I. Educational Model: Syntegrative Education for the Future
Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) has always made it its mission to explore educational models that meet the needs of future societies, influencing both China’s educational reform and the development of global education. Over the years, XJTLU has proposed three distinctive educational models.
The XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang) is an essential component of XJTLU’s educational innovation landscape, serving as a pilot ground for implementing the concept of Syntegrative Education.
The Six Dimensions of Syntegrative Education
The term “Syntegrative”in Syntegrative Education is reflected in six aspects: educational model, organisational structure, degree structure, training stages, teaching approach, and employment support.
II.Core Philosophy: Deep Integration of Industry and Education
The XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang) reshapes teaching and learning processes by integrating industry resources and experts as indispensable components. It ensures mutual benefit for all partners and regards ecosystem building as the foundation of collaboration.
Ecosystem Building: Promoting Win-Win Cooperation Between University and Industry
Syntegrative Education begins with real industry challenges. Through university–industry collaboration, authentic scenarios and challenges are introduced into teaching. Students and faculty collaborate to explore solutions, which are further refined through innovation and entrepreneurship competitions, ultimately leading to commercialisation and real-world application of student outcomes.
The College supports the entire process by offering enterprise spaces, reforming curriculum structures, organizing competitions (such as XJTLU Global ”Dream-Chasers”Entrepreneurial Competition), and establishing innovation platforms like the Innovation Factory and X³ Co-Venture. Enterprises participate deeply—from providing scenarios and guiding problem definition to sponsoring competitions and funding—forming an “Industry–Government–Academia–Society–Innovation” ecosystem that enables mutual empowerment between education and industry.
Dedicated Teams: Business Development Team
The College has established a dedicated Business Development Team, composed of professionals with strong business backgrounds, to support strategic partnerships between the College and industry partners and to advance cross-school and cross-sector collaborations.
The Business Development Team not only supports daily business-related operations of various schools and functional departments but also undertakes key institutional tasks of the College, including the management of the Industry Mentor system, non-degree education and short courses, the Taicang Alumni Association, internship placements for undergraduate Professional Development Programme (PDP) internship positions and projects for practice-based learning for Master’s Year 2 students, industry alliances, as well as the establishment and maintenance of government relations linked to business collaboration.
Main Interfaces for Industry Collaboration
Within the“Industry–Government–Academia–Society–Innovation” ecosystem, the primary industry collaboration interfaces include Syntegrative Projects, applied research initiatives, student internships and recruitment, joint training of Master’s and Doctoral students, co-developed courses, labs, and platforms, industry mentorship, and sponsored or named contributions.
III. Curriculum Features
Undergraduate Curriculum Reconstruction
Year-One Orientation and Project-Based Learning Courses
Syntegrative Education aims to develop undergraduate students over a three-year structured journey at the XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang), equipping them with professional literacy, industry knowledge, technical foundations, and an entrepreneurial mindset at the level of future industry elites.
During the first year, students undergo a transition from passive to active, and ultimately to research-oriented learning; from aimless exploration to interest-driven and career-oriented development. The XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang) has designed three major activities for Year One: Syntegrative Education Taster Class, fifteen optional modules focusing on industry-related disciplines, and Technology Initiatives that integrate Syntegrative Education with Technological Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Syntegrative Projects
Syntegrative Education integrates classroom learning, internships, research, and practice to create a new form of educational environment deeply connected to campus, enterprise, industry, and society. The Syntegrative Project is the core component through which the XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang) practices this philosophy. These projects originate from real industry problems and encourage students to pursue knowledge and theory driven by genuine interest. Syntegrative Projects act as the catalyst that transforms curriculum design from theory-based to project-based learning.
Undergraduate Programme Design and Curriculum Structure
Under the Syntegrative Project-driven learning process—from real-world problem analysis to solution proposal—university curricula are restructured to better support this approach. Within this new framework, collaboration between university and industry provides students with a distinctly different and highly practical learning experience.
Reconstruction of Postgraduate Curriculum
Programme Design Philosophy of Master’s Degrees at XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang)
The master’s programmes at the XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang) continue to adopt the Syntegrative Education philosophy, dedicated to cultivating industry elites. Driven by Syntegrative Projects, the learning process—from analysing real-world challenges to developing comprehensive solutions—provides a restructured and more effective curriculum framework that better supports applied learning.
Design of the Master’s Curriculum System
All seven master’s programmes offered by the XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang) are two-year degrees, following the Syntegrative Education model—commonly referred to as the “1+1” model—comprising one year of on-campus learning and one year of on-the-job learning. In the first year, students complete eight modules on campus that integrate theoretical study with real industry projects, empowering them to learn through authentic practice.
I. Educational Model: Syntegrative Education for the Future
Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) has always made it its mission to explore educational models that meet the needs of future societies, influencing both China’s educational reform and the development of global education. Over the years, XJTLU has proposed three distinctive educational models.
The XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang) is an essential component of XJTLU’s educational innovation landscape, serving as a pilot ground for implementing the concept of Syntegrative Education.
The Six Dimensions of Syntegrative Education
The term “Syntegrative”in Syntegrative Education is reflected in six aspects: educational model, organisational structure, degree structure, training stages, teaching approach, and employment support.
II.Core Philosophy: Deep Integration of Industry and Education
The XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang) reshapes teaching and learning processes by integrating industry resources and experts as indispensable components. It ensures mutual benefit for all partners and regards ecosystem building as the foundation of collaboration.
Ecosystem Building: Promoting Win-Win Cooperation Between University and Industry
Syntegrative Education begins with real industry challenges. Through university–industry collaboration, authentic scenarios and challenges are introduced into teaching. Students and faculty collaborate to explore solutions, which are further refined through innovation and entrepreneurship competitions, ultimately leading to commercialisation and real-world application of student outcomes.
The College supports the entire process by offering enterprise spaces, reforming curriculum structures, organizing competitions (such as XJTLU Global ”Dream-Chasers”Entrepreneurial Competition), and establishing innovation platforms like the Innovation Factory and X³ Co-Venture. Enterprises participate deeply—from providing scenarios and guiding problem definition to sponsoring competitions and funding—forming an “Industry–Government–Academia–Society–Innovation” ecosystem that enables mutual empowerment between education and industry.
Dedicated Teams: Business Development Team
The College has established a dedicated Business Development Team, composed of professionals with strong business backgrounds, to support strategic partnerships between the College and industry partners and to advance cross-school and cross-sector collaborations.
The Business Development Team not only supports daily business-related operations of various schools and functional departments but also undertakes key institutional tasks of the College, including the management of the Industry Mentor system, non-degree education and short courses, the Taicang Alumni Association, internship placements for undergraduate Professional Development Programme (PDP) internship positions and projects for practice-based learning for Master’s Year 2 students, industry alliances, as well as the establishment and maintenance of government relations linked to business collaboration.
Main Interfaces for Industry Collaboration
Within the“Industry–Government–Academia–Society–Innovation” ecosystem, the primary industry collaboration interfaces include Syntegrative Projects, applied research initiatives, student internships and recruitment, joint training of Master’s and Doctoral students, co-developed courses, labs, and platforms, industry mentorship, and sponsored or named contributions.
III. Curriculum Features
Undergraduate Curriculum Reconstruction
Syntegrative Education aims to develop undergraduate students over a three-year structured journey at the XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang), equipping them with professional literacy, industry knowledge, technical foundations, and an entrepreneurial mindset at the level of future industry elites.
During the first year, students undergo a transition from passive to active, and ultimately to research-oriented learning; from aimless exploration to interest-driven and career-oriented development. The XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang) has designed three major activities for Year One: Syntegrative Education Taster Class, fifteen optional modules focusing on industry-related disciplines, and Technology Initiatives that integrate Syntegrative Education with Technological Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Syntegrative Education integrates classroom learning, internships, research, and practice to create a new form of educational environment deeply connected to campus, enterprise, industry, and society. The Syntegrative Project is the core component through which the XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang) practices this philosophy. These projects originate from real industry problems and encourage students to pursue knowledge and theory driven by genuine interest. Syntegrative Projects act as the catalyst that transforms curriculum design from theory-based to project-based learning.
Under the Syntegrative Project-driven learning process—from real-world problem analysis to solution proposal—university curricula are restructured to better support this approach. Within this new framework, collaboration between university and industry provides students with a distinctly different and highly practical learning experience.
Reconstruction of Postgraduate Curriculum
The master’s programmes at the XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang) continue to adopt the Syntegrative Education philosophy, dedicated to cultivating industry elites. Driven by Syntegrative Projects, the learning process—from analysing real-world challenges to developing comprehensive solutions—provides a restructured and more effective curriculum framework that better supports applied learning.
All seven master’s programmes offered by the XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang) are two-year degrees, following the Syntegrative Education model—commonly referred to as the “1+1” model—comprising one year of on-campus learning and one year of on-the-job learning. In the first year, students complete eight modules on campus that integrate theoretical study with real industry projects, empowering them to learn through authentic practice.