XJTLU: Building models to spark the next educational reform in China and beyond
This webinar is a part of an Innovative Universities Global Webinar Series.
Xi'an Jiaotong–Liverpool University (XJTLU) is a joint-venture university, with its main Campus located in Suzhou, China. XJTLU was established in 2006 through a partnership between Xi'an Jiaotong University and the University of Liverpool. XJTLU hosts around 25,000 students.
XJTLU innovates by combining a research-led, interdisciplinary curriculum, with entrepreneurial skills at the forefront. The Entrepreneur College in Taicang is an expansion of XJTLU. Their core-framework named “Syntegrative Education” integrates high-quality talent development, hands-on industry experience, and leadership skills. Their Academy of Future Education is dedicated to educational innovation and systemic development not only for traditional higher education institutions, but for K-15 schools and vocational education as well.
How does Syntegrative Education operate? How does XJTLU, as an international joint university, influence the educational ecosystem in China and globally? Join us as we discuss these questions and more with Dr. Xiaojun Zhang, Executive Dean of the Academy of Future Education and Acting Dean of the Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Hub, in our upcoming webinar.
Dr. Xiaojun Zhang, Executive Dean of Academy of Future Education, Acting Dean of Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Hub
- Dr. Xiaojun Zhang is the Chief Officer of Education at XJTLU and leads the Entrepreneur College (Taicang) Collective Leadership Team.
- He founded ILEAD, the Academy of Future Education, and other key departments at XJTLU to advance education and student development.
- His initiatives, including the National University Teaching Innovation Award, have reached over 15,000 staff from 500 universities in China.
- Dr. Zhang has published 100+ papers and five books on educational transformation, with notable frameworks for AI-era teaching.
- He develops professional programs for educators and established influential teaching communities, such as the ILEAD Talks across China.
Dara Melnyk:
- XJTLU is a daughter university of Xi'an Jiaotong University and University of Liverpool, and yet it is unlike either. This is quite rare. Typically, joint projects aspire to emulate their parent universities. The lesson that could be learnt here: if you are entering a partnership, you might as well create something new.
- Speaking about new things, prior to the webinar, we had been skeptical of the term "syntegrative education", which is how XJTLU has named its educational model. But no, it makes perfect sense. XJTLU's students do not just integrate their learning experiences (which include internships, real projects with industry, courses co-taught with researchers and industry professionals, mentorships, etc.), they also create synergies between them, largely thanks to the systematic approach to university-industry integration the university takes. Synergetic + integrative = syntegrative. The lesson: a new approach beckons a new name. *Incidentally, it would be interesting to see how syntegrative education compares to PBL (understood both as project- and problem-based learning).
