A University of Calgary delegation made up of President Elizabeth Cannon, Vice-Provost (International) Janaka Ruwanpura and Professor John Chen attended the Xi’an Jiaotong University’s 120th anniversary celebrations last week.

Xi’an Jiaotong University (XJTU) is one of China’s oldest universities and a member of China’s top nine leading universities that ranks #53 in the QS Asian University Rankings.

“We congratulate Xi’an Jiaotong University on their 120th anniversary and appreciate the opportunity to participate in this wonderful occasion. Our partnership with Xi’an Jiaotong University has strengthened our ability to offer a comprehensive, globally-focused educational environment,” says Cannon.

Seventy-plus prestigious universities from around the world attended the celebrations, among them University of Oxford, Stanford University, University of California, Nanyang University of Technology, University of Melbourne, Polytechnic University of Milan and many others.

“China is a country of emphasis for the University of Calgary, and XJTU is a valued partner with whom we have many meaningful collaborations.” says Ruwanpura.

XJTU is a comprehensive, research-oriented university that enrolls 30,000+ students and covers the fields of science, engineering, medicine, economics, management, literature and arts, law, philosophy and education. During its 120-year history, XJTU has remained true to its devotion to learning, innovation and rigorous teaching.

The celebrations included a World-Class Universities Expo, booth demonstrations, a reception offered by Xi’an’s city mayor, a Tang-style welcoming ceremony, lectures from Nobel Prize winners, panel discussions with university leaders and more.

At the University of Calgary booth, President Cannon talked to prospective students and answered their questions. Ruwanpura participated as a panelist in the Summit for Presidents of World Class Universities.

University of Calgary has long-standing ties to XJTU, starting with 1983 when the university received XJTU students to its MBA program and continuing with several collaboration agreements for student exchanges, education and research collaborations.

Thanks to an international collaborative degree program agreement, XJTU students are able to pursue a 3+2 engineering program, study in both China and Canada and earn a bachelor’s degree from XJTU and a master’s degree from the University of Calgary.

“These programs don’t just benefit students from China, but also our Canadian students. It immerses them in a multicultural environment and prepares them to thrive in a global setting,” adds Ruwanpura.