19 Jan 2026
On 16 December 2025, XJTLU Urban and Environmental Studies University Research Center (UES) and Suzhou Association of Industrial Park completed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation.
Prof. Marc Aurel Schnabel, the Dean of the XJTLU Design School, and Mr. Yuan Shen, the Executive Vice President and Secretary-General of the Suzhou Association of Industrial Park, signed an agreement online. Dr. Yunqing Xu, the Director of UES, Dr. Xuefeng Wang, Associate Professor in the Department of Urban Planning and Design, Mr. Zhiming Sun, the Director of the Office of the Suzhou Association of Industrial Park, and Mr. Tao Wang, the Director of Information Section and Party Branch Secretary of the Suzhou Association of Industrial Park, participated in the signing ceremony.
This collaboration aims to deeply integrate the international intellectual resources of universities with the industrial ecosystem networks of industry organizations, jointly responding to the era trend of deepening the Belt and Road Initiative and the global expansion of enterprises.
It will focus on multidimensional cooperation in areas such as the development of overseas industrial parks, the construction of service systems for enterprises' overseas expansion, and the cultivation of international talents.
Facing the growing needs of domestic enterprises for global expansion and the increasing challenges they encounter, such as information asymmetry and difficulties in localization during overseas operations, the two parties will leverage their respective strengths. Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), capitalizing on its distinct internationalized educational approach, global faculty network, interdisciplinary research capabilities, and research practices in areas such as urban and environmental planning and the development and operation of international industrial parks, will provide forward-looking perspectives, knowledge support, and global resource connections.
Suzhou Association of Industrial Park, with its deep-rooted local industrial foundation, extensive member enterprise network, and precise policy communication and service coordination capabilities, will serve as a bridge connecting academic theory with market practices. This complementary model of “academic research + industrial application” aims to explore comprehensive, full-chain intellectual support—from strategic analysis and policy research to practical operations—for the stable overseas expansion of enterprises from Suzhou and the Yangtze River Delta region, as well as for their integrated development within international parks.
The participating parties also discussed topics such as establishing research on issues related to the development of overseas industrial parks and creating talent development programs for enterprises going global. By building analytical and evaluation systems, they aim to address current pain points, such as fragmented information on overseas parks and sustainable development, thereby providing critical decision-making support for enterprises in their selection processes and cross-regional collaborations.
Additionally, the two sides will jointly explore training programs such as the “Global Expansion Bootcamp,” offering internationalized, multi-module, and practical courses for corporate decision-makers and developers of international industrial parks.
19 Jan 2026