University goes online in wake of pandemic

Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, has sped up its transformation with an innovative educational model.

The university is an international joint venture founded by Xi'an Jiaotong University in China and the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom in 2006.

Earlier this year, the university announced plans to expand its online education to a wider range of fields out of concern for the health of its students and staff members. More than 490 learning modules－95 percent of its total－have been conducted online. In the autumn semester, all XLTLU's learning modules will be taught both online and on-site.

"We have opened some online courses before," said Professor Xi Youmin, executive president of the university.

"But the outbreak of COVID-19 sped up the timeline of our plan to move toward the new education system we envision for XJTLU's future that blends the best of online and on-site education methodologies."

According to Xi, the university has long valued online education and invested heavily to ensure it continues to evolve with the development of society and technology.

In addition to upgrading its information technology infrastructure and facilities on campus by introducing online education resources from across the globe, the university has developed a virtual learning platform and online grading system, promoted education technology and tools, and built digital resources labs in recent years.

"The work facilitates the effective delivery of classroom education on campus and improves students' learning experience," Xi said. "Meanwhile, it paves the way for the future development of online education, a vital part of the university's development strategy."

Innovative model

As an independent Sino-foreign cooperative university, XJTLU not only captures the essence of both of its prestigious parent universities, but also constantly explores innovative education models that cultivate talents to meet future needs.

"XJTLU has worked as an 'explorer of education' since its opening, and it is committed to the improvement of higher education in China and the exploration of new models in China," Xi said.

The university proposed a new model called Syntegrative Education, which aims to train future talents with cross-cultural leadership and management skills along with the ability to innovate and incorporate new technology to lead the industries of the future.

Xi stressed that syntegration is an overall trend in education. "The new education model is pivotal in reforming higher education in China and arms today's students with the necessary skills for success in an increasingly digitized world."

Combining online and on-site education, establishing wide collaborations within and outside the university, and increasing the university's ability to integrate global resources will become the hallmark of Syntegrative Education, Xi said.

The new education model will be implemented at XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang), which is under construction in the county-level city of Taicang in Suzhou.

The XJTLU Entrepreneur College will create a favorable environment for industrial talent development. It will feature more comprehensive instruction of tech industries, including robotics, the internet of things and smart manufacturing, as well as the integration of this knowledge with a liberal arts education, traditional disciplinary education and management skills.

In Suzhou, XJITLU will continue enhancing its specialized education for cultivating elite talent, especially in the fields of science, engineering, technology and management, according to XJTLU.

"In the age of artificial intelligence, we actively seek to develop industrial talents with strong integration skills and innovative drive. This requires us to establish closer ties with industries and society," Xi said. "Online education will surely play a unique role in our collaborations."

The university will make full use of modern, innovative technologies and introduce world-class online and on-site learning resources from internal schools as well as global partners. These moves will help establish the "XJTLU Learning Mall" with a foundation of massive educational resources and services. Students can choose non-degree and non-credit courses, programs and services based on their interests and needs just like searching for items at an online or on-site mall. It is not only available for XJTLU's students, but also people from all areas of society, he said.

"The new option will serve as an example of how a university can facilitate an ecosystem of lifelong learning, innovation and entrepreneurship in society," Xi said.

A group of prestigious domestic and international education providers and organizations have signed up with the university for cooperation, he said.

To amplify the value of education in the digital age, the university will continue to upgrade its online education and integrate external online resources that can be accessed from anywhere, at any time, Xi said.

In the long run, the university plans to create a complete learning system with XJTLU's own features. The system will contain high-quality online and on-site learning resources from throughout the world, Xi said.

wanghongyi@chinadaily.com.cn