo of Liverpool Football Club.

The little narrow boat has travelled by boat itself all the way from Liverpool to Suzhou – a journey of more than 9,000 kilometres. It will be officially unveiled on Suzhou’s Jinji Lake as part of our 10th anniversary celebrations.

9)

We’ll officially open the first phase of our South Campus in tomorrow! Building on the project began in August 2014 and will be totally completed by the end of 2018. Architecturally it contrasts our North Campus and was inspired by the curved forms of Suzhou’s famous gardens.

10)

An anniversary is a time to celebrate and people from all over the world, and from throughout our history, have been sending their well-wishes! Many of the people featured in this video will be at tomorrow’s celebration events.

Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University has celebrated its 10th anniversary with a day of celebrations on campus. Among a wide variety of events, the University's new South Campus was officially opened while a number of honoured guests gave speeches.

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University has marked its 10th anniversary with a day of celebrations on its campus in Suzhou.

Honoured guests from throughout the University’s history gathered together with XJTLU staff, students and alumni to celebrate the achievements of the past 10 years and look to the future.

The spectacular anniversary ceremony was hosted by two first year students, economics and finance student Yue Han and Dawei Zhou, who is studying information management and information systems. The event featured impressive videos with interactive elements and speeches from key guests.

As well as a welcoming address by President Youmin Xi, executive president of XJTLU, speeches were given by Professor Qinghua Zheng, vice president of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Professor Janet Beer, vice-chancellor of the University of Liverpool, Jim Addison, director of education at British Council China, Xiaochang Ding, deputy director of the Jiangsu Department of Education, and Futian Qu, mayor of Suzhou.

Professor Xi spoke of the University’s “astonishing” achievements over the past 10 years, but emphasised how important it was to keep looking forward and striving for new accomplishments.

“Looking forward to the next 10 years, and the 10 years after that, we need to keep a clear head - even when we don't stop, if we're not overtaking then we're falling behind,” he said.

“We need to keep our feet on the ground, continue integrating the essence of the world's education, keep a close eye on the pulse of the times, take aim at the world's future direction, take one step at a time, and embark upon a completely new path of developing higher education.”
Guests at the day’s events included representatives from the University of Liverpool and Xi’an Jiaotong University, especially those who had played important roles in XJTLU’s formation.

Professor Janet Beer spoke about the enduring relationship between Liverpool and China and of how proud she was of the partnership behind XJTLU.

“As XJTLU continues to grow both in terms of its student population and academic standing, the next 10 years look incredibly exciting. I look forward to working with colleagues in both Liverpool and Suzhou as we develop our ambitions and vision for the future,” she said.

Professor Qinghua Zheng said XJTLU’s 10th anniversary coincided with Xi’an Jiaotong’s 120th anniversary, making it one of China’s oldest modern universities. He called XJTU and Liverpool’s partnership an important step in the internationalisation of higher education in China.

“As one of the parent universities, we are so proud of the extraordinary achievements of XJTLU, which sets a great example for developing an international education model,” he said. “XJTLU’s experience and success has impacted China’s higher education transform in a very positive way.”

The contribution of both local and national government to XJTLU’s development was also recognised by a number of the speakers and the presenters.
Jiangsu Department of Education representative Xiaocheng Ding talked of the importance of developing international higher to Jiangsu Province and said he expected XJTLU to grow into a “world-renowned university with unique Chinese features”.

Mayor of Suzhou Futian Qu added that XJTLU’s continued success was crucial to Suzhou’s sustainable development: “The futures of Suzhou and XJTLU are closely connected and they will be continually beneficial to each other,” he said.

Honouring key people

Among a wide-ranging, celebratory programme, one of the day’s most poignant activities was the opening of the Plaza of Honour, on the University’s new South Campus.

The plaza features raised seating areas adorned with plaques that carry the names and achievements of more than 40 people who have made significant contributions to XJTLU’s development and reputation. It is hoped new names will be added to the plaques as years go by.

Dr Minzhu Yang, vice president at XJTLU, officially opened the plaza. He said: “We have made remarkable progress in our first 10 years. But, this didn’t happen all by itself. It happened because of contributions from our entire XJTLU family, who generously provided tremendous support. We are proud to open this ‘Plaza of Honour’ as a special place to recognise those who made outstanding contributions to our University.”

XJTLU BSc Financial Mathematics graduate Jiefu Chen was one of the people honoured with a plaque. He founded the XJTLU Shanghai Alumni Association and is a former president of both the XJTLU Alumni Association and the Chinese Society of the University of Liverpool.

He now works as a big data financial product manager at Sinolink Securities in Shanghai and credits his study at XJTLU with equipping him with the skills he needed for his career.
“I am very proud and glad to receive the award. I am accepting the award on behalf of all the alumni who have contributed to the Shanghai alumni branch,” he said.

A day of celebration

The day’s events attracted a number of XJTLU staff, students, alumni and external guests all keen to take part in the milestone celebrations.

Richard Tian has been an external mentor to XJTLU students for the past six years. He came to the celebrations because he has seen the growth of the University and was impressed by the changes and the South Campus.

“I like the ‘imagine’ theme because I’ve seen the growth of this University and I can imagine its future,” he said.

Janet Thistlethwaite joined XJTLU the day before the event as its new director of the Centre for Academic Affairs. She was impressed by her first event at the University. “It’s very well organised and the South Campus is wonderful. I can’t get over how quickly it’s been built,” she said.

Janet joined XJTLU from the University of Liverpool so the anniversary celebrations were a chance for her to see former colleagues who had travelled from the UK for the occasion. “I like the opportunity XJTLU gives Liverpool students to come to China and get a feel for this amazing county,” she added.

The 10 year anniversary event followed an alumni gathering two days before that saw a record largest number of XJTLU alumni return to the University’s campus.

See photos from the day’s events.