XJTLU leader awarded Principal Fellow status

Professor Stuart Perrin, the associate principal of Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University’s Entrepreneur College (Taicang), was recently awarded Principal Fellow status of the Higher Education Academy.

In gaining Principal Fellow status, Professor Perrin joins a small and select group of academics both within the UK and globally who have demonstrated professionalism in learning and teaching at the highest levels, and becomes the first to achieve this award through their work in the Chinese mainland.

Principal Fellow status (PFHEA) is awarded to those who can demonstrate sustained leadership, evidenced through a record of impact at a strategic level, in addition to a wider commitment to academic practice and the student learning experience, locally, nationally and internationally.

Professor Perrin explained that he applied for Principal Fellow status for a number of reasons, both personal and so that XJTLU could benefit. Thanking XJTLU’s executive president, Professor Youmin Xi for his vision, he said that his application was successful because of “the opportunities and work that I have been able to do at XJTLU to help push forward the University’s vision of higher education within the Chinese mainland and beyond."

Professor Perrin added that the nature of the application was challenging itself: “It made me think and re-think about myself, providing an opportunity to reflect on my career and what impact it has had, and can continue to have on the professionalism of learning and teaching."

The number of Fellows and Senior Fellows within XJTLU continues to rise, and Professor Perrin said that he hopes he will soon be joined by others ready to make the leap to Principal Fellow level. He intends to work with the Educational Development Unit in providing mentorship and guidance to others so that the University can only benefit from improved quality of learning and teaching and an enhanced student experience.