Institutional Change at XJTLU Focuses on Mentoring and Industry Ties
Professor Xiaojun Zhang, a key figure in Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University's (XJTLU) educational direction, is championing a "Syntegrative Education" approach, moving beyond traditional academic models. This philosophy, he suggests, naturally extends into vocational and basic education, emphasizing teachers' roles in mentoring, industry engagement, and personalized student support. Zhang, who holds multiple leadership positions including Chief Officer of Education and head of the XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang), views these explorations as potentially impactful beyond XJTLU's immediate sphere.
His work, deeply embedded in research on institutional change, educational leadership, and the internationalization of higher education, particularly within Sino-foreign cooperative universities, is contributing to what is described as a push for educational reform in China and beyond. XJTLU itself, a joint-venture university, is presented as distinct from its parent institutions, the University of Liverpool and Xi'an Jiaotong University.
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Key Initiatives and Research Areas
Professor Zhang's engagement with educational innovation is marked by several concrete developments:
He established the 'XJTLU National University Teaching Innovation Award' in 2016.
He developed the 'Association for Sustainable Faculty Development in Higher Education' in 2018, which now boasts over 112 member institutions.
He initiated the 'ILEAD Talk series,' a program that has reportedly expanded to more than 20 cities across China.
His research interests span:
Institutional change and logics.
Educational leadership.
Internationalization in Higher Education, especially in Sino-foreign cooperative settings.
Future education in the context of artificial intelligence.
Syntegrative Education.
University transformation and teaching innovation, with a focus on research-led learning, student-centered education, and student transition.
Collaborations and Future Focus
Recent activities highlight Zhang's continued focus on integrating education with practical application. Between March 18-19, 2026, he, along with Dr. Jian Chen, Head of the Institute of Leadership and Education Advanced Development (ILEAD), visited Dalian Maple Leaf College of Technology. Their discussions centered on "co-creating the Dream Academy" and advancing educational innovation through "deep industry-education integration." Both sides acknowledged the need for significant breakthroughs in vocational education, advocating for a new development path forged by hands-on industry-education collaboration.
Further research projects he is involved with include:
A governmental research project examining the transition from inherited learning to dual-stage learning, slated from November 1, 2024, to October 31, 2027.
A governmental research project exploring Syntegrative Education for digital intellectual property, bridging legal and entrepreneurship education at the XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang), running from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2026.
A collaborative research project focusing on fostering researcher identity development among Chinese doctoral students in Sino-foreign cooperative universities, scheduled from January 1, 2025, to January 1, 2027.
Professor Zhang is recognized as a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA) in the UK. He has also been listed as a team member on various governmental and collaborative research projects. XJTLU itself hosts approximately 25,000 students.
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