LONDON, July 26, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University has marked its 10th anniversary with a day of celebrations on its campus in Suzhou, China.
Honoured guests from throughout the University's history gathered together with XJTLU staff, students and alumni to celebrate the achievements of the past 10 years and look to the future.
Founded in 2006, XJTLU is the largest international joint venture university in China, a partnership between Xi'an Jiaotong University and the University of Liverpool.
The spectacular anniversary ceremony featured impressive videos with interactive elements and speeches from key guests.
In his welcoming address, Professor Xi, executive president of XJTLU, spoke of the University's "astonishing" achievements over the past 10 years, but emphasised how important it was to keep looking forward and striving for new accomplishments.
"Looking forward to the next 10 years, and the 10 years after that, we need to keep a clear head - even when we don't stop, if we're not overtaking then we're falling behind," he said.
"We need to keep our feet on the ground, continue integrating the essence of the world's education, keep a close eye on the pulse of the times, take aim at the world's future direction, take one step at a time, and embark upon a completely new path of developing higher education."
Guests at the day's events included representatives from the University of Liverpool and Xi'an Jiaotong, especially those who had played important roles in XJTLU's formation.
Professor Janet Beer, vice-chancellor at Liverpool, spoke about the enduring relationship between Liverpool and China and of how proud she was of the partnership behind XJTLU.
"As XJTLU continues to grow both in terms of its student population and academic standing, the next 10 years look incredibly exciting. I look forward to working with colleagues in both Liverpool and Suzhou as we develop our ambitions and vision for the future," she said.
Professor Qinghuang Zheng, vice president of Xi'an Jiaotong called the partnership an important step in the internationalisation of higher education in China.
"As one of the parent universities, we are so proud of the extraordinary achievements of XJTLU, which sets a great example for developing an international education model," he said. "XJTLU's experience and success has impacted China's higher education transform in a very positive way."
