Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) held the annual Research Forum where academic staff gathered to discuss the future of research at the university. Talks from professors and associate deans highlighted the university’s current research status and the need for a strong research culture. XJTLU is listed in ESI’s top 1% for three research fields, with three more fields showing potential to join those ranks. Electrical and electronic engineering and computer science are the most active research areas, and publications in computer science and environment and ecology are the most impactful. XJTLU is focusing on developing research strengths, supporting different kinds of research activities, expanding research networks, offering institutional-level support, and providing consistent and coherent research mentoring. The university is keen to maintain its growth and continue its development as a research-led international university, aiming to be known globally for its research strengths in the future.
Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University Research Forum 2023: Improving in All Indicators
The Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University Research Forum is an annual event where academic staff gather to discuss the future of research at the University. The latest edition was held last month, and it featured talks from prominent members of the university’s leadership, including Professor Youmin Xi, Executive President of XJTLU, and Professor Zhoulin Ruan, Vice President of Academic Affairs.
Professor Youmin Xi’s Opening Speech
Professor Xi started the event with a speech on the importance of the Forum. He explained that the purpose was to explore the best way for XJTLU to optimize its research, and he emphasized the need for a strong body of research staff. Xi also announced the university’s goal to grow its academic staff from just over 1,000 to between 1,500 and 2,000 over the next decade.
Professor Zhoulin Ruan’s Talk on Growth
In his speech, Professor Ruan reflected on the university’s growth and impact of research output over the past year. Ruan presented data on the Essential Science Indicators (ESI), indicating improvement across all indicators, such as citations, top papers, and field rankings.
He mentioned that XJTLU had 64 top papers according to ESI, which is an increase of 15 from the previous year. Additionally, citations have increased by 12,227 from January 2022 to 38,958 in January 2023, with an average of 1.55 citations per paper.
The ESI Global All Fields Ranking revealed that XJTLU is ranked 3,518 out of 8,360, marking an increase of 454 places from the previous year. Professor Ruan also mentioned that the Forum aimed to gather the university’s leadership to think about what the university’s future research focus would be. He posed the question: In three or four years, what will XJTLU, as a research-led international university, be known for globally?
Guest Talk from Professor Jiansheng Jiang
The event also featured a guest talk from Professor Jiansheng Jiang, who discussed research in the field of Nano Science & Technology at Soochow University.
Overall, the Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University Research Forum 2023 provided valuable insights into the university’s research strengths, growth, and future plans.
XJTLU: Current State and Future of Research
Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) is a research-led international university that has made significant strides in the research field. Currently, XJTLU is listed in ESI’s top 1% for three research fields: Engineering, Computer Science, and Social Sciences (General). According to Professor Zhoulin Ruan, Vice President of Academic Affairs, three more fields, namely Ecology/Environment, Economics and Business, and Material Sciences, have the potential to join the ranks soon.
Professor Fei Ma’s Presentation on Status Quo
In his presentation, Professor Fei Ma discussed the current state of research at XJTLU. He pointed out that in 2022, eight out of 13 schools, academies, and research centers maintained or increased their research output. Three schools, namely, the School of Science, School of Advanced Technology, and International Business School Suzhou (IBSS), published over 100 papers each. Professor Ma mentioned that electrical and electronic engineering and computer science were XJTLU’s most active research areas, publishing the most research from 2017 to 2021. However, publications in computer science and environment and ecology were the most impactful.
Professor Ma also spoke about the need for government funding, and he was glad to report that in the 2021-2022 academic year, 46 projects received government funding out of 237 applications. Project funding grew significantly from 7.1 million RMB in the 2020-2021 academic year to 26.5 million RMB last academic year, which indicates progress. Intellectual property (IP) applications for patents, copyright, and trademarks also saw a rise. In the 2020-2021 academic year, there were 79 applications for IP protections, and 25 were granted. In the last academic year, applications dropped to 55, but the number granted grew to 33.
Professor Beibei Tang’s Talk on Future Moves
To foster a research culture, XJTLU is focusing on developing research strengths, supporting different kinds of research activities, expanding research networks, offering institutional-level support, and providing consistent and coherent research mentoring. HSS’s Professor Tang talked about how her school is building an institutional research culture, which is a long process involving diverse, complicated factors. She mentioned that the university hired 17 professors from outside the university to give talks about their journeys and expertise. This led to the introduction of a new project called the Professors of XJTLU Public Lecture series, which will be chaired by Professor Tang.
Conclusion
XJTLU has come a long way in terms of research output and impact. The university is keen to maintain its growth and continue its development as a research-led international university. By fostering a research culture, XJTLU aims to be known globally for its research strengths in the future.
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