XJTLU - an innovative partnership between the University of Liverpool and Xi'an Jiaotong University in China - has been granted the Freedom of the City, the city's highest civic honour.
The prestigious honour is awarded to individuals or organisations that have made exceptional contributions to the city's life or reputation, and was approved at a Liverpool City Council meeting on Wednesday 1 April 2026.
This honour has been timed to mark the 20th anniversary of XJTLU's formation as a joint‑venture university created by the University of Liverpool and Xi'an Jiaotong University (XJTU). It also recognises the outstanding contribution XJTLU has made through strengthening academic, cultural and research ties between the UK and China.
On 22 May 2026, XJTLU will celebrate its 20th year. Together, the two founding institutions will reflect on their role in establishing XJTLU and nurturing its growth into a well‑regarded international university in its own right.
A programme of activities to celebrate the 20‑year anniversary is planned throughout 2026 at the University of Liverpool, XJTLU and beyond. A key highlight will include the city's participation in a 'Light up the World' lighting programme, with the Royal Liver Building, Liverpool Town Hall and the Victoria Gallery & Museum illuminated to mark the anniversary.
Professor Tim Jones, Vice-Chancellor, University of Liverpool said, "We are incredibly proud of all that Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) has achieved over the last 20 years. One of the first Sino-UK joint ventures, it has grown to become one of the most recognised and successful transnational ventures globally. Each year over 26,000 students study at XJTLU towards a University of Liverpool award and several hundred also choose to spend part of their studies here in Liverpool.
"The success of XJTLU has also brought significant economic and cultural gains to the Liverpool City Region, both through the students we welcome here each year and through the connections fostered with Suzhou and the wider region. I am absolutely delighted that these - and other - contributions are being recognised through this prestigious award."
Professor Youmin Xi, Executive President of Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) and Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Liverpool, added: "We are deeply honoured that Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University has been granted the Freedom of the City. This prestigious distinction is a remarkable tribute to our university and resonates profoundly with our ethos: to syntegrate, transcend boundaries, and create new possibilities.
"This award is both a recognition of our transformative journey through XJTLU 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0, and a powerful inspiration for our next chapter. As we celebrate our 20th anniversary and confidently enter our third decade, we are actively advancing XJTLU 4.0-building a future-oriented, learning and innovative social ecosystem that reimagines the role and impact of universities in the world.
"This Freedom belongs to the City of Liverpool, to our founding partners Xi'an Jiaotong University and the University of Liverpool, to our students past and present, and to every colleague, partner and friend who dared to envision something truly new.
"This honour will not simply be displayed; it will be carried forward as motivation, as responsibility, and as a reminder that the boundaries we break today lay the foundations for others to build upon tomorrow. We accept this privilege with immense gratitude-and with even greater resolve to honour it through our actions in the decades ahead."
Cllr Nick Small, Cabinet Member for Growth and Economy, said: "Liverpool has a long and proud history with China and XJTLU has helped further deepen and strengthen our relationship. It is fitting that we mark its 20th anniversary by awarding it the city's highest civic honour, in recognition of its work."
About Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU)
Founded in 2006 as a partnership between the University of Liverpool and Xi'an Jiaotong University, XJTLU has become one of China's most respected international universities.
- Student growth: From admitting 730 students in autumn 2008, XJTLU now has over 26,000, with ambitions to grow to 35,000.
- Innovation in education: In 2022, XJTLU launched the Entrepreneur College in Taicang, introducing Professor Xi's pioneering "syntegrative" education model that embeds industry placements into the curriculum.
- Global mobility: The new Taicang 2+1+1 programme, launched in 2024, allows students to spend their third year in Liverpool. This complements the long-standing 2+2 programme and the University of Liverpool's Year in China initiative.
- Year in China: This distinctive programme enables University of Liverpool students to broaden their academic experience by extending their degree and studying at XJTLU. Starting in 2016, more than 380 students, across 24 University departments have participated.
Through these programmes, University of Liverpool degrees have been delivered transnationally since 2006, creating pathways for thousands of graduates to pursue further study and careers worldwide.
