先进技术学院院长

Academic Leadership Position: Dean, School of Advanced Technology

Report to:VicePresident for Academic Affairs (VPAA)

Appointment period: 3-year appointment, renewable

AcademicQualification:Professor

Work Location: Suzhou, China

Recruitmenttype: International

ABOUT XI'AN JIAOTONG-LIVERPOOL UNIVERSITY (XJTLU)

In 2006,Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) was created by the University of Liverpool, UK, and Xi’an Jiaotong University,China. Offering a unique international education experience, XJTLU brings together excellent research practice and expertise from bothinstitutions and gives students the skills and knowledge they need to secure careers in a global marketplace. XJTLU now has over 25,000enrolled students in both Suzhou and Liverpool in the UK, with plans to grow to about 28,000 students by 2025. There are currently about2,400 staff, among which more than 1,300 academic staff from more than 60 countries. XJTLU offers our undergraduates and postgraduates over100 programmes with a diverse spectrum of courses.

XJTLU is entering a new and exciting phase of its development as part of itsstrategic priorities for the next ten years. Adopting a new higher education model based on the concept of Syntegrative Education (SE),XJTLU has opened a new Entrepreneurial College (XEC) in Taicang, part of wider Suzhou, where the Entrepreneur College is located. The XECsite is a pioneer of, and educational model for, the future campus in addressing challenges arising from the 4th Industrial Revolution.Other new initiatives include new working partnerships with University of Liverpool and Xi’an Jiaotong University, the continueddevelopment of the four new Academies, and exploration of further potential locations to develop the SE model.With a focus on innovativelearning and teaching, and research, XJTLU draws on the strengths of its parent universities, and plays a pivotal role in facilitatingaccess to China for UK and other institutional partners. At same time, XJTLU is exploring future education by blending the educationaltheory, best practice and culture from West and East.

For detailed information about the university, please visit www.xjtlu.edu.cn

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ABOUT SCHOOL OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY(SAT)

School Overview

Established in 2019, School of Advanced Technology(SAT) at Xi'anJiaotong-Liverpool University consists of 5 Departments-- Intelligent Science, Computing, Mechatronics and Robotics, Electrical andElectronics Engineering and Communications and Networking, and SAT programmes offer a combination of solid academic knowledge andcutting-edge technological theories at a recognized international level. 

SAT has over 100 faculty members and more than 4,000students, provides 7 Undergraduate Programmes, 9 Postgraduate Programmes and operate successful research-based Doctoral programmes. As aresearch and practice-led school, our faculty and staff are committed to providing students with a challenging and stimulating environment,as well as means to unlocking their full potential. Located in the Suzhou Industrial Park, SAT seeks to play a leading role in thedevelopment of Intelligent Computing and Engineering, and their associated fields, in China and beyond with interactive industrialcollaboration.

SAT has IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology) accreditation for 5 UG programmes and 2 PG programmes, and BCS(British Computer Society) accreditation for 3 UG programmes and 4 PG programmes. Such recognition assures that the degrees meet the highestinternational standards and offer students promising prospects in their future career.

SAT aims to provide cutting-edge solutions toreal-world problems through investigating rigorous theory, and applied approaches. We have 8 well-equipped research entities(4 Municipal keylabs, and 1 Provincial research centre) to provide hands-on experience. We build up strong industrial links, and form mutually beneficialrelationships in training, research, and business development.

Mission and Vision

Vision:

• Play a leading role in the development of intelligent computing and engineering and associatedfields in China and beyond

• Achieve an effective and collaborative working environment in order to better manage academicresources

• Establish efficient and effective processes of resource and facilities management and administration

‚Ä¢Support the development of collaborative, multi/interdisciplinary educational models for teaching and research. 

Mission:

• Enhance and optimise the already existing collaboration among the School’s constituentdepartments in curriculum development and alignment

• Strengthen research and professional engagement related to interactivecomputing and engineering

• Turn XJTLU into a leading Chinese centre of digital technology and advanced engineering.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Dean of SAT is a member of the senior management team of the University. This role isreporting directly to the University Vice President of Academic Affairs and serves as the School of Advanced technology’s chiefacademic and administrative officer.

The appointee is expected to provide energetic leadership and strategic direction in reshapingeducation and research of the school, aligning with the University’s vision to integrate the social development with expertise inadvanced technology; in guiding the school in its diverse activities including undergraduate and postgraduate program developments, researchdirections, academic partnerships, and further advancing its global stature.

Leadership

Alongside theFaculty, School Administration, and with the support from other leaders within the school to:

1. Lead on the further development ofSAT’s vision and mission, setting out the school’s priorities in relation to research & knowledge exchange, education,teaching and learning/innovation, student experience, external and international engagement and accreditation, whilst contributing to thestrategic aims of the School/University and taking account of external factors. To engage, inspire and consult with stakeholders on thedevelopment and implementation of the strategy.

2. Be a role model for leadership behaviour and build the school’s researchprofile and academic reputation, ensuring the highest standards of academic excellence are achieved.

3. Provide people-focusedleadership; creating and setting a vision for the future which staff understand and can engage with.

4. Promote and represent theschool, faculty and University both internally and externally. Role model the culture and ethos of the University to enhance its reputation.Provide an external voice for the school and promote international partnerships.

5. Contribute to University led activities on behalfof the school. Serve as a point of contact between the University, the faculty and the school.

Research

Thisrole demands a balance of visionary leadership, administrative skill, and advocacy for both researchers and the institution as a whole.

6. Vision and Strategy: The dean provides a strategic vision for the school’s research agenda, identifying key areas of focus andaligning research priorities with institutional goals. This includes fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and setting long-termresearch objectives.

7. Resource Allocation and Support: The dean ensures the necessary resources—funding, facilities, andstaffing—are available to support research. He/she also advocates for external funding and partnerships to expand the school’sresearch capacity.

8. Mentorship and Development: The dean plays a key role in mentoring faculty and researchers, promoting careerdevelopment, and ensuring that junior scholars are provided with the guidance needed to thrive in their research.

9. Fostering aResearch Culture: They cultivate a culture of inquiry and innovation by encouraging high standards of scholarly excellence, promotingethical research practices, and creating an environment where creativity and rigorous investigation are valued.

10. Institutional andExternal Collaboration: The dean builds relationships with other academic institutions, industry, government, and external stakeholders tocreate opportunities for collaboration and amplify the school’s research impact.

11. Oversight and Accountability: The deanensures that research activities align with the school’s mission and vision, providing oversight to maintain quality, compliance withethical standards, and accountability for outcomes.

12. Innovation and Impact: The dean encourages cutting-edge research initiativesand ensures that the work conducted in the school has a tangible impact on the broader academic community and society.

Learning and Teaching

By guiding academic programs, supporting faculty, and fostering a culture of excellence inteaching, the dean plays a central role in shaping the quality and impact of the school’s educational offerings.

13. AcademicVision and Strategy: The dean sets a clear vision for the school’s learning and teaching priorities, aligning them with institutionalgoals and future trends in education. This involves curriculum innovation, promoting student-centred learning, and ensuring academicprograms are relevant, rigorous, and aligned with industry or societal needs.

14. Curriculum Development and Innovation: The deanleads efforts to update and innovate curricula, ensuring that programs are dynamic, interdisciplinary where appropriate, and integrate newlearning methods, technologies, and pedagogical approaches.

15. Faculty Development and Support: The dean plays a pivotal role inrecruiting, developing, and retaining high-quality faculty. This includes promoting professional development in teaching practices, offeringsupport for new teaching technologies, and recognizing excellence in teaching.

16. Fostering a Learning Culture: The dean creates anenvironment where high-quality teaching and learning are central to the school’s identity. This includes promoting best practices inpedagogy, supporting active and experiential learning, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

17. Student Success andEngagement: The dean ensures that teaching and learning approaches are student-centred, supporting student engagement, retention, andsuccess. This includes overseeing academic advising, learning resources, and student services that enhance the overall learningexperience.

18. Assessment and Continuous Improvement: The dean oversees the development of robust assessment processes to measurelearning outcomes and teaching effectiveness. They ensure that data from student feedback, evaluations, and other metrics are used to drivecontinuous improvements in teaching practices and curricula.

19. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: The dean champions inclusiveteaching practices, ensuring that the curriculum and learning environment support a diverse student body and promote equity and access ineducation.

20. Collaboration and Partnership Building: The dean builds partnerships with other academic institutions, industry, andexternal stakeholders to enhance the quality of teaching, promote collaborative learning opportunities, and provide students with real-worldlearning experiences.

21. Policy and Academic Standards: The dean ensures that teaching policies and academic standards are upheld,including compliance with accreditation bodies and the adoption of best practices in education delivery.

TeamManagement

By emphasizing collaboration, support, and fairness, the dean’s leadership in team management is key tocreating a thriving academic community that can meet the school’s educational and research goals.

1. Talent Recruitment andRetention: The dean plays a critical role in attracting and retaining world-class faculty and staff. They lead recruitment efforts to bringin top talent, ensuring a diverse and skilled workforce that aligns with the school’s academic and strategic goals.

2.Professional Development and Mentorship: The dean fosters the growth and development of faculty and staff by offering opportunities forprofessional development, mentorship, and career advancement. This includes providing access to resources, training programs, and supportfor research and teaching excellence.

3. Creating a Collaborative and Inclusive Culture: The dean promotes a culture ofcollaboration, respect, and inclusion within the school. They ensure that diverse perspectives are valued and work to create an environmentwhere all faculty and staff feel supported and empowered to contribute to the school’s mission.

4. Performance Management: Thedean is responsible for setting performance expectations, providing regular feedback, and conducting evaluations for faculty and staff. Theyensure that performance reviews are transparent, fair, and aligned with institutional goals. The dean also recognizes and rewardsexceptional contributions to the school’s success.

5. Conflict Resolution and Mediation: As a leader, the dean addressesconflicts that may arise among faculty, staff, or between departments. They play a key role in resolving disputes, ensuring that issues arehandled constructively and fostering a positive work environment.

6. Workforce Planning and Resource Allocation: The dean is involvedin strategic workforce planning, ensuring that the school’s staffing levels and skill sets are aligned with its long-term goals. Thisincludes making decisions on resource allocation to support both individual and institutional priorities.

7. Change Management: Thedean leads and supports change initiatives, helping faculty and staff navigate shifts in institutional priorities, policies, or structures.They communicate changes effectively, manage resistance, and provide support to ensure a smooth transition.

8. Diversity, Equity, andInclusion (DEI): The dean champions DEI initiatives in the school’s workforce, ensuring that hiring practices, promotions, and dailyinteractions reflect a commitment to fairness and diversity. They work to remove barriers to success and create an equitable environment forall employees.

9. Communication and Transparency: The dean ensures open lines of communication across the school, facilitating clear,transparent communication on key decisions, policies, and developments. They maintain an open-door policy, where faculty and staff feelcomfortable bringing ideas, concerns, or feedback to leadership.

External Engagement

The dean’sleadership in External Engagement and Knowledge Exchange is pivotal to extending the school’s influence beyond its academicenvironment. By building strong external partnerships, fostering innovation, and promoting societal impact, the dean ensures that theschool’s research, knowledge, and expertise benefit both the academic community and the wider world.

1. Cultivating StrategicPartnerships: The dean proactively builds and sustains relationships with external stakeholders, including industry leaders, governmentbodies, non-governmental organizations, and other academic institutions. These partnerships help create opportunities for collaborativeresearch, internships, and joint ventures that benefit the school and its external partners.

2. Championing Knowledge Transfer andImpact: The dean facilitates the transfer of academic knowledge to the wider world, ensuring that research and expertise produced within theschool are applied to real-world challenges. This may involve promoting faculty consulting, public lectures, or collaborations thattranslate research findings into practice.

3. Strengthening Alumni and Donor Relations: A significant aspect of external engagementinvolves maintaining strong connections with the school’s alumni network. The dean engages alumni through events, mentorship programs,and fundraising initiatives, while also cultivating relationships with donors and sponsors to secure financial support for theschool’s programs, research, and student scholarships.

4. Public Representation and Advocacy: As a key representative of theschool, the dean takes an active role in public forums, conferences, and media outlets. They advocate for the school’s mission,promote its achievements, and position it as a leader in its respective fields. The dean also contributes to public discussions byrepresenting the school in policy-making circles or industry forums.

5. Encouraging Innovation and Industry Collaboration: The deanleads initiatives that encourage collaboration between academia and industry, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship. This includessupporting faculty and students in developing projects that involve technology transfer, patenting, or the commercialization of research, aswell as creating opportunities for industry-sponsored research and development.

6. Expanding International Collaboration: The deandrives global engagement by establishing partnerships with international institutions, facilitating student and faculty exchanges, andpromoting cross-border research initiatives. This enhances the school’s global profile and encourages international knowledgeexchange.

7. Securing External Funding: The dean plays a crucial role in securing funding from external sources, including governmentgrants, corporate sponsorships, and philanthropic contributions. They help faculty and researchers identify funding opportunities and leadefforts to attract financial support for strategic initiatives aligned with the school’s goals.

8. Facilitating LifelongLearning and Professional Development: Through executive education and continuing professional development programs, the dean fostersknowledge exchange between the school and the professional community. These programs help external participants gain cutting-edge knowledgeand skills while allowing the school to expand its influence and reach.

9. Promoting Policy Influence and Thought Leadership: Thedean positions the school as a thought leader by actively contributing to policy discussions, influencing public discourse, and advising oncritical issues. This involves promoting research that informs policy, participating in advisory boards, or partnering with governmentagencies to address pressing societal concerns.

Financial Management

Empower the school’s senior teamto manage devolved budgets and income and expenditure to promote financial sustainability and drive growth of income and/or value for moneyrequirements in line with agreed KPIs.

QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIENCE

1. Advanced AcademicCredentials: A PhD or equivalent degree in Artificial Intelligence or a related field (e.g., Computer Science and Technology,Intelligent Science and Technology). This demonstrates a deep understanding of the academic environment and the ability to contribute toresearch and teaching.

2. Proven Research and Teaching Excellence:• A strong record of scholarly research, evidenced bypublications in top-tier, peer-reviewed journals in business-related disciplines.• A track record of effective teaching at bothundergraduate and graduate levels, preferably in an international context.

3. Academic Leadership Experience:• Significantexperience in academic administration such as serving as a school dean, associate dean and department chair, or in similar leadership roleswhere they were responsible for overseeing faculty, managing budgets, and developing academic programs.• Experience with facultydevelopment, curriculum design and accreditation processes (e.g., AACSB, EQUIS…), and strategic planning.

4. GlobalPerspective and International Experience:• Experience working in or collaborating with international academic institutions orenterprise. This may include teaching abroad, participating in international research collaborations, or holding leadership positions inmultinational environments.• Familiarity with global advanced technology development and application, and cross-cultural management, aswell as offer a combination of solid academic knowledge and cutting-edge technological theories at a recognized international level.

5. Strong Industry and Corporate Relations:• Extensive engagement with the advanced technology community, including partnershipswith multinational corporations, government agencies, and industry associations. Experience in fostering relationships that lead tointernships, placements, and collaborations for students and faculty.• A proven ability to secure external funding, sponsorships, andbuild strong alumni networks.

6. Accreditation and Quality Assurance:• Leadership experience in ensuring high standards inteaching, research, and student experience to maintain or achieve accreditation.• Hands-on experience with international accreditationbodies such as IET, or BCS is preferred.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT

XJTLU offers:

• Clear careerdevelopment path with annual review, and
• Professional development trainings.

COMPENSATION ANDBENEFITS

SALARY: The salary is competitive and determined by academic rank.

BENEFITS:

1. Allowance: XJTLU provide various monthly/annual/one-off allowances, such as 

• Housing allowance
• Travel allowance
• Relocation allowance
• Education allowance for children

2.Commercial insurance: international insurance plans customized for XJTLU staff and family members. (Details refer to the UniversityPolicy)

3. Paid holidays: 

• Statutory Holidays (13 days)
• Annual Leave (34 days, includingUniversity Closure Days)
• Family Matters Leave
• Paid Sick Leave
• Marriage Leave
• Paternity Leave
• Parental leave
• Etc. 

4. Working visa and residence permit in China: XJTLU sponsors the working visa andresidence permit in China.

RESEARCH FUNDING SUPPORT

The university provides every new faculty memberwith a Research Development Fund to initiate research projects and a Research Engagement Fund to support their continuous researchactivities. School level research funding is also available as are various external corporate and government research grants.

Examples of government sponsored grants and programmes are:

Talent/Research Program

Outstanding YouthScience Foundation Project (Overseas)

RMB 1-3 Million

Innovation Leading Talent

up to RMB 2 Million

Outstanding Leading Talent of International Discipline

50% of Annual Package

Young Leading Talent of InternationalDiscipline

50% of Annual Package

CITIZENSHIP AND VISA REGULATIONS

Employment at Xi’anJiaotong-Liverpool University is regulated by Chinese Labour Laws, and must comply with the regulations of the provincial government. Theseregulations stipulate who is eligible for legal employment with regard to obtaining work permits and visas. Please be advised candidatesover 65 may be not eligible for a work visa in the P.R. China.

APPLICATION

Please send your CV plus acovering statement of up to 1,500 words, explaining your experience and how you meet the expectations of the position by 20th April.Interviews will be held shortly after this. Informal enquiries about the role can be made to Professor Zhoulin Ruan (Vice President forAcademic Affairs) via Zhoulin.Ruan@xjtlu.edu.cn.