Monthly highlights
2024 Finding Chinese Educators in the New Era Campaign - the Finale: Philosophical Discourse was successfully hold on 10th and 11th November
2024 Finding Chinese Educators in the New Era Campaign - the Finale: Philosophical Discourse took place on November 10th and 11th. Five candidates of the year 2024 joining educational experts, discussed key topics such as "Global Vision and Patriotism", "Digital Literacy and Learning Behavior", and "Knowledge Acquisition and Attainment Cultivation" with online and offline audiences. During the philosophical discourse, education experts analyzed the current status and challenges in the education sector, and jointly envisioned the direction and pathway of future education. Over 130 million audience participated in the event online and offline.
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Support lifelong learning
Intertwined Lights and Shadows, Boundless World — ‘International Café’ IV Successfully Concluded at TC Campus
Hold by Learning Institute for Future Excellence (LIFE), the Global Citizenship Education (GCED) Event “International Café” concluded at TC Campus on November 13th. With "Video" as its theme, this was the first time "International Café" was held in Taicang. The event not only brought an art salon of cross-cultural exchange to staffs and students of Taicang but also offered a profound inter-cultural experience. The event features a rich variety of activities, including a showcase of UG-presessional movie works by first-year students, a lecture on film history by Dr. Peter Yacavone from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, screenings of classic film segments and a cross-cultural lecture led by Prof. Moritz. The event not only fosters cultural exchange and understanding across the campus but also provides a platform for students to showcase their talents. Centered around the theme of video, it promotes the spread of global citizenship awareness within the university.
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GCED Event Latin America Day Successfully Conclude at 20th November
On November 20th, Learning Institute for Future Excellence (LIFE), in collaboration with our students from Latin America, successfully held the Global Citizenship Education (GCED) event "Latin America Day" at X-Bar. This event marked the second "Regional Day" held by LIFE, following the "Africa Day." The event not only opened a window for students to understand Latin American culture but also enhanced cross-cultural communication and mutual understanding across XJTLU student community, fostering the spread and cultivation of global citizenship awareness.
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2024 XJTLU Research-led Learning Symposium Successfully concluded
On November 23, 2024, the 2024 XJTLU Research-led Learning Symposium, themed “Student-Empowering Futures: Research-led Learning for Sustainable Development,” successfully concluded at the Entrepreneur College (Taicang). The event, hosted by the Learning Institute for Future Excellence, specifically focused on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It aimed to encourage students to deeply integrate the SDGs with research-led learning approaches to address the increasingly complex and interconnected global challenges. The symposium featured a keynote speech by Prof. Jordan Naidoo, a guest lecturer and technical expert from Shanghai Normal University and former UNESCO International Institute for Education Planning Acting Director, providing profound insights to attendees. Structured around seven different theme forums, the symposium attracted 31 research-led learning project teams to compete and win awards, with more than 180 students actively participating. Students showcased their research projects across the forums and engaged in in-depth discussions with the panel of judges. Through the symposium, we believe the participants have gained a more comprehensive and profound understanding of research-led learning and the SDGs.
Prof. Moritz Bilagher Attended UNESCO Workshop, Exploring a New Path for Global Citizenship Education
From October 28th to November 1st, during the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Regional Capacity Development Workshop for Teachers and School Leaders held in Bangkok, Thailand, educators from around the world gathered to deeply discuss how to leverage a Whole-School Approach (WSA) to effectively promote the widespread practice of Global Citizenship Education (GCED). This workshop is of great significance for strengthening international educational exchanges and promoting the in-depth implementation of the Whole-School Approach to GCED in the Asia-Pacific region and globally. Among the distinguished attendees was Professor Moritz Bilagher, Acting Head of Learning Institute for Future Excellence (LIFE) at AoFE. He brought an insightful thematic presentation "Good Practices from Selected Countries". In his speech, Prof. Bilagher vividly demonstrated the educational practices of LIFE as an important GCED site at XJTLU, such as the ‘Regional Days’ and the ‘International Café’. Prof. Bilagher provided valuable experience and inspiration for the participants, greatly facilitating the exchange and mutual learning in the field of GCED.
School Visit：Soochow Foreign Language School
To provide students with more internship opportunities and preparation, faculty and students from the Academy of Future Education at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University visited Soochow Foreign Language School on the afternoon of November 6th. This visit included a series of meaningful exchanges and activities aimed at strengthening the connection between higher education and basic education, promoting the sharing of internship resources, and fostering the overall development of students. Through direct interaction with basic education institutions, the participants not only deepened their understanding of educational practices but also laid a solid foundation for future internship planning, which will contribute to enhancing students' professional skills and practical abilities.
2024 Autumn Internship and Career Fair by AoFE
On the afternoon of November 20, the 2024 Autumn Internship and Career Fair for the Academy of Future Education at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University was successfully held. This event brought together 14 leading organizations from the education sector, including well-known schools and education technology companies, offering students a wealth of internship and employment opportunities. The fair facilitated face-to-face interactions between students and employers, allowing students to gain a deeper understanding of industry needs and effectively connect with internship resources. This not only enhanced students' practical skills but also laid a solid foundation for their future career development, showcasing the school's efforts and achievements in promoting the integration of education and industry.
Setting Sail for the Future: Alumni Career Sharing Session
At the Alumni Career Sharing Session on October 30, 2024, we were honored to have four distinguished alumni: Jin Shi, majoring in Global Education, Wenjia Tang, majoring in Digital Education, and Tianying Chen and Xi Chen, majoring in Child Development and Family Education, who provided valuable career development guidance and job hunting strategies to students based on their own personal experiences. The alumni shared the importance of acquiring essential skills in terms of personal interests, areas of specialization and market needs. The four alumni also emphasized the importance of internships in career development.
Empower Educators
The Interdisciplinary Course Alliance hosted the second and third online course workshops
The Interdisciplinary Course Alliance hosted the second and third online course workshops this month. Associate Professor Zhimeng Tang from Chongqing YiTong College delivered a presentation on the course Liberal Arts English: Observing Chinese and Foreign Cultures, emphasizing cross-cultural communication and developing bilingual application skills. Meanwhile, Mr. Lam Pak Yu from Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College (UIC) shared his course Emotional Intelligence, which employs experiential learning to foster holistic student development.
Both workshops sparked in-depth discussions among participants regarding common challenges. Attendees agreed that course objectives should be clearly defined and specific, with teaching activities closely aligned to these objectives. Furthermore, emphasis should be placed on fostering students’ holistic growth and enhancing their overall competencies to better meet the demands of future society.
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高校跨学科社会创新课程联盟【线上磨课工作坊】第三期即将开始，以课程为案例，携手共创教育创新新篇章
The Programme Director’s Competence Enhancement Training Programme for Sanjiang University was successfully held from November 9th to 10th.
Sanjiang University organized 39 programme directors to participate in Capacity building for High-Level Academic Construction at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University.
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The training programme of the reform of student teaching model "centered on student growth” for the School of Future Technology, DUT was successfully held from November 16th to 17th.
36 educators from Dalian University of Technology's School of Future Technologies participated. The programme covered six key modules and three areas: the concept transformation of the talent cultivation model, system construction, and practical exploration. It aimed to disseminate the innovative practices of XJTLU's 'student-centered' talent cultivation model with Dalian University of Technology's School of Future Technologies, assisting them in building a professional and career-oriented student work system.
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Teaching English for Academic Purposes Training Programme for Chongqing Medical University was successfully held from November 16th to 17th, 2024.
14 educators from the School of English and Foreign Languages at Chongqing Medical University participated in a programme organized by the ILEAD at Xi’an Jiaotong Liverpool University to improve their English language skills for academic purposes. The programme focused on three topics: the design of academic English listening and speaking teaching strategies, the design of academic English reading and writing teaching strategies, and the application of artificial intelligence technology in academic English teaching, aiming to comprehensively assist English teachers at Chongqing Medical University in improving their academic English teaching abilities.
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Creating future education community
The division of Child Development and Education (CDE) at the Institute of Leadership and Education Advanced Development at XJTLU delivered the 9th Principals’ Talk on campus.
October 28, 2024, the division of Child Development and Education (CDE) at the Institute of Leadership and Education Advanced Development at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) delivered the 9th Principals’ Talk on campus. The event brought together six guests, including two scholars from XJTLU, two secondary school principals from Malaysia, the director of the Teacher Development Centre of Suzhou Industrial Park, and the principal of the SuZhou Du Shu Lake School, to jointly focus on teacher development for the future. They delved into how our education can keep pace with the times and lead the future in the digital and intelligent era. This Principals’ Talk has specially invited 20 principals of primary and secondary schools in Malaysia to join the discussion on education in person.
The Teaching Innovation Seminar and the Massive Selection of the10th XJTLU National University Teaching Innovation Award (TIA) was successfully held.
On November 2, 2024, the Massive Selection for the XJTLU TIA was held at Anhui Jianzhu University in Hefei. Over 100 educators from across the country, particularly from the eastern region of China, gathered to engage in discussions centered around the theme "Student-Centered Learning: Co-Creating the Future of Education." The event focused on teaching innovations and the sharing of cutting-edge educational ideas through in-depth conversations.
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Future education research
Publications
Li, N., Lim, E. G., Leach, M., Zhang, X., & Song, P. (2022). Role of perceived self-efficacy in automated project allocation: measuring university students’ perceptions of justice in interdisciplinary project-based learning. Computers in Human Behavior, 136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2022.107381
This paper won:
Outstanding Academic Papers in Natural Science for the Year 2022-2023 in Suzhou
Suzhou Computer Society Outstanding Academic Papers Second Prize for the Year
Shcheglova Irina, Dremova Oksana, Babayeva Jennet, and Gaete Magdalena Alejandra. (2024). Student Educational Experience and Its Place in the Modern Educational Paradigm: FEFU Case. Educational Studies Moscow 2 (3). https://vo.hse.ru/article/view/17106
Paracha, S., Hall, L., Hagan-Green, G., and Watson, D. (2024). Exploring the Perspectives and Expectations of Special Educational Need Coordinators on the Use of Special iApps for Children with Severe Intellectual Disabilities. In E. Çela, M. Fonkam, N. R. Vajjhala & P. Eappen (Eds.), Advancing Adaptive Education: Technological Innovations for Disability Support, IGI Global: USA.
Paracha, S., Hall, L., Hagan-Green, G., & Watson, D. (2024). Cyber Eyes Wide Open: Innovation, Art and Collaborative Practice. In S. KWOK, P. Yu & J-Y LE CORRE (Eds.), Exploring Practice-Led Research for Professional Development, IGI Global: USA.
Paracha, S. (2024). Transforming the Landscape of Learning Management System through Eye-tracking, Participatory & Value-sensitive Design Approaches. 3rd Tomsk, International Forum, "Transformation of Education", Russia.
Wang, M., & Paracha, S. (2024). Where words are restrained, the eyes often talk a great deal! Understanding Graduate Students’ Reading Behaviors through Webcam Eye-tracking. Proceedings of the 4th Asia Education Technology Symposium, Springer, Hong Kong.
Gu, Y., and Paracha, S. (2024). The Best Design is Born from a Deep Empathy with the User! Revamping the Learning Mall UI through Eye-tracking, Participatory and Value-sensitive Design Methodologies. Proceedings of the 2024 IEEE 4th International Conference on Information Technology, Big Data and Artificial Intelligence (ICIBA), China.
What’s next
The finals of The 2nd XJTLU Innovative Cases of Industry-Education Integrated Curriculum Competition are about to be held!
On December 15, 2024, the finals of The 2nd XJTLU Innovative Cases of Industry-Education Integrated Curriculum Competition will officially kick off! Since the registration opened on January 6, 2024, the competition has attracted participation from 28 institutions across 18 provinces and cities in the country. After two weeks of expert evaluations, the finalists and outstanding award winners were announced on November 15, 2024. The 15 finalist teams will present their industry-education integration curriculum innovation cases at the finals, competing for the special award, first prize, second prize, and third prize.
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Constructing the professional development system for beginning teachers
The 13th quarterly meeting of the Association of Sustainable Educational Development in Higher Education will be held at Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine on 27-29 December 2024. This quarterly meeting will summarize the excellent practical experience in the development of beginning teachers in the past few years, and explore and look forward the strategic direction that should be focused on the development of beginning teachers for higher education in the future.
Social media editor: Xiaoyan Jin, Jiayi Zou
