Dual Core Education

In the main square of the university sit eight sculptures of philosophers, including Confucius and Plato. Students have dubbed the group of sculptures the "Eight Immortals" (who are actually deities in Chinese mythology), and they are a signal that the school advocates and integrates both Western and Chinese cultural icons.

Integration of Chinese and foreign elements can be seen everywhere on the campus of XJTLU. Foreign teachers hurrying to class and silver-haired Chinese professors are the common images on the campus. The Mathematics and Physics Teaching Center has some senior professors, like the former dean of the Mathematics Department of Tongji University, former dean of the Mathematics Department of Tianjin University, and former vice dean of the Mathematics Department of Tsinghua University, many of them enjoying a special allowance granted by the State Council.

Before formally enrolling students, Xi'an Jiaotong University and the University of Liverpool organized a team of experts to reorganize and optimize the one-meter-thick syllabus collection on more than 100 subjects. The idea was to retain the cutting-edge advantages of some disciplines in the University of Liverpool, consider the traditions and strengths of Xi'an Jiaotong University, and give full consideration of the characteristics and demands of Chinese students. Another feature for XJTLU is its teaching period of 28 weeks per year, less than that in most other Chinese colleges of 36 weeks annually.

Professor Guo Jingming, director of the Mathematics and Physics Teaching Center, remarked that the Western management mode is "giving students more freedom" which fully sparks student creativity, while the Chinese "spoon-feeding" method lays a solid foundation for students' future study. XJTLU integrates the advantages of both, reducing the classroom teaching hours and increasing after-class tutoring and personal counseling.

Wu Fei, a XJTLU student who has been accepted by eight top universities in Britain, started an IT company and a foreign trade company, with RMB 200,000 in capital when he was only a junior. Six months later, their sales volume broke RMB one million. "In my conversations with the extracurricular tutor, I learned certain lessons and gained experience, got acquainted with some people too, and established some social connections that laid a good foundation for my career," Wu said.

"Four years of education have benefitted Fang Lei in more ways than his academic achievements. He has made great headway in his ability to deal with people," Fang Lei's father said. From preparing for IELTS to applying for overseas graduate schools, all his work, including writing study plans, making presentations and preparing for interviews, was completed by himself alone. All his parents needed to do was wait for one good piece of news after another. Fang's father says of the China-foreign co-established university, "This comprehensive development of our son makes us very excited, and we are grateful for XJTLU's unique features."

"We're neither a branch campus of Xi'an Jiaotong University, nor a branch of the University of Liverpool," President Xi said. In his opinion, XJTLU is not simply imitating the British model, but assimilating the core of both Western and Chinese systems, and exploring new paths for the reform of China's halls of higher learning.

Ling Junhui is a reporter with Xinhua News Agency.