New masters students join XJTLU’s international community

Newly enrolled masters students at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University were thrown a grand welcoming party with a red carpet, signature wall, and performances by a DJ, rapper, and dance crew.

The party was a chance for the students, hailing from 36 countries around the world, to meet each other and their professors in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

Dr Graham Dawson (pictured above), lecturer in the Department of Chemistry and a lead researcher for nationally-funded research projects, went along to meet new chemistry masters students.

Professor Youmin Xi (pictured below), executive president of XJTLU, joined in the fun, and offered some advice to the students based on his own masters study experience:

”You should actively learn from your classmates and teachers,” said Professor Xi, encouraging the students to seize the opportunities around them and to make clear career plans.

Yanhua Chen, a graduate of Nanjing Forestry University, shared her reasons for choosing XJTLU, including the opportunity to do high-quality research, and the comprehensive curriculum offered by her chosen programme of study:

"I chose the MSc Media and Communication programme at XJTLU because the curriculum combines study of media theory with analysis of the contemporary media environment in China," she said.

Engineering masters student Milan (pictured below), from Sri Lanka, completed his undergraduate studies in the UK, and was recommended for further study at XJTLU by the British Institute of Engineering and Technology.

XJTLU also offers part-time masters study options. Ke Li, a part-time student on the Operations and Supply Chain Management programme, chose this option as it allows him to continue working in his chosen industry while growing his knowledge and skills.

This year, 592 postgraduate students have joined XJTLU, an increase of 43.7% from last year. They come from 36 countries and regions including China, The US, UK, Germany, Austria, Holland, Italy and India.

XJTLU masters graduates have found employment with China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation, five Chinese state-owned banks, China Mobile, Citibank, Bosch, New Oriental, GF securities, Bohai Bank, and other well-known enterprises.

Others have pursued PhDs at renowned institutions including New York University, The University of Auckland, BI Norwegian Business School, and Technical University of Dortmund.

Jialing Li, from the Student Admissions and Career Development Office at XJTLU, hosted the masters students welcoming party. "We arranged this activity based on the preferences of our young masters students,” she said.

“I hope this event allowed them to make new friends, feel more at home here, and strengthen their sense of belonging," said Jialing.

By Ruotong Jiang and Sihan Liu; photos by Yuanyuan Du; additional photos provided by SACDO;

Translated by Sihan Liu; edited by Danny Abbasi