09 Sep 2025
On 7 September , 2025, the International Business School Suzhou (IBSS) at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) opened its 2025 Alumni Conference, held under the theme " Navigating Tomorrow: Pioneering Business for a Sustainable and AI-driven Future." The event gathered around 100 IBSS alumni, distinguished guests, and scholars, who engaged in in-depth exchanges on core topics including global business transformation, technological innovation, and sustainable development.
In her opening speech, Professor Hefei Wang, Deputy Dean of IBSS, extended a warm welcome to returning alumni and attending guests. She noted that alumni returning to campus not only evokes memories of their academic journey, but also reflects IBSS’s commitment to supporting alumni growth and creating opportunities for knowledge sharing. Professor Wang highlighted IBSS’s key development achievements in recent years: continuous innovation in faculty and teaching, and remarkable progress in hardware facilities and the field of sustainable development. Among these, the " Trading Floor" – launched in October last year – has become a landmark initiative. As a vital platform for the school’s practical teaching, the Trading Floor is an enabler in providing an industry-aligned learning environment for students, enabling the in-depth integration of theory and practice.
This emphasis on practical and locally relevant teaching has greatly benefited many graduates. Marty, a 2020 graduate of the Master of Management programme, has been working in China for five years since graduation. He specifically mentioned, "The most engaging part of the course was the business case studies, which included Asian examples. These allowed me to gain practical localised industry insights and professional knowledge." Leo Miao, a 2025 graduate of the International MBA (IMBA) programme, also echoed similar sentiments: "On the IMBA, learning from diverse perspectives was extremely helpful. While the courses were challenging, after completing each assignment, I found that what I had learned could be directly applied to my career development."
Following the opening session, Mr Wu Chen, a renowned business writer and former Editor-in-Chief of The Economist Global Business Review, delivered a keynote speech titled "2049: Reflections and Insights Across a Quarter Century." As the co-author of 2049, Possibilities in the Next 10,000 Days (alongside Kevin Kelly), Mr Wu anchored his speech on the "Chinese perspective" and offered alumni a thought-provoking exploration of three themes: the in-depth evolution of the current global landscape, the historical context of technological transformation, and the trend forecast for the next 25 years. He pointed out that the current global business and technological environment is undergoing profound changes, and to address these changes, it is essential to master a scientific way of thinking: focus on cutting-edge fields prioritised by industry leaders, value new trends driven by niche groups, and explore transformation signals from innovative terms such as RWA and Web3. Meanwhile, he emphasised that in this era of rapid change, the need to leave room for reflection and review is essential - and this is precisely the core value of alumni returning to campus and participating in the conference.
The "leaving space for reflection and review" emphasised by Mr. Wu is also a consensus among alumni. Cai Yueying, a 2022 graduate of the International Business program, attended the conference specifically to "review ESG practices." She said, "During my undergraduate studies, I engaged in in-depth learning and discussions on ESG topics with Professor Nuno and Professor Yameng. After graduating and accumulating three years of work experience, I hoped to take this opportunity to return to my alma mater to 'recharge' myself. The content of this ESG parallel session has expanded my cognitive boundaries at the theoretical level and given me a deeper, more concrete understanding of how ESG is applied in practical scenarios."
In the subsequent parallel sessions, IBSS engaged in exchanges and knowledge-sharing with numerous distinguished figures from the business and academic sectors around three distinct themes.
During the event, the results of the Annual Alumni Selection were officially announced—Ms Josie Zhou was honored with the "2025 IBSS Alumni of the Year" award. As an interdisciplinary learner holding a PhD in Medicine and an MBA degree, Ms Zhou shared her growth journey from a medical student to an industry practitioner, as well as her practical achievements in advancing the market launch of two pharmaceutical products. Since graduation, Ms Zhou has always stayed closely connected with her alma mater: she joined the IBSS Alumni Association Badminton Team, served as an off-campus mentor to guide six students in conducting medicine-related research projects, and took on the role of a member of the Alumni Association Entrepreneurship Committee. Through practical actions, she has put the school’s "research-led education" philosophy into practice and moving from being a beneficiary to an inheritor of IBSS values.
At IBSS, there are many more alumni like Ms Zhou who have grown through their campus experience and actively pass on value. Tao Zhou, a 2023 graduate of the Master of Operations and Supply Chain Management program, admitted, "IBSS gave me the opportunity to meet outstanding peers and learn from their strengths, which made me more optimistic about the prospects of my career and life. It also changed my way of thinking—I can now analyse problems more critically and in-depth." Another attendee who gained great insights was Jiaqi Zhang, a 2022 graduate of the Financial Mathematics program. Recalling why she attended, she said, "When I encountered bottlenecks in my job search earlier, President Xi suggested that I participate more in alumni activities. I never expected to gain so much from this one." She added that the event not only allowed her to meet many alumni in the same industry—"I picked up a lot of practical job-hunting experience and career planning ideas from our exchanges"—but also gave her a fresh understanding of the industry’s future: "Whether it’s the interpretation of macro trends, the sharing of practical experience, the keynote speech in the main venue, or the discussions in the parallel sessions, everything was extremely insightful and helped me form a new perception of the future development direction of the industry."
As the event drew to a close, Professor Pavel Castka, IBSS Associate Dean for Business Engagement, concluded, "In the future, we welcome everyone to return to campus by participating in continuing education programs, reconnecting with professors, or joining alumni association activities. Let’s work together to contribute to this technology-driven new world and pass on empathy and kindness."
09 Sep 2025