在西南交通大学2016级7450名本科生新生中，196名新生有一个与众不同的名字——“小栗子”。他们，就是我校首个中外合作办学机构——西南交通大学-利兹学院（SWJTU-Leeds Joint School）的首届新生。因为“利兹”与“栗子”同音，因而他们被亲切地称为“小栗子”。

作为我校首个中外合作办学机构，利兹学院从建设伊始就成为全校上下关注的焦点，也受到了教育部、四川省教育厅及中外合作办学专家学者的关注。利兹大学(University of Leeds)始建于1831年，是英国常春藤名校联盟“罗素大学集团”的创始成员，在“QS World University Rankings® 2015/16”上位居英国第18位，世界第87位，在2014年英国官方评估中位居全英第10位。与世界名校“联姻”，引进优质教育资源，在中国本土开展“4+0”模式的中外合作办学机构，是教育部近年来鼓励的中外合作办学模式，对于我校与利兹大学而言，无疑是顺应全球高等教育发展潮流的一项创举。

我校与利兹大学的合作可以追溯到10年前。早在2004年，两校就签署了合作协议。2013年，因为对国际化办学共同的追求，两校很快达成共建中外合作办学机构的意向，并向中国教育部提交申请。2014年，申请得到教育部批准，两校精诚合作，开始筹建这所全新的国际联合学院。2015年10月30日，利兹学院揭牌仪式在其教学与办公楼下正式举行，利兹大学校长Alan Langlands爵士、英国驻重庆总领事馆文化领事Dawn Long、四川省委教育工委副书记刘晓晨、西南交通大学校长徐飞等中外嘉宾共同见证了这历史性的一幕。时任英国首相卡梅伦发来贺信，更是极大地鼓舞了两校建好利兹学院的信心。

120年前，西南交通大学（山海关北洋铁路学堂）创办之初，就凸显出鲜明的国际化特征。120年后的今天，当国际化成为全球高等教育发展的趋势、成为我国高等教育的重要方针，我校呼应历史，回归国际化办学的初心，是发展的需要，时代的选择。

正如卡梅伦所言，“利兹学院将培养具备全球性人才，建立英国同中国以及世界其它国家和地区的紧密合作，以满足未来技术所需，并开创新的科研机会”（This partnership will cultivate global talent and build strong connections between the UK, China and other parts of the world, addressing future skills requirements and opening up new research opportunities）。

附：利兹大学官网对“西南交通大学-利兹学院”首届新生入学的报道

First students welcomed to joint engineering school in China

The first cohort of Chinese engineering students will soon begin studying at the University of Leeds and Southwest Jiaotong University Joint School, following a welcome ceremony held today.

The two leading institutions will provide four undergraduate degree programmes at the new Joint School, which is the University of Leeds’ first overseas school.

All courses will be taught in English at Southwest Jiaotong University’s campus in Chengdu. The new school has been approved by the Chinese Ministry of Education.

A video message from the University of Leeds’ Vice-Chancellor, Sir Alan Langlands, and Dean of Engineering, Professor Peter Jimack, welcomed the 200 students to the school.

Sir Alan Langlands said: “We are very proud to be initiating this joint school at a time when the world needs great engineers. We see real economic, social and cultural merit in establishing this relationship with our friends in Chengdu.

“We are bound by a common bond: both universities have a strong sense of professionalism and integrity and are committed to high academic standards and ensuring a great student experience.”

The launch of the SWJTU-Leeds Joint School was announced in October last year, and was supported by the then UK Prime Minister David Cameron.

He said in a letter to Xu Fei, President of SWJTU: “This partnership will cultivate global talent and build strong connections between the UK, China and other parts of the world, addressing future skills requirements and opening up new research opportunities.”

An opening ceremony was held this morning, attended by senior Chinese and English Joint School staff including Leeds Dean, Dariusz Wanatowski, and Dr Andrew Kemp, Programme Director for the Electronic and Electrical Engineering degree scheme.

The ceremony was hosted by Yan Qipeng, Vice Secretary of Southwest Jaiotong University, and was attended by Professor Wang Xiaoru, Assistant to the President, among other staff.

During the ceremony, students were presented with formal offer letters and gave an oath stating their support for the university and commitment to its historical position and global vision.

Teaching for the four degree programmes will take place in China, but students will have the option of spending a year studying in Leeds as part of their course, or immediately following it.

Students in the school will earn dual degrees from both the University of Leeds and SWJTU making graduates exceptionally well prepared for engineering jobs across the world.

They will primarily follow the Leeds syllabus in the English language but also take additional SWJTU courses to earn the dual degree qualifications.

University of Leeds students based in the UK will also have the opportunity to attend the joint school in the coming years, and the universities plan to extend the partnership to include collaboration on postgraduate education and research.

The degree schemes which will run at the University of Leeds-Southwest Jiaotong University Joint School are based on world leading research carried out by engineers in Leeds. The programmes are:

BSc Computer Science

BEng Civil Engineering with Transport

BEng Electronic and Electrical Engineering

BEng Mechanical Engineering

Teaching will be delivered by academics from the University of Leeds and from SWJTU as well as specially recruited Joint School experts.

The University of Leeds will oversee the delivery of the programme, which will be the same as that taught in the Faculty of Engineering in the UK, ensuring students benefit from an exceptional experience similar to that enjoyed by their contemporaries in Leeds.

Southwest Jiaotong University was founded in 1896 and is one of China’s oldest higher education institutions. Known as the cradle of China’s railway engineers and “the Cornell of the East”, it is the birthplace of China’s modern education in transportation, mining and metallurgy, and civil engineering.

原文链接：

http://www.leeds.ac.uk/news/article/3904/first_students_welcomed_to_joint_engineering_school_in_china