Postgraduate students begin new lives at XJTLU

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University welcomed a new cohort of approximately 400 postgraduate students at the beginning of this academic year.

These students come from over 40 countries and regions including the US, the UK, China, Germany, Austria, Holland, Italy and India. Among them, International Business School Suzhou (IBSS) at XJTLU welcomed more than 230 postgraduate students and visiting students from 18 countries.

Gian Andrea Dell'Antonio (pictured below) received his bachelors degree from Bocconi University in Italy and is studying on the MSc Finance programme at XJTLU.

He was a research analyst for a private equity investment and mergers and acquisitions project at Bocconi University.

Regarding his decision to study at XJTLU, Gian Andrea Dell' Antonio said that during his studies in Italy he had encountered aspects of Chinese culture that he thought “profound”:

“After careful searching and consultations with admissions staff of various international universities I learned about this one and submitted my application without hesitation,” he said.

He said that he appreciated that all courses are delivered in English, but that he would also have the opportunity to learn about Chinese language and culture. “XJTLU’s educational model that has combined the best practices of Western and Eastern education will allow me develop in unique ways,” he said.

"China is a country full of imagination and in my opinion XJTLU is the best place to learn about Chinese culture," he added.

Another postgraduate student Jia Li, studying MA Mass Media Translation, was previously a journalist with Xinhua News Agency, the official press agency of China.

He has experience as a war correspondent, and reported from the front lines of conflict areas around the world over the past nine years, including reports about civil wars in Libya and Syria. He also covered the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Qatar in 2012.

Jia Li explained his decision to give up his job at Xinhua and begin masters study, saying: “New media have a huge impact on traditional media nowadays, and I hope to jump out of the media industry and think about the problem from another angle.”

The Department of English at XJTLU launched the MA Mass Media Translation programme this June and it is the first of its kind in mainland China.

Jia Li said that the variety of modules such as Translation and Technology, Global Media Cultures and Computer-aided Translation, and the fact that they are all delivered in English, suits him very well. He also believed that as students on a brand new programme he and his classmates will confront more challenges and opportunities.

He was very excited about his future life as a postgraduate student, saying: "I can further improve my language and translation level, learn from professional academic staff, and understand the future development of the media industry.”

Professor Youmin Xi, ‎executive president of XJTLU, shared his own experience as a postgraduate student at the masters welcome party. He said: “If you can study actively at XJTLU you will have more resources and opportunities no matter whether in study, research, or in your jobs after graduation, and this is especially important for postgraduate students."

Professor Jean Chen, dean of IBSS, mentioned that IBSS will move into its new building on the South Campus at the beginning of next year, and that the new building will provide a better learning environment and more modern learning experiences.

She highlighted some postgraduate teaching measures in IBSS, including research-led teaching, strengthening the links between theory and practice, making actual company projects the content of curriculum evaluation, and inviting famous enterprise managers to deliver lectures, and she hoped that the new students will take full advantage of these measures.

(translator: Yanzi Wu, editors: Guojuan Wang and Danny Abbasi, photos by Zhuang Fang and Wenyue Zhang)