All eyes on future researchers at postgraduate symposium

Postgraduate research is pivotal to solving world problems and making advancements, said the keynote speaker last week at the First Wisdom Lake Postgraduate Researcher Development Conference and XJTLU Postgraduate Research Symposium at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU).

“The significance of postgraduate researchers has never been more crucial in addressing global challenges and responding to global opportunities,” said Professor Susan Pickard, Head of the Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology at the University of Liverpool.

“Our research aims to address key themes that play a crucial role in shaping this impact.”

Professor Pickard spoke of the importance of postgraduate research partnerships between the University of Liverpool and XJTLU. All XJTLU PhD students are jointly supervised by academics at XJTLU and the University of Liverpool.

Over 360 postgraduate students, including 72 from other universities in China and across the world, attended the symposium held from 13‒15 December at XJTLU.

Through more than 220 oral and poster presentations in English, participating students described their latest scientific research results, engaged in discussions with other researchers, received professional guidance, and explored collaboration opportunities.

Professor Adam Cross, Associate Vice President of Education and Director of the Graduate School, says: “The symposium is an opportunity for students to showcase and defend their research. These are essential skills for an early career researcher.

“It’s a friendly environment in which to get feedback on their research and respond to questions in an effective way.

“The symposium is a good rehearsal for attending an international conference. The participants can also get a sense of the scale and breadth of the cutting-edge research being done at the University and how our students are pushing the boundaries of knowledge.”

Postdoctoral plusses

The opening ceremony included details about compensation and employment policies for postdoctoral researchers in the Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) area of Suzhou, where XJTLU is located. It also saw the release of the Wisdom Lake Postgraduate Researcher Strategic Development Plan, and the signing ceremony of University-Industry Postgraduate Students Joint Education.

At the conference, Anita Walker, a PhD student at Nanjing Medical University and originally from Ghana, Africa, said she would consider a postdoctoral position in SIP.

“SIP feels like a great place to do research, and I may look for a job here to take advantage of the impressive conditions the area offers for postdoctoral researchers,” she said.

High-tech neighbours

The symposium included a tour of world-class research facilities within a 5km radius from XJTLU: the Nanopolis Suzhou nanotechnology industrial park, Artificial Intelligence Industrial Park and the BioBAY biopharmaceutical industrial park.

Xingrui Jiang, a PhD student at XJTLU-JITRI Academy of Industrial Technology, said his visit to the Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Science reinforced the importance of academic-industry ties.

“This visit gave me insight into the layout of nano-enterprises in the park and what kind of expertise this industry requires,” Jiang said. “It also reminded me of how closely integrated academic research and industry are in finding practical applications and developing cutting-edge technology.”

In her closing words, Professor Pickard offered advice: “I encourage each of you to actively participate, ask questions about anything, and engage in conversations that go beyond the boundaries of your individual fields.

“Let the symposium be a melting pot of ideas, where interdisciplinary connections are forged, and new perspectives emerge.”

By Catherine Diamond

Additional reporting by Wei Zhang and Nan Wu

Edited by Tamara Kaup

Photos by Chenxu Zhao