Academy of Film and Creative Technology hosts the 2025 Graduate and Alumni Celebration Ceremony

    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.

    Creative thinking beyond boundaries

    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

    Celebrating excellence and innovation

    One of the highlights of the event was the presentation of awards to outstanding graduates in recognition of their academic achievement and creative innovation. Honours such as the “Outstanding Final Year Project Award”, “All-Round Award”, “Rising Star Award” and “Idea Alchemist Award” were given to celebrate students’ dedication, originality and exploration throughout their studies.

    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.

    Stronger together:?alumni community

    This year’s ceremony also marked the first anniversary and leadership transition of the AFCT Alumni Group. Ms Kun Wang offered heartfelt wishes to the graduates and extended an invitation to stay connected. She emphasised that the university would always remain their most loyal supporter and audience.

    Ms Kun Wang

    Although only established a year ago, the AFCT Alumni Group has already shown remarkable potential. Yilin Li, President of the inaugural AFCT Alumni Group, reviewed the association’s achievements over the past year and outlined its future direction.

    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

    During the ceremony, the newly appointed leaders were formally introduced and received their letters of appointment on stage. Meitong Liu, a 2022 graduate of the Cultural and Creative Industries programme, was named President. Yifei Sun, from the 2021 TV Production cohort, and Yunrui Luo, a 2018 graduate of Digital Media Arts, were appointed as Secretaries-General. Yifei Jiang, from the 2021 Digital Media Arts programme, was named a committee member, and Zihan Ning, a 2021 graduate of Arts and Technology, was officially appointed at the Taicang campus on 25 July.

    Newly appointed leaders of the AFCT Alumni Group

    A voice from the new alumni president

    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

    New journeys begin

    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

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