University leaders share learning experiences with Year One students

An afternoon tea event was held in the Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University Museum to provide Year One students with the opportunity to talk face-to-face with members of the University senior management.

Professor Youmin Xi, executive president of XJTLU, Professor Minzhu Yang, a vice president, and Professor Qiuling Chao, designated vice president for student affairs and information all attended the event, each joining one of three groups of Year one students.

The event was organised by the Student Development Advisor Centre and allowed XJTLU Year One students and University leaders to share their life and learning experiences, and gave the University leaders a chance to learn first-hand about the students’ issues.

SDAC assigns Year One students several tasks to complete before they begin their studies, including: discussing their plans for university study with their families; visiting the campus unaccompanied by parents; attending the official XJTLU opening ceremony; listening to lectures during induction week; getting acquainted with resources around campus; and submitting reflective essays about their early experiences at the University.

Students who finish all of these tasks, of which there were 22 this year, are awarded the opportunity to attend the afternoon tea event.

Professor Xi said he was pleased to have direct talks with students:

“This activity is an excellent opportunity for our students to exchange their valuable opinions with us,” he said. “It’s also a useful platform for the University to find out more about students’ needs and expectations.”

Professor Xi suggested to the students that in order for them to pursue their dreams more effectively they should follow their own interests, have clear short-term goals as well as long-term ones, and design their daily schedules accordingly.

Professor Yang emphasised the importance of active learning, and Professor Chao (pictured below, first from the right) suggested that students focus on improving their English skills in order that they may excel in XJTLU’s all-English teaching environment.

During the subsequent Q&A session, students raised questions about the 2+2 study route for transferring to the University of Liverpool, UK. Professor Yang (pictured below) recommended that whether or not to do 2+2 should be the students’ own choice, but that achieving your goals depends mostly on hard work rather than the environment.

Several students shared their thoughts and feelings about the event:Ruijie Fan, studying BSc Economics and Finance, was glad to talk freely with the University leaders who treated him as an equal. “Professor Xi gave me many useful suggestions,” said Xuyang Lin, who is studying BA International Business with a Language. “For example, he said that a positive attitude can create more precious opportunities.”

She also said that this activity shouldn't be limited to Year One students and that many more students should be allowed to benefit from it.

Professor Xi said about the event: “For students in previous years, choosing XJTLU was a gamble because they knew little about our educational philosophy. Today’s talk showed that our current students have a more thorough understanding about the value of research-led education.”

by Yaqi Fu; photos by Liping Tian; translation by Wangjie Qian; edited by Guojuan Wang and Danny Abbasi