Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) is seeking faculty members at all ranks for its School of Robotics at the XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang) in Taicang, Greater Suzhou, China.

The full-time position was reposted on Oct 20, having initially been posted on Aug 17, and covers academic disciplines including electrical and electronics, mechatronics, intelligent controls, robotics engineering, computer science, artificial intelligence, computer vision, mobile robotics, machine learning, and data science and analytics. The salary is described as competitive in the market, and the university sponsors working visas and residence permits in China for staff.

XJTLU was created in 2006 by the University of Liverpool and Xi’an Jiaotong University, a top-ten university in China. Offering a unique international education experience, XJTLU brings together excellent research practice and expertise from both institutions and gives students the skills and knowledge they need to secure careers in a global marketplace. The university now has around 25,000 enrolled students in both Suzhou and Liverpool in the UK, with plans to grow to about 28,000 students by 2025. There are currently about 2,000 staff, among them about 1,000 academic staff, with an almost even split between citizens of the People’s Republic of China and international passport holders. XJTLU offers undergraduates and postgraduates over 100 programmes across a diverse spectrum of courses.

With a focus on innovative learning, teaching and research, XJTLU draws on the strengths of its parent universities and plays a pivotal role in facilitating access to China for UK and other institutional partners, while exploring future education by blending educational theory, best practice and culture from West and East.

In 2019, the XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang) was launched as a pioneer of, and an educational model for, the future university and campus in developing talents and leaders to meet local, national and global challenges arising from the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Developed in collaboration with the Taicang Municipal Government and industry partners, the college moved to the university’s newly opened award-winning Taicang campus within Greater Suzhou in September 2022, creating opportunities at all levels for innovative academics in the fields represented by its schools and education platforms.

The School of Robotics is one of the seven industry-themed schools in the XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang). Each school consists of an Education, Research and Development Institute for teaching and research collaboration, a one-stop School Office providing professional services to support student administration and activities, staff and industry partners, and an affiliated School Joint-Venture Company jointly established by XJTLU and the school’s partner for industry-embedded teaching, learning, practical and other activities. The school is governed through a School Council, with the Dean of School overseeing the School Management Team and contributing to the leadership of the college. The School of Robotics is jointly developed by the university and industry partner Siasun to deliver industry-themed programmes, and the first degree programme it launched for the 2019/2020 academic year is BEng Intelligent Robotics Engineering with Contemporary Entrepreneurship. Siasun is the international headquarters of Siasun Robot & Automation Co., Ltd. in Shanghai, committed to creating a leading-edge international, innovative and platform-based industry for robots, with main businesses including intelligent robots, intelligent manufacturing and industry incubating.

The School of Robotics is adopting a new higher education model based on the concept of Syntegrative Education, a new model developed by the university to address an increasingly networked and complex future of work in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The model is core to the university’s strategy for its next ten-year development focusing on innovation and entrepreneurship, and aims to train syntegrative leaders with Management skills, International perspective, Discipline-specific knowledge and adaptability in Industry. The position will attract individuals embodying these values who are passionate about engaging in a future-focused co-learning ecosystem comprising students, academics, practitioners, university, industry and community. The school seeks academic members who thrive by creating impact through authentic engagement, cross-boundary collaboration, collective learning and discovery, and action-oriented inquiries—creative educators who adopt a systems mindset and use their knowledge, skills and experiences to co-design and deliver an enriching educational experience for students, viewing education as an integrative and life-long transformative process.

Responsibilities include understanding and having an entrepreneurial and innovative mindset in line with the college’s ethos; delivering high-quality teaching to undergraduate and graduate students, as evidenced by peers, students and external examiners; supervising undergraduate and postgraduate students; providing administrative service to the school, the university and its stakeholders; maintaining a sustained record of successful PhD supervision; working collaboratively with relevant school, college and university entities to identify opportunities for meaningful and genuine partnership and successful impact-creation for research; conducting high-quality industry-enhanced research and consultancy contracts, evidenced by contributions that outputs make to industry, the economy, society, environment or culture beyond academic research; maintaining good, sustained and successful research grants with impact measured by publications in leading journals and other research outputs; creating, developing and managing successful research partnerships with industry, academic institutions and other external organisations; supporting innovative cross-disciplinary research in line with the Entrepreneur College (Taicang) research themes and becoming an ambassador for the school in promoting cross-boundary research and teaching activities; engaging actively with new educational models and embracing innovative, interactive, technology-enhanced learning, teaching and assessment approaches; contributing to the school’s teaching development through mentoring and supporting early career academics (Associate Professor and above); and undertaking any other appropriate tasks assigned by the Entrepreneur College or university through the Dean of School or College Senior Management Team.

Essential qualifications and experience include a doctoral research degree (normally PhD) in electrical and electronics, mechatronics, intelligent controls, robotics engineering, computer science, artificial intelligence, computer vision, mobile robotics, machine learning, data science and analytics, or the ability to demonstrate equivalent professional practice and engagement; previous experience in coding (C/C++, Python, ROS and similar) in robotics-related domains; being self-motivated for innovative teaching; a clear understanding of the philosophy and concept of Syntegrative Education; demonstrable past teaching or industry experiences or practices aligned with Syntegrative Education; a commitment to continual professional development in all areas of the role as an academic at the university; the ability to work, teach and research in English; and a strong team-work spirit.

Desirable qualifications and experience include a good track record of engagement with business and industry; university-level teaching experience; relevant industry experience; appropriate research experience, including working with industry, for the corresponding academic position level; experience in intensive teaching and problem-based learning, and a willingness to be innovative in teaching practices; and being an institutional builder able to work with wider disciplines across the college.

The university offers a clear career development path with annual review and provides professional development training.

Benefits include various monthly, annual and one-off allowances such as housing allowance, travel allowance and relocation allowance; commercial insurance with international insurance plans customised for XJTLU staff and family members; paid holidays including statutory holidays (13 days), annual leave (34 days per academic year including university close days and annual leave), family matters leave, paid sick leave, marriage leave, paternity leave and parental leave; and working visa and residence permit sponsorship in China.

Applications must be submitted on the university website at https://career15.sapsf.cn/sfcareer/jobreqcareer?jobId=1895&company=xjtlu, in a single PDF file that includes three parts in order: a cover letter; a current CV including date of birth, country of citizenship and highest degree level; and contact details for three references.

For specific enquiries relating to the position, applicants may email Ms. Yu Yan, HRBP, at yu.yan@xjtlu.edu.cn.