Xi Youmin: a pioneer in Sino-foreign cooperative higher education
(english.jsjyt.gov.cn) Updated：2019-02-13
SJTLU signs an agreement with Nigeria's petroleum technology development fund to work together on offering Nigerian students master's and PhD studies in the areas of engineering, geology, science and management. [Photo/sjtlu.edu.cn]
But he was confident that international schools would play active roles in the future and that SJTLU would be an important part of China's economic and social reforms. This ended in a win-win result, with XJTU taking Suzhou's geographical strength for its ventures in international education, the UK-based University of Liverpool pursuing its globalization plans, and the Suzhou municipal government hoping to boost regional development.
"I took part in every three-side negotiation, from the cooperative agreement in 2004, the construction approval in 2005, to the school-running license in 2006," Xi said.
He thought every step he took in paving the way for running SJTLU was interesting, reflecting the twists and turns in China's educational reform and opening-up, and also ensured the school would have its first group of 160 undergraduate recruits in 2006.
The school has seen rapid progress over the past 12 years, with the number of registered students amounting to 13,000 in 2018 and covering 37 bachelor's, 37 master's and 15 doctoral majors.
Looking ahead, SJTLU is still striving hard to improve its education system, cultivating all-rounders with insights into rising industries and global citizens with cross-cultural leadership abilities.
