At XJTLU: Discover yourself, let your light shine

At XJTLU: Discover yourself, let your light shine

Address by the Executive President at the 2025 Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University Opening Ceremony

Dear students, esteemed teachers, parents, and friends,

Good morning!

A warm welcome to Professor Jun Hong, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Committee and Vice President at Xi’an Jiaotong University, and Professor Richard Black, Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Liverpool. Thank you for joining us to witness the 2025 opening ceremony.

I’d also like to thank the team behind today’s event. Your efforts have made this first official moment between XJTLU and our new students both meaningful and memorable.

Today, whether you are starting your undergraduate journey or beginning postgraduate research, you are all joining the XJTLU community and stepping into a new chapter of your lives.

If I were to pass the microphone to you, our students and parents, and ask about your expectations or questions for this journey ahead, perhaps some parents would say:
“My child must get into the most popular programme!” Some students might ask: “What’s the difference between 2+2 and 4+0?” “How high do my grades need to be to get into a top university?” Or even say: “I’m just here to get a degree and find a stable job.” And perhaps some are thinking: “Finally, I’m in university – time to take it easy!”

These voices reflect common concerns among students and families. But they also reveal something deeper: how society’s narrow definition of success has shaped our thinking. Education has often been reduced to a race toward a “safe exit”, with learning goals distorted into a chase for qualifications. Unique individuals are turned into standardised “exam-takers”, and the richness of life paths compressed into a single “correct answer”.

Faced with this reality, true educators must ask: beyond handing out degrees, what is the university’s real purpose and value?

In today’s rapidly shifting global landscape – where AI is reshaping every aspect of life – the traditional role of knowledge transmission is diminishing, and the value of degrees is declining. The very meaning of the university is being redefined. If a university limits itself to being a “degree-printing factory”, it is already on the path toward irrelevance.

Education of true value is no longer about guarding against ignorance, but about helping people: discern truth from the overwhelming flood of fragmented information, find meaning of life in a complex and uncertain world, develop the creativity and problem-solving skills needed to thrive in a digital-intelligent era, and co-create the future with AI and robotics.

To enable this, universities must shift from merely delivering knowledge to cultivating people in a holistic way. This means fostering well-rounded literacies and capabilities, and an education philosophy that encourages personalised and interest-driven learning, embraces lifelong learning, and promotes human-machine interaction and even constructive entanglement, as well as syntegrative education.

Such a university must build its own distinctive educational brand through consistent vision and successful practice. It must develop powerful digital-intelligent platforms, create a dynamic learning ecosystem that connects global knowledge networks and resources, and establish regionally distributed centres of excellence for learning, research, innovation, and entrepreneurship, each with a unique thematic focus. Within this new, open, and collaborative education ecosystem – integrating industry, academia, research, government, and society – students, educators, researchers, entrepreneurs, and civic actors alike will engage in real-world problems, co-create across boundaries, and realise intelligent collaboration between students, teachers, and AI agents in both virtual and physical spaces.

In this new educational paradigm, learning is no longer passive absorption – it becomes an active process of exploration centred around real-world problems. Courses are no longer standardised content delivery, but collaborative research journeys co-created by students, teachers, intelligent agents, and immersive learning environments.

University life is no longer about cramming for exams or chasing a degree, but about discovering passions, shaping dreams, nurturing imagination, enhancing creativity, developing higher-order thinking, and mastering the ability to co-create new lives and careers through human-AI collaboration.

Guided by dreams, driven by interest, and empowered by advanced technologies like AI, a new model of education is emerging, one that is growth-oriented, interest-driven, personalised, human-machine collaborative, and future-focused.

To support this transformation, the university itself must evolve. No longer an isolated “island of knowledge”, it must become an innovation engine that actively responds to societal needs. By tightly coupling talent development, basic research, technological innovation, industrial advancement, and social development, universities can bridge the gap between education and the real world, making knowledge transferable, learning sustainable, research collaborative, and ultimately, returning to the university’s core mission: to serve human civilisation and advance social progress.

This is not just an idealistic vision – it is the journey you are about to begin, together with your University.

For nearly two decades, XJTLU has been exploring and shaping what a university of the future can be. We are not merely imagining possibilities; we are turning them into reality, step by step. The growth paths of our 16 cohorts of graduates are the clearest proof. Some have pursued their passions at top global universities, some have entered research, entrepreneurship, design, or public service, while others have returned to their communities, shining in ways that reflect what they truly love. At XJTLU, we hope each of you will follow your own interests and carve out a unique and exciting path into the future.

If you’ve been following the official XJTLU WeChat account, you’ve likely read many student stories. Behind their diverse journeys, you’ll find shared traits – an optimistic mindset, a forward-looking attitude, active thinking, and intentional choices. They are not afraid to make mistakes. They keep asking questions. Each time they step out of their comfort zones, they transform confusion into capability. They find direction through curiosity, gain motivation through interest, and release energy through research-led learning.

In this education ecosystem that embraces individuality, diversity, and innovation, XJTLU students learn to seek meaning amid uncertainty and grow with resilience through change.

Standing here with you today at the starting point of this new journey, I’d like to share a few “recommended ways by four keywords to unlock XJTLU” – ways to make the most of what this university can offer on your path of growth.

First, awaken. You can make use of the freedom that XJTLU encourages – to awaken your curiosity, develop independent thinking, and grow into responsible adults. In choosing freely, you may discover your true interests; in developing your individuality, you’ll learn self-discipline. You’ll grow by respecting rules, shouldering responsibility, and gradually building your own system of values. With critical thinking as your tool, you’ll be better prepared to navigate a world full of uncertainty and ambiguity.

Second, ignite. You can rely on XJTLU’s student development-centred support system and its culture of innovation, which is embedded everywhere on campus. Let your interest and sense of responsibility ignite the inner drive that helps you to break free from dependence and inertia, and to build the courage to act. Here, failure is seen as experience, and problems are starting points. You will learn to recalibrate through practice, adapt to change, and cultivate the spirit of innovation needed in an ever-changing era.

Third, support. Through XJTLU’s trust-based collaboration mechanisms and integrated ecosystem, you can cross boundaries and find the comprehensive support you need to follow your interests. At XJTLU, collaboration is not just about dividing tasks; it’s about shared responsibility and co-creation. Through these experiences, you will strengthen your systems thinking and develop the skills of communication, coordination, and integration – skills essential for entering an increasingly complex society.

Fourth, edify. You will embrace the University’s multicultural diversity and international learning environment, and become friends with Dr Fit [1](the shorthand for our University’s core cultural values)! This will create an atmosphere to edify you, to nurture your healthy growth and cultivate a complex mindset that understands difference and respects diversity. You will encounter the clash of ideas and the fusion of cultures. You will also learn how to strike a balance amid competing values – skills crucial for navigating a future shaped by diversified worldviews.

Of course, what XJTLU offers goes far beyond what I’ve just shared – there are countless “hidden treasures” waiting for you to discover, experience, and engage with.

I often proudly tell people: XJTLU is a place where you can discover yourself and let your inner gold shine. As long as you take initiative, opportunities and resources are endless. As long as you dare to explore, possibilities are infinite!

I hope you will continuously sketch, revise, and enrich your own “personal portrait” during your time here. And I warmly invite you to join XJTLU in showcasing our unique value on the stage of the future world.

Finally, congratulations on beginning this exciting new chapter of your life.

See you on campus tomorrow!

[1] The core cultural values of XJTLU are Diversity, Regulation, Freedom, Innovation, and Trust – abbreviated as “Dr Fit”.