2025 New Year’s Greeting:
From a Ray of Light to a Sea of Stars
By Professor Xiaojun Zhang
Chief Officer of Education
Leader of Entrepreneur College (Taicang) Leadership Team
Executive Dean, Academy of Future Education
Acting Dean, Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Hub
Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University
In 2024, I travelled extensively, measuring the new strides of the Academy of Future Education toward becoming an ecosystem-oriented industrial academy in my footsteps.
In March, we signed an agreement to co-establish the “XIPU-Linyi College of Dream Chasers(XL-CDC)” in Linyi, Shandong. In May, we partnered with Qingdao Haier School to set up the “XIPU Class”. In July, we collaborated with the Futian District Government in Shenzhen to co-establish the “XIPU Basic Education Group of Futian District, Shenzhen”. We also signed similar agreements in Xi’an with Xi’an No. 85 Middle School, Suzhou with XJTLU Affiliated School, and Wuhan with Optics Valley Ulink School in December.
Additionally, in January, April, September, and December, I participated in the quarterly meetings of the Association of Sustainable Educational Development in Higher Education(ASEDHE)in Hangzhou, Chengdu, Dongguan, Macau, and Nanning, respectively. From July to November in Suzhou, we hosted three sessions of the “Finding Outstanding Chinese Educators in New Era” series dialogue and the annual philosophy dialogue event.
Participating in these activities has been profoundly meaningful to me. They weren’t solely organized by XJTLU, but rather, many were led by local partners or even driven by the communities themselves, all centred around a shared vision of exploring future education. Of course, beyond my personal involvement in these activities, 2024 saw numerous other events held across the country—such as the “ILEAD Talk” series, quarterly seminars hosted by the New Professional Education Cooperation, and the Principal’s Talk in basic education. These events span across various regions and, guided by XJTLU’s vision of future education, have formed a vast constellation influencing education reform and innovation.
As the representative of XJTLU’s 3.0 model for education, the Academy of Future Education carries the mission of exploring future-oriented education models and building an ecosystem that leads innovation in the education sector. Eleven years ago, it started with just an idea and a small team. Today, it has grown into a nationwide network of glowing contributors influencing education. The partnerships and strategic initiatives of 2024 transformed the Academy from a single ray of light into a sea of stars.
Through eleven years of practice, the Academy has developed a systematic approach to building ecosystem-oriented industrial academies.
This framework includes three core elements:
HAPPY NEW YEAR
Addressing the Core Challenges in Industry Development
An ecosystem-oriented industrial academy does not merely focus on traditional roles like talent cultivation and scientific research. Instead, it prioritizes solving core challenges of the industry in collaboration with partners. By addressing these problems, students gain hands-on experience, and teachers are empowered to conduct impactful research.
Since its inception in 2013, the Academy of Future Education has focused on a central issue in education: how to support learners’ healthy growth through educational innovation. This focus has guided the Academy’s vision, mission, departmental structures, and team recruitment efforts. For example:
* The Institute of Leadership and Education Advanced Development (ILEAD) focuses on leadership in higher education innovation and teacher development.
* The Educational Development Unit (EDU), established in 2017, supports teaching innovation among XJTLU faculty.
* The Department of Educational Studies (EDS), founded in 2019, conducts foundational research and offers master’s and doctoral programmes to cultivate future education leaders and innovators.
* The Learning Institute for Future Excellence (LIFE), launched in 2021, helps students transition more effectively within innovative education environments.
All degree programmes at the Academy revolve around future-oriented educational innovation, breaking away from traditional discipline-based approaches. For instance, the three master’s programmes —Global Education, Child Development and Family Education, and Digital Education—address critical themes of future education.
Research at the Academy also transcends conventional boundaries of education, focusing on six key areas:
* Student-centred education and educational experiences,
* Lifelong education and professional development,
* Child development and family education,
* Cooperative and work-integrated education,
* Technology-driven educational innovation,
* Managing and leading change towards future education.
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HAPPY NEW YEAR
Creating an industry ecosystem and building a network of diverse collaborative partners
Traditional education faculties primarily focus on their own students and teachers, while the Academy of Future Education, as an ecological-oriented industry academy, connects partners from different backgrounds to foster a cooperative, win-win model. In 2024, within the ecosystem of the Academy of Future Education, partners from diverse backgrounds collaborate daily, contributing to new chapters of educational development.
Students from over 30 universities participate in a cross-disciplinary social innovation course alliance. Thousands of university teachers take part in various community and training activities, including the XJTLU National University Teaching Innovation Award. More than 100 university teacher development centres are engaged in the Association of Sustainable Educational Development in Higher Education. Teachers from dozens of universities gather at four research centres to conduct forward-looking educational research.
Dozens of primary and secondary school teachers serve as mentors for master’s students, guiding their internships. Several dozen corporate partners are involved in the New Professional Education Cooperation, exploring the direction of new vocational education. Tens of thousands of parents participate in family education-related activities. Continuous teacher training throughout the year draws teachers and administrators from primary, secondary, and vocational schools to engage and exchange at XJTLU. Over 23 million people from various sectors have participated in the 2024 “Finding Outstanding Chinese Educators in the New Era”.
Together, these stakeholders formed an ecosystem for educational innovation, providing the foundation for co-developing new educational models.
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HAPPY NEW YEAR
Three-Tier Action Loop for Ecosystem Development
The essence of an ecosystem lies in collaborative synergy, where diverse entities co-create and share a common vision. The Academy has developed a three-tier action loop— “Ideation, Experimentation, Dissemination & Empowerment”—to guide this symbiotic process.
1) Ideation
“Ideation” refers to the fundamental logic of reflecting on and reshaping the goals, processes, and outcomes of education amid the immense disruptions brought about by new technologies and rapid societal changes. It encompasses educators’ imagination and assumptions about future society, the identification of key needs in people’s lives within that imagined future, and the formulation of educational goals based on those needs.
Over the past 18 years, XJTLU has developed a comprehensive talent cultivation philosophy and goal system applicable to basic education, vocational education, and higher education. For instance, it emphasises critical competencies for the future, such as complex thinking, digital literacy, lifelong self-directed learning, self-management, and interest-driven education. These philosophies guide daily learning and educational activities.
2) Experimentation
“Experimentation” refers to implementing XJTLU’s educational philosophies at different educational stages. XJTLU itself served as the first experimental field during its explorations in higher education, and it has since developed three distinct educational models. LIFE specializes in supporting students’ better growth under these new models, while EDU focuses on supporting and guiding teachers to pioneer their own innovative practices within the new system.
In 2024, the Academy’s explorations in basic and vocational education took an extraordinary leap forward, establishing new experimental fields in six cities: Wuhan, Qingdao, Shenzhen, Xi’an, Linyi, and Suzhou. This marked a new stage in implementing XJTLU’s philosophies across the entire educational chain and exploring new models to support lifelong development.
In basic education, building upon the XJTLU Affiliated School in Suzhou’s Wuzhong District, the Academy collaborated with the Futian District Government in Shenzhen to co-establish the XIPU Basic Education Group of Futian District, Shenzhen. This group encompasses four schools, ranging from kindergarten to high school.
Simultaneously, “XIPU Class” were established in Qingdao, Shenzhen, Xi’an, Suzhou, and Wuhan to explore how high school education can centre on students’ growth as the core objective. These classes aim to achieve outcomes where “students learn happily, teachers teach easily, and exams yield satisfactory results.” The new affiliated schools and XJTLU Classes serve as critical experimental fields for implementing XJTLU’s educational philosophies in basic education.
In vocational education, 2024 saw significant breakthroughs with the proposal of a new vocational education philosophy under the “Dreamer Academy” initiative. This vision materialized through an experimental field in Linyi, Shandong, where the Academy collaborated with Linyi Vocational and Technical College to establish the “XIPU-Linyi College of Dream Chasers(XL-CDC)”, embarking on a journey to explore future-oriented vocational education practices.
In higher education, experimental explorations continue to thrive at XJTLU, with ongoing deepening and optimization of its three educational models occurring daily.
3) Dissemination & Empowerment
“Dissemination & Empowerment” refers to spreading successful practices and new models of future education, proven in experimental fields, to more institutions and educators. It supports and leads them in exploring future-oriented educational innovations, helping more students better prepare for the future.
In 2024, the Academy launched the “Three-Stage Empowerment Programme for Innovative Teaching and Professional Development in Higher Education” in the higher education sector. This strategic initiative broke away from traditional centralised training approaches for improving teacher capabilities. Instead, it adopted a three-stage process: “Teachers self-assess and identify problems, seek solutions and create plans, and implement those plans with actionable steps”. This ensures that teacher empowerment results in tangible changes in the classroom.
Another milestone in 2024 was the 10th anniversary of the “XJTLU National University Teaching Innovation Award.” Over a decade, the competition has touched the hearts of countless frontline educators, igniting their passion for teaching and illuminating the stars of university teaching innovation.
The “Finding Outstanding Chinese Educators in New Era” initiative was successfully held for the third year, with over 23 million education-focused individuals participating online and offline. This initiative sparked discussions about common educational challenges and fostered consensus on educational reform across society.
In March 2024, the Academy welcomed its first cohort of EdD students. This marked a significant step toward developing an ecosystem-oriented industrial academy. These 32 students, drawn from basic, vocational, and higher education institutions, represent a critical connection to strategic resources in the education industry, forming a key node in building the Academy’s ecosystem network.
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HAPPY NEW YEAR
Looking Ahead: Revolutionizing Learning, Teaching, and Research within the Educational Ecosystem
The Academy of Future Education is a flagship representative of XJTLU’s 3.0 education model. It has continually explored and reflected on how to design new educational models that align with future demands. How should students’ learning, teachers’ teaching, and research be conducted in these new models? What makes these models different from and superior to those of traditional academies?
As of today, the Academy’s ecosystem has begun to take shape, offering insights into how learning, teaching, and research can be revolutionized within an ecosystem-oriented academy.
First, the ecosystem brings transformative change to students' learning experiences. Students no longer confine themselves to learning knowledge and theory within classrooms. Instead, they engage in real-world scenarios and participate in forward-looking, challenging projects within the ecosystem. Through this process, students are trained to become leaders and explorers of future education. The Academy of Future Education aims to continuously reform and optimize the environments and systems that support students’ learning within the ecosystem.
Second, for teachers to effectively support challenge-driven learning, they must also transform their teaching approaches, shifting toward research-led teaching. Further promoting teaching innovation among educators will remain a critical mission for the future.
Finally, the Academy’s research should not merely focus on publications and citations. Instead, it should tackle genuine problems and challenges encountered by the industry in its pursuit of innovative, future-oriented education. By addressing these challenges, research can exert meaningful impact.
Let us look forward to
a promising and rewarding 2025 together!
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