Global Media Highlights in August

SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST

Headline: Foreign students ‘can clear the way ahead’

Published on: 9 August 2025

Summary: In an interview with South China Morning Post, Professor Youmin Xi, Executive President of XJTLU, said rising geopolitical tensions are threatening academic freedom, scientific collaboration, and international university partnerships. Professor Xi also commented on the politicisation of higher education, especially the US restrictions on visas, academic cooperation, and investigations targeting Chinese scholars.

To counter this, he advocates for easing China’s visa restrictions for international students to foster better cultural understanding and global integration. Despite the uncertain global climate, he believes that international universities like XJTLU can play a vital role in shaping the future of education and cross-cultural understanding.

SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST

Headline: Chinas biotech hub Suzhou is thriving. Can it become the next Boston?

Published on: 20 August 2025

Summary: Suzhou, traditionally known for its classical gardens and canals, is rapidly transforming into a major biotech hub. A key part of this strategy is Suzhou’s collaboration with institutions like XJTLU Wisdom Lake Academy of Pharmacy.

Professor Lei Fu, Executive Dean of the Academy and a Stanford-educated researcher, highlighted the need for a complete biotech ecosystem, including talent development, advanced research infrastructure, legal and intellectual property support, and artificial intelligence (AI) integration. He noted China’s historical focus on generic drug production is shifting toward innovation, driven by the return of Western-trained scientists. Professor Fu also emphasised AI’s transformative potential in accelerating drug development, citing current projects like automated analysis of microscopic animal models to study diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

YAHOO FINANCE

Headline: Beijing Review: When Pacific Youth Wove Diplomacy in Jiangnan Mist!

Published on: 23 July 2025

Summary: Beijing Review featured the China-US Future Diplomats Summer Camp at XJTLU, which brought together around 25 students from both countries for cultural and diplomatic exchange in Suzhou. Through Model United Nations and discussions on AI and environmental policy, participants gained new perspectives on global cooperation.

FORBES INDIA

Headline: China aims to surpass US in AI with rapid investment and innovation

Published on: 30 July 2025

Summary: China is accelerating its bid to surpass the US in AI through massive investment, rapid innovation, and competitive open-source models. According to Forbes India, startups like DeepSeek are launching advanced chatbots that rival American systems at a fraction of the cost. Speaking at the World AI Conference in Shanghai, Dr Jiawei (Steven) Hai, Assistant Professor at XJTLU’s Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Hub, described the China-US AI race as a “marathon at Formula-One speed”.

EDUCATION NEWS TODAY

Headline: How AI Optimises VR Museum Displays for Comfort

Published on: 27 July 2025

Summary: In traditional museums, the height of exhibits, viewing distance, and tools like magnifying glasses are carefully designed to enhance the viewing experience. However, these curation strategies become ineffective in virtual reality (VR) museums, where the lack of physical space constraints allows visitors to move freely and interact with exhibits.

To adapt curation for VR environments, a research team from XJTLU, the University of British Columbia, Canada; the University of Liverpool, UK; and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), China, has developed ResponsiveView, an AI system embedded in VR devices. This system dynamically adjusts the position, distance, and interactive scale of exhibits based on their size, detail density and the user’s eye level, providing a comfortable and personalised viewing experience.

3D PRINTING NEWS TODAY

Headline: Students gain hands-on business experience in XJTLU’s Technopreneurship Summer School

Published on: 12 August 2025

Summary: This summer, nearly 90 students from across China and the world recently took part in a four-week Immersive Technopreneurship Summer School at XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang), gaining practical skills in market research, ideation, prototyping, and business modelling.

STUDY FINDS

Headline: No More Stepping On Legos? This House-Cleaning Robot Could Make That Dream Come True

Published on: 1 August 2025

Summary: A research team from XJTLU and Suzhou Industrial Park Institute of Vocational Technology created a voice-controlled home robot capable of recognising and picking up everyday items such as toys, bottles, and Lego pieces. 

TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION (THE)

Headline: Payouts signal final demise of Korea’s ‘zombie universities’

Published on: 29 August 2025

Summary: South Korea has approved the Private University Structural Improvement Support Act, allowing the government to shut down financially failing private universities starting in 2026.

Dr Changhee Kim, Assistant Professor at XJTLU’s HeXie Management Research Centre, called the move a “game changer”, noting it provides a realistic pathway for struggling institutions to exit responsibly rather than collapse outright.

THE CAMPUS

Headline: How an AI video competition can enhance student engagement

Published on: 9 September 2025

Summary: Teaching complex physics to undergraduates can be challenging, but integrating AI into the curriculum fosters engagement, creativity, and deeper understanding, says Dr Xi Chen, Associate Professor at XJTLU’s School of Mathematics and Physics.

In one of her first-year engineering modules, Dr Chen used an optional AI-powered explainer video competition to encourage active learning. This student-centred, AI-enhanced approach received positive feedback and demonstrated how innovative methods can transform traditional teaching into more effective, interactive learning experiences.

THE CAMPUS

Headline: From static to dynamic: how a Moodle plugin makes tutorials more interactive

Published on: 3 September 2025

Summary: In an effort to enhance student engagement and understanding, Dr Ying Feng, Teaching Fellow at XJTLU’s International Business School Suzhou, implemented the JazzQuiz Moodle plugin during weekly tutorials. Unlike traditional static quizzes, JazzQuiz operates in real time, allowing students to answer questions on their devices and view class-wide, anonymous results. This immediate feedback helps identify misconceptions, sparking spontaneous discussions that deepen conceptual understanding.

By Christiaan Mentz, Xinmin Han, and Kimberly Marvelle

Edited by Patricia Pieterse