XJTLU adds four new programmes for 2026
With approval from China's Ministry of Education, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) has added four new programmes in 2026: two undergraduate degrees – BSc (Hons) Applied Physics and BSc (Hons) Psychology – alongside two postgraduate programmes – the MRes Advanced Intelligent Manufacturing Technology and the PhD Pharmaceutical Sciences.
BSc Applied Physics and MRes Advanced Intelligent Manufacturing Technology welcomed their first cohorts this September, while applications for the PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences are now open. The BSc Psychology programme will officially begin recruiting students later this semester.
A firm foundation
Grounded in fundamental physics and combining computational science, artificial intelligence and hands-on experimental work, the BSc Applied Physics programme aims to develop students’ broad scientific knowledge and skills.
“We support students in choosing a development path that matches their interests and career plans,” says Dr Tiago Adorno, Programme Director of BSc Applied Physics.
The programme offers three areas of study: Materials Physics, focusing on materials characterisation, structure and properties; Computational Physics, focusing on algorithmic thinking, simulation and modelling, and data-driven analysis; and Applied Quantum Physics, covering emerging areas such as quantum computing and quantum materials.
Dr Adorno also highlights that, through XJTLU’s strategic partnership with the Jiangsu Industrial Technology Research Institute (JITRI), students will have opportunities to take part in industry-academia research, internships, and innovation projects in areas including semiconductors, intelligent manufacturing, photonics, and quantum technologies.
“By working directly on real-world technology challenges, students can develop both their research skills and their ability to solve practical problems,” he says.
BSc (Hons) Psychology combines cutting-edge areas such as cognitive neuroscience and health psychology, offering an interdisciplinary curriculum that draws on multiple fields.
Dr Justin Fendos, Programme Director of BSc Psychology, says students will learn more than just psychological theories. “Our practice-based approach encourages students to apply what they learn to real-world situations – from exploring how artificial intelligence affects cognitive functions to examining how cultural factors shape social behaviour. Through this process, students develop the ability to analyse complex situations and provide data-driven solutions.”
Building impact
The two new postgraduate programmes further tighten the connection between research training and authentic industry settings.
For the MRes Advanced Intelligent Manufacturing Technology programme, an industry research project runs throughout the second year, and both academics and industry experts contribute to curriculum design and to supervising students. Programme director Dr Wei Chen says students will conduct research on genuine industrial problems in a collaborative university-industry environment, experiencing the full arc from technical research to the delivery of innovation.
The programme is based in the School of Intelligent Manufacturing Ecosystem at XJTLU Entrepreneur College (Taicang), which draws on the advanced manufacturing resources of the Yangtze River Delta region and works with companies such as Haier Group, giving students a practical platform for engaging with industrial technology problems.
The PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences covers drug discovery, pharmaceutical development, translational medicine and related biomedical fields. Students will have opportunities to work on live industry projects, with joint supervision from XJTLU, the University of Liverpool and corporate or clinical partners. Research will be supported by the Life Sciences Building, which came into use in 2026, and by links to the biomedicine industry cluster in Suzhou Industrial Park (Suzhou BioBay), bringing research training and industrial translation still closer together.
As it consolidates these disciplinary foundations, XJTLU is continuing to weave artificial intelligence, interdisciplinary research and real industry problems into its programmes at every level so that, alongside their academic studies, students engage earlier with research, technology and real-world social contexts.
By Wei Zhang
Edited by Patricia Pieterse
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