UNSW Sydney visits XJTLU to discuss future collaboration

On 14 October, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) welcomed a delegation from the University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney), as the two institutions met to explore closer collaboration.

Professor Lisa Zamberlan (left) and Professor Youmin Xi (right) at XJTLU

The visit began with a meeting between Professor Youmin Xi, Executive President of XJTLU; Professor Lisa Zamberlan, Interim Deputy Vice-Chanceller Global at UNSW; and Rachel Wei, China Country Director at UNSW China Centre. The meeting explored partnership opportunities for international education initiatives involving the two universities.

“We hope we can strengthen our cooperation on student exchanges and joint programmes, and explore opportunities for research partnerships,” said Professor Xi. He outlined frontier research at XJTLU’s Centres of Excellence (COEs), and cited previous successful examples of cross-industry collaboration such as the XJTLU Syntegrative Education Centre in Thailand and XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang).

Professor Lisa Zamberlan

Visiting XJTLU for the first time, Professor Zamberlan congratulated the University on its 20th anniversary and discussed the various ways UNSW could work with the educational ecosystem at XJTLU, from supporting early career researchers to collaborating with startups. “Really excited to see the campus and have this discussion about where the real synergies would lie between UNSW and XJTLU,” she said.

Dr Xiaoyue Li

The discussions then moved into a formal exchange meeting, chaired by Dr Xiaoyue Li, Vice President of XJTLU. “XJTLU has developed fast in 20 years, and internationalisation is something we carry in every area, from staff, students, and global engagement opportunities,” said Dr Li.

After opening remarks and introductions from both sides, Dr Li and Professor Zamberlan each presented an overview of their university. Professor Eddy Fang, Dean of International Business School Suzhou, then introduced his School, followed by Dr Gejun Huang, who briefed the delegates on the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Professor Eddy Fang

During the discussion both XJTLU and UNSW delegates discussed potential partnerships centred on leveraging the expertise at both institutions to achieve results that cannot be accomplished individually. Areas such as commercialisation of research, increasing student exchange pathways, and fostering entrepreneurship programmes in China and Australia were among the main focuses.

Delegates from UNSW and XJTLU

The meeting concluded with open discussion and a gift exchange.

Dr Xiaoyue Li (left) and Professor Lisa Zamberlan (right)

Following the meetings, the UNSW delegation took a tour of the XJTLU campus, where they viewed teaching and learning facilities and gained a closer understanding of student life at the University.

UNSW delegates visiting the XJTLU Museum

The visit marked a further step in the growing dialogue between XJTLU and UNSW Sydney, two universities committed to international education and to preparing graduates for a globalised world.

By Xinmin Han and Vionna Fiducia Theja

Edited by Patricia Pieterse

Photos by Jingrui Duan