On the afternoon of October 20, 2025, the opening ceremony for the Class of 2025 of our university’s Sino-British joint education program was held in the lecture hall of the Southeast Library. In attendance were Xu Huigang, Member of the Standing Committee of the University Party Committee and Vice President; Christian Matthews, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Health and Innovation Technologies at Liverpool John Moores University; Julia Wang, Director of International Relations at Liverpool John Moores University; relevant officials from the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange and the School of Electronic and Information Engineering; the director of the Sino-British Joint Degree Program; the China Affairs Specialist from the China Office; and all students and parent representatives from the Class of 2025 of the Sino-British Joint Degree Program in Electronic and Information Engineering. The opening ceremony was presided over by Zhao Xia, Deputy Director of the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange.

Xu Huigang indicated that Suzhou University of Technology is a provincial undergraduate institution with a 67-year history. It has consistently positioned itself as a “local, application-oriented, and open” institution. The university adheres to an internationalization strategy and has established cooperative relationships with more than 100 universities in over 20 countries and regions worldwide. He pointed out that information technology is a key driving force in modern society and is profoundly reshaping the global development landscape. Against the backdrop of the ongoing advancement of national strategies such as “Made in China 2025,” “AI+,” and “Internet Plus,” the electronic information industry is experiencing explosive growth, with new technologies and business models continuously emerging. To date, 72 students from the joint program in Electronic and Information Engineering between Suzhou University of Technology and Liverpool John Moores University have successfully completed their studies abroad. Of these, 63 are continuing on to pursue master’s degrees, and many have been admitted to universities ranked in the QS Top 100, such as University College London, the University of Bristol, and the University of Sheffield. He expressed three hopes for the incoming Class of 2025: First, to embrace a global perspective and set ambitious goals, approaching the world with an open mind; second, to study diligently, think critically, and dare to innovate, using wisdom to identify and solve problems; and third, to integrate knowledge with action and pursue excellence, developing their talents through study and strengthening their resolve through practice.

Christian Matthews congratulated and welcomed the new students of the Class of 2025 in the Dual Degree Program in Electronic and Information Engineering. He noted that Liverpool John Moores University has 28,000 students on campus, while 24,000 students are studying LJMU courses overseas. He emphasized that the dual-degree program, a collaboration between the two universities, creates an exceptional environment for engineering education. It not only provides students with outstanding practical and hands-on learning opportunities but also lays a solid foundation for their future career paths. Choosing the dual-degree program offered by LJMU and SZUT is not only an outstanding choice in the field of engineering education but also paves the way for future career success. He looks forward to seeing all the students in Liverpool in three years to continue their academic journey.