Suzhou-based Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) plans to establish an affiliated school in Taicang, a county-level city in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, local media reported on Feb 23.

The affiliated school will contain a kindergarten, a primary school, a junior high school and a senior high school, offering high-end basic education to Taicang residents and residents from surrounding areas.

The news was released at a signing ceremony between Suzhou university and the Taicang Municipal Government.

In addition, XJTLU will also set up a think tank on basic education, an innovative talent research center, and a practice base for out-of-school education in Taicang and train more teachers for basic education.

Shen Mi, secretary of the CPC Taicang Municipal Party Committee, said at the signing ceremony that international education and diversified development in basic education are the weaknesses of Taicang education though the city leads other county-level cities in Suzhou in basic education.

Shen promised to support the construction of the school affiliated to Xi'an Jiaotong-liverpool University.

XJTLU's executive principal You Min noted that the to-be-constructed school will have two missions: to explore reform of basic education in China and to serve local economic development.

Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University is an international joint venture university founded by Xi'an Jiaotong University in China and the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom in 2006.

As an independent Sino-foreign cooperative university, it captures the essence of both prestigious parent universities and is the first and only one of its kind approved by the Ministry of Education in China.

Over time, XJTLU has won wide recognition for its highly internationalized environment, advanced educational concepts and high-quality talent development.

Xi'an Jiaotong-liverpool University (XJTLU) is determined to boost the development of basic and international education in Taicang, Jiangsu province. [Photo/WeChat account: taicangdaily]