Academic Ambassador fosters ties in South China

HSS Academic Ambassador fosters ties in South China
今年4月，西交利物浦大学人文社科学院学术大使、媒体与传播学系高级副教授邝献文博士赴深圳多所中学开展招生与交流活动。活动期间，他着重介绍了人文社科课程的特色与学习环境，进一步提高了学校与华南地区重点中学的联系。

By WEIZHONG HUANG
During a three-day outreach event in April, Dr Xianwen Kuang represented Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) to students and parents in Shenzhen, giving research talks, sharing alumni stories, and highlighting career prospects.

The three-day outreach trip by Dr Kuang, who is an academic ambassador for the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) and a senior associate professor in the Department of Media and Communication (DMC), was part of the University’s broader recruitment efforts to engage prospective students and their families in South China.

Dr Kuang, during his visit. highlighted the distinctive strengths of XJTLU’s teaching and learning environment. A notable moment came on April 18 at Shenzhen Second Senior High School, where he presented a plaque recognizing the institution as an “Excellent Student Source” for XJTLU. Throughout the day, the delegation, comprising Dr Kuang and two other colleagues from the University Admission Office, Ms Qin Zhou and Ms Xueting Wang, engaged with directors of student affairs and school leaders.

At Shenzhen Second Senior High School, Dr Kuang, on behalf of Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, presents the school with the plaque of “Recognized School for Excellent Students.” Photo courtesy of Shenzhen Second Senior High School.

During the trip, the delegation visited a number of prestigious schools, including Shenzhen Experimental School, Shenzhen Senior High School, Shenzhen Second Senior High School, and Shenzhen Cuiyuan Middle School.

At Shenzhen Experimental School, Dr Kuang delivered a research talk titled “AI, Misinformation and the Future of Journalism.” The lecture drew active participation from students, many of whom asked questions in English. Following the event, the delegation also met parents at Nanshan Foreign Language School where they introduced XJTLU’s programmes and responded to their concerns.

The trip culminated on April 19 with a City Promotion Event attended by hundreds of parents and students. One of the highlights was the testimony from XJTLU alumna Ms. Di Wu (BA Media and Communication, 2017), who emphasized how her studies at XJTLU developed her critical thinking, English skills, and research capacity—preparing her for a master’s degree at the London School of Economics (LSE) and for her career success in Shenzhen.

Dr Xianwen Kuang delivers a lecture at the Third Science and Technology Festival organized by Shenzhen Experimental School. Photo courtesy of Shenzhen Experimental School.

In his role as Academic Ambassador, Dr Kuang presented the ethos, culture, and academic offerings of HSS to students, parents, and teachers. Special emphasis was placed on the learning and teaching environment and culture in HSS, which adopts a student-centred learning approach.

When introducing the BA programme in Media and Communication at the DMC, which includes three pathways – Digital Media, Journalism and Public Relations, and Film Studies, Dr. Kuang pointed out in particular that DMC’s study environment combines professionalism with diversity and fosters interdisciplinary skills, while balancing theoretical and practical training to prepare students for both further studies and the job market.

Dr Kuang and the University Recruitment Team meet with hundreds of parents at a XJTLU promotion event in Nanshan District, Shenzhen. They introduce the university's programmes and strengths, with a focus on the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS), and address parents' questions. Photo courtesy of XJTLU Admissions Office.

“Before the trip, I prepared carefully by gathering the latest information on HSS programmes and designing presentation slides.” He noted that XJTLU’s enrolment in South China has been steadily growing, with around 140 students recruited annually from Guangdong Province. Many of these students have excelled academically, with a good proportion receiving university excellence scholarships.

Looking ahead, Dr Kuang informs that HSS will strengthen collaboration with the university’s recruitment team to attract more outstanding students from Guangdong and across China. He also underscored the strategic role of alumni engagement in outreach, noting how involving graduates like Ms Wu helps demonstrate tangible outcomes of XJTLU education and builds trust with prospective students and their parents.

After the lecture, Dr Kuang engages with students, responding to their questions on artificial intelligence and digital media. Photo courtesy of Shenzhen Experimental School.

Students in Shenzhen left a strong impression on Dr Kuang with their curiosity and confidence, a sophistication that was particularly revealed during the Q&A session, following his research talk. “Some students were very confident in communicating in English,” he observed, “I was amazed by the quality of questions and their English levels.”

Dr Kuang noted that through his conversations with students, he could see their strong interest in media and communication studies, which was reflected in their eager discussions on media literacy, ethics, and digital platforms. Many of them also asked about career prospects, a topic that parents had also raised.

Reflecting on the trip, he emphasized the importance of direct engagement, noting that while many people may have heard of XJTLU, few know about its specific programmes. “Meeting them face-to-face allows us to share our study environment and culture more vividly.” he added.

Alumni’s participation, Dr Kuang noted, was especially important because personal stories offered concrete examples for students and parents. He therefore suggested inviting more XJTLU alumni to return to their former high schools and share their experiences with students, and to use social media to amplify success stories.

Story:

WEIZHONG HUANG / DMC Newsletter.

Courtesy of the scholastic journalism team, Department of Media and Communication, XJTLU.