29 Jul 2025
On 21 and 25 July 2025, the Academy of Film and Creative Technology (AFCT) at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) held its 2024-2025 Graduate and Alumni Celebration Ceremony, themed “Beyond the Frame”, across the SIP and Taicang campuses. The event not only marked a significant milestone for graduating students but also celebrated the growth and continuity of the AFCT alumni community.
The event welcomed a host of distinguished guests, including Professor Qian Liu, Dean of the Academy of Film and Creative Technology, Ms Kun Wang, Deputy Head of Student Admissions and Career Development Office, staff of the Student Admissions and Career Development Office, and staff from the Academy. Together with graduates, current students, returning alumni, and family members, they formed a warm and creatively charged community that made the occasion deeply personal and memorable.
In the opening speech, Professor Liu emphasised that film and creative technologies are not merely artistic media, but powerful frameworks for interdisciplinary thinking and collaboration. He encouraged graduates to maintain the spirit of breaking boundaries, urging them to approach a complex and rapidly evolving world with critical thinking and creative courage. He concluded by reminding them that, wherever life may lead, they should continue to respond to their era with imagination and connect to the world through creativity.
Professor Qian Liu
Each ceremony brought its own distinct atmosphere. The SIP campus featured a Broadway-style opening performance that ignited the celebratory spirit, while the Taicang campus event began with a video montage of student memories that resonated emotionally with the audience. Both campuses also screened touching video messages from alumni around the world, reinforcing a sense of global community and shared journey.
Ms Kun Wang
Over the past month, a new leadership team was selected through a process of open application, interviews and careful review, all under the guidance of the Admissions and Career Development Office.
Yilin Li
Newly appointed leaders of the AFCT Alumni Group
Newly appointed President Meitong Liu also took to the stage to share her personal journey and reflections. She recalled receiving her alumni card at last year’s graduation ceremony, when the concept of an alumni association still felt unfamiliar to her. “Back then,” she said, “I didn’t fully understand what the alumni network meant—I just thought the card looked beautifully designed.”
Now working as a feature film producer in Beijing, Liu has come to deeply value the bond among AFCT alumni. She spoke of how alumni in the film industry often establish an immediate connection through shared experiences at university, recalling conversations about courses they had taken and memories from campus. These experiences, she noted, highlighted the natural trust and support that exists between fellow alumni.
Liu stressed that the AFCT Alumni Group would not be a symbolic or decorative institution. Instead, it would grow into a meaningful platform—one built on warmth, resources, and mutual support. She expressed a strong desire to strengthen alumni connections and ensure that wherever AFCT graduates find themselves in the world, they would never feel alone.
Meitong Liu
The ceremony concluded with a relaxed tea reception and open networking session, where graduates, faculty, students and alumni exchanged views on creative careers, personal aspirations and the future of their fields. Many participants found emotional closure and fresh inspiration during these conversations, sending each other off with kind words, hugs and hopeful farewells.
More than a ceremony, this was a celebration of growth, transformation and the courage to defy convention. AFCT’s graduates now set out into the world carrying the tools of creativity and critical thought, and their stories are only just beginning to unfold.
By Wenzhen Li
Photos courtesy of Ruoling Li
Alumni tribute video provided by Meitong Liu
Photo montage provided by Wai Kit Leong
29 Jul 2025