2026 Academic Excellence Award winners revealed

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) has announced the winners of the 2026 Academic Excellence Awards, honouring outstanding contributions in teaching, research, teaching support, and industry engagement.

This year, academic units submitted 80 nominations in total for consideration at the University level. Ten winners were selected across nine award categories, with the Early-Career Researcher Award recognising two winners.

All-Round Academic Excellence Award

Professor Jionglong Su, School of AI and Advanced Computing

Recognised for his well-rounded contributions to learning and teaching, research, and service, including co-developing the CES Innovation Award-winning Cyber Panda An’an, a world-first biomimetic AI robot. He has also co-founded multiple AI start-ups and mentored students to national and international competition success.

He says: “Looking back, this recognition feels less like a personal milestone and more like a quiet testament to the many hands and minds that have shaped this journey. My students, with their curiosity and resilience, and my colleagues, with their generosity and rigour, have made interdisciplinary research and Syntegrative education not just an institutional ideal but a living practice.

“Over the years, I have come to see that teaching and research are not parallel pursuits but deeply intertwined – each gives the other meaning, and together they form a rhythm of enquiry that sustains both the teacher and the learner. What I treasure most about this award is not the accolade itself, but what it represents: the invisible, often uncelebrated work of mentorship, the quiet courage of collaboration, and the enduring belief that our efforts, however small, can ripple outwards into lives and communities beyond our campus.

“I am deeply grateful to XJTLU for cultivating a space where such an integrated vision is not only possible but encouraged. And above all, I am thankful to every student who challenged me, every colleague who supported me, and every moment that reminded me why I chose this path.”

Teaching Excellence Award

Dr Yongtao Zhu, School of Science

Honoured for outstanding teaching effectiveness and student mentorship, including guiding the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) teams to XJTLU’s best-ever performance. As inaugural Programme Director, he also led the successful launch of the BSc Biomedical Sciences programme.

He says: “Teaching is not merely about delivering content, but about sparking curiosity, building confidence, and empowering students to discover their full potential. The greatest reward is watching my students grow, moving beyond the classroom to tackle real-world challenges with creativity and the knowledge they have cultivated.”

Teaching Innovation Award

Dr Raúl Getino-Diez, Global Cultures and Languages Hub

Celebrated for leading a research-driven AI ecosystem for Spanish language education, integrating custom AI tools into curriculum design and classroom practice. The initiative has grown from one module to four, benefiting more than 1,600 students.

He says: “I am deeply honoured to receive this award, which also belongs to the dedicated colleagues who believed in this project and helped bring it to life. Learning from each other, seeing our ideas grow, engaging so many students, and helping to reimagine teaching and learning at a time of profound change in education have made this one of the most rewarding experiences of my career.”

Research Excellence Award

Dr Bin Hao, School of Intelligent Finance and Business

Acknowledged for pioneering research on entrepreneurial strategy and venture capital investment, backed by National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) grants and industry-sponsored projects. His achievements are further reflected in his selection for the Jiangsu Provincial Qinglan Talent Program.

“I am truly honoured to receive the Research Excellence Award. It reflects not only my own efforts, but also the valuable support from the School and the collaboration of my colleagues and research partners. This recognition motivates me to continue pursuing meaningful research and contributing to our students and academic community,” he says.

Early-Career Researcher Award

Dr Daiyun Huang, XJTLU Wisdom Lake Academy of Pharmacy

Recognised for establishing an AI+biomedicine research direction at XJTLU, spanning RNA therapeutics, AI-assisted drug discovery, and organoid-enabled model development, with strong translational impact across academia and industry.

He says: “I am very honoured to receive this award. My achievements would not have been possible without the supportive and interdisciplinary environment at XJTLU. At the Wisdom Lake Academy of Pharmacy, I have had the opportunity to work with pharmaceutical scientists, AI researchers across the University, and industry partners to help build an AI+biomedicine research ecosystem.

“These collaborations have allowed us to connect algorithm development with experimental research and translational needs. I see this award as recognition of this collective effort and as encouragement to further strengthen interdisciplinary and university-industry collaboration.”

Early-Career Researcher Award

Dr Jia Wang, School of Advanced Technology

Recognised for pioneering advances in generative recommendation and agent harness frameworks, evidenced by eight China Computer Federation Class A (CCF-A) publications in premier venues and more than 2,000 citations. She maintains strategic collaborations with Xiaohongshu, ByteDance, and Alibaba.

She says: “In the AI era, early-career researchers must embrace curiosity and resilience. My journey proves that true value lies in bridging cutting-edge theory with industrial needs. We must be bold enough to explore the ‘no man’s land’ of innovation while staying grounded in real-world challenges. By breaking disciplinary boundaries, we ensure AI transcends papers to create lasting societal impact. Let passion be your compass.”

Research Supervision Award

Dr Jieming Ma, School of Advanced Technology

Honoured for sustained excellence in doctoral supervision, having guided 11 PhD students to produce more than 100 papers and more than 10 patents, with strong career outcomes in academia and industry.

He says: “Honoured to receive this award – it strengthens my commitment to exploring how we train talent for the AI era. Vibe Coding is shifting programming from ‘manual’ to ‘automatic’: the focus is moving from implementation to defining problems, steering technology, and evaluating quality. This shift is not limited to programming – it is redefining what talent means across every industry.”

Industry & Community Engagement Champion Award

Dr Yuyi Zhu, School of Intelligent Manufacturing Ecosystem

Awarded for building more than 10 strategic industry partnerships, including with Haier, Bosch, and FANUC, securing more than 4 million RMB in research funding. His Haier case was selected into the National Compilation of Exemplary Cases by the China Mechanical Engineering Society.

He says: “I believe the key to successful university-industry research collaboration is aligning academic goals with industry needs. By understanding our partners’ priorities, delivering practical outcomes, and working efficiently, we can build trust and grow one-off projects into long-term partnerships.

“It is also important to leverage the University’s research and business development teams to connect with industry and accelerate collaboration. Finally, I see trial and error as part of the process. Continuous reflection, learning, and an open mindset are essential for overcoming challenges and building lasting collaborations.”

Technician Excellence Award

Jing Leng, XJTLU Wisdom Lake Academy of Pharmacy

Recognised for exceptional contributions to instrument management and laboratory safety, maintaining a record of zero safety incidents while contributing to annual cost savings through new experimental methods.

She says: “As a Senior Technician, my role is to provide a reliable, safe, and efficient laboratory environment that supports teaching and research at XJTLU. I see my work as the ‘technical backbone’ of scientific exploration – rarely in the spotlight, but essential to every experiment and discovery. From maintaining precision instruments and developing standard operating procedures (SOP), to training users, optimising experimental methods, and upholding rigorous laboratory safety standards – every task helps build a solid foundation for research innovation.

“The unique value of this role lies in its quiet, nurturing influence: when everything runs smoothly and safely, research flourishes naturally. The role of a technician goes beyond equipment; it is about empowering others with safety and trust, enabling them to go further.

“This award means a great deal to me. It serves both as recognition from the University for the daily technical support efforts of my team and myself, and as a powerful motivation to continue raising the standard of our laboratory services.”

Teaching Assistant Award

Chaojie Ma, Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Hub

Celebrated for proactive, student-centred support across three modules, developing structured feedback mechanisms and translating student insights into evidence-based module improvements.

She says: “My experience as a Teaching Assistant has helped me understand that effective teaching support is not only about assisting with course delivery, but also about identifying students’ real learning challenges and turning them into opportunities for improvement. Through supporting entrepreneurship education modules, I learned how structured feedback, timely communication, and industry engagement can strengthen students’ learning experience.

“This experience has also informed my research on entrepreneurship education, particularly in areas such as project-based learning and students’ entrepreneurial mindset development. For me, being a TA has been a valuable process of connecting teaching practice, student support, and academic research.”

By Xinmin Han

Edited by Vionna Fiducia Theja