XJTLU “12345” Education System
XJTLU 1.0-4.0
Over the past two decades, under the strategic leadership of Professor Youmin Xi, Executive President, XJTLU has consistently focused on future societal trends, kept pace with the times, and remained anchored in the essence of education. Through continuous innovation, XJTLU has transformed from an explorer of educational reform to a definer of future educational models.
From Professional Elite Education, centred on the core mission of educating students (XJTLU 1.0), to Industry Elite Education, deeply connected with industry (XJTLU 2.0), then to the development of in-depth collaborative innovation networks and symbiotic ecosystems around industry (XJTLU 3.0), and ultimately to the creation of future-oriented lifelong learning and innovative social ecosystems (XJTLU 4.0), XJTLU’s four models have expanded progressively and empowered one another in parallel. Together, they have formed a distinctive paradigm for the development of future education, while also clearly outlining Professor Youmin Xi’s strategic thinking on the form and mission of the university of the future.
As a core implementer of XJTLU 3.0, the College of Industry-Entrepreneurs (CIE) is committed to industry-academia integration, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and ecosystem co-creation. It offers immersive, practice-oriented learning experiences, empowering studerts to engage with real-world scenarios for study, research, and innovation. CIE supports students in bridging with industry, accelerating personal growth, and discovering their potential-nurturing future talents with strategic vision and innovative capabilities.
XJTLU 1.0
Professional Elite Education Model: This model transforms the traditional approach to higher education by promoting research-led education that is interest-driven, personalised and centred on students’ healthy development. Its core function is to provide students with a pathway towards professional excellence. With academic disciplines and degree programmes at its core, it cultivates high-calibre professionals with international outlooks and advanced disciplinary expertise.
XJTLU 2.0
Industry Elite Education Model: This model advances deep integration between industry and education, and implements seven industry schools at XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang). Its core function is to provide students with a pathway towards becoming industry elites. By responding directly to industry needs, it closely connects classroom learning with industry practice, cultivating high-calibre core professionals for the industry, applied industry talent and entrepreneurial leaders.
XJTLU 3.0
Industry Innovation Ecosystem Model: This model integrates resources from industry, academia, research, and government to build a symbiotic innovation ecosystem deeply rooted in specialised vertical sectors. Its core value lies in providing strong support for the XJTLU 1.0 and 2.0 models through practical industry use cases, research resources and practical platforms. It empowers disciplinary specialists to apply their learning and research in real-world contexts, supports industry leaders in deepening their engagement with industry, and strengthens the foundations for innovation and entrepreneurship.
XJTLU 4.0
Future-oriented Lifelong Learning and Innovation Social Ecosystem Model: With the University’s 20th anniversary as a springboard, this model responds to increasingly complex future social issues and governance challenges by comprehensively expanding and upgrading the XJTLU 3.0 industrial innovation ecosystem. It breaks down the boundaries of campus, industry, and education, and fully engages with society. It connects the full chain of education from basic to higher education and lifelong learning, and develops global platforms for the delivery of education. In doing so, it builds an open and comprehensive social innovation ecosystem.
This model not only enables deeper and more refined development of the XJTLU 3.0 industry ecosystem, but also provides comprehensive support for the diverse growth of professional elites under XJTLU 1.0 and industry elites under XJTLU 2.0. It promotes the holistic and symbiotic development of education, industry, society, and civilisation, while exploring a new paradigm in the age of artificial intelligence.
The Five-Star Education Model
Since its founding, XJTLU has been committed to answering the two fundamental questions of higher education: whom to educate, and how to educate them. Faithful to its founding philosophy of healthy student development as the goal, interest as the driver, and student-centred, research-led learning as the focus, the University has continued to explore and innovate educational models, and by 2009 had initially formulated its distinctive “Five-Star Education Model” (see Figure 1-1): the cultivation, through comprehensive education strategies and a strong support system, of “global citizens” equipped with the three interlocking systems of philosophy and value, capabilities, and knowledge. These three systems encompass the essential elements that students need in order to grow healthily in a globalised age. They go beyond the traditional habit of simply transmitting professional knowledge and skills; rather than sheltering students under a protective umbrella away from society, they enable students to understand the real world and to develop the attributes and capabilities needed to thrive within it.
Drawing on two decades of syntegrative educational practice, and underpinned by HeXie Management Theory and the core philosophy of Syntegrative Education, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) has developed a systematic, layered and collaborative “12345” education system with distinctive XJTLU characteristics.
This system moves beyond a single approach to education and establishes a comprehensive educational paradigm characterised by complementary models, multi-ecosystem support and all-dimensional integration. It represents an inevitable trend in the transformation of higher education in the age of artificial intelligence and serves as the core framework for talent cultivation at XJTLU.
Within this system, all-dimensional Syntegrative Education runs through all of XJTLU’s educational models and every stage of student development. It encompasses five core dimensions: the integration of arts and sciences; the integration of ancient and modern wisdom; human-machine collaboration; the integration of digital intelligence and human intelligence; and the integration of Eastern and Western civilisations. These dimensions form the underlying foundation and consistent thread supporting the high-quality development of education at XJTLU.