Nominees for the People of Distinction | You Can Be an Expert in Educational Administration Management if You Want to

ZHOU Jinqi is Assistant Dean of iZJU and Director of the Center for Academic Affairs. He began his journey at iZJU in Sep. 2015. Over the past ten years, he has established and developed an academic management model for the International Campus that is suitable for non-independent legal entities in Sino-international educational cooperation. Zhou has played an important role in fostering the development of an International Collaborative Education Model for the International Campus, introducing advanced education concepts, resources, and talent development models from partnering universities such as the University of Edinburgh and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and establishing an internationalized education and teaching system for iZJU. None of these achievements would have been possible without his love and passion for ZJU and the campus’s educational development, his pursuit of excellence, continuous learning, and his dedication to putting ideas into practice. Through nearly 40 years at Zhejiang University, Zhou has consistently embraced the motto 'Seeking Truth and Pursuing Innovation' in his work and has been guided by the principles of 'Dedication, Commitment, and Progress' that are embodied in the Haining Spirit. In December 2023, he was recognized as one of the '20 Years · 20 Pioneers' by Haining’s Xiashi District.

Exploring Entrepreneurship with Intent

As one of the first employees of the International Campus, Zhou has witnessed the campus’s transformation from scratch to success, growing from small to large. From early negotiations with the international partner universities when the campus was first established to the development of policies after the enrollment of the first students, he has played an integral role at every step. At work, he is always thoughtful. His accumulated experience over the years and his in-depth analysis of the characteristics and patterns of Chinese and international higher education have enabled him to design a structure that meets the requirements of both the partner universities and ZJU. This structure includes courses required by the partner universities for their degrees as well as the general compulsory courses mandated by ZJU. He has insisted on prioritizing a self-driven approach and proactively advocates for aligning the general education courses at the International Campus with the 'Five Unifications' teaching system employed at ZJU’s main campus. He is committed to protecting students' rights and maintains close communication with staff in providing the strongest possible support for students in securing their degrees.

Top-tier education cannot exist without the support of top-tier software and hardware. From his exchange period at UIUC, he brought back blueprints from teaching laboratories for inspiration and used them to establish teaching laboratories on campus to ensure that students had the infrastructure they needed to conduct experiments from their very first semester. During the implementation of PeopleSoft, the Campus’s academic management system, Zhou chaired more than 50 meetings in a period of just two and a half months, enabling the system to be launched on schedule—an achievement that was regarded as a miracle by academic administrators from other C9 universities. PeopleSoft now covers the entire academic management process for undergraduate students at the International Campus, making it one of the most deeply integrated campuses nationwide that use PeopleSoft. Zhou carefully considered the diverse needs of both students and faculty while leading the renovation and design of our campus, leading the campus in embracing a student-centered philosophy with a strong emphasis on teacher-student interaction. This resulted in the design and installation of some of the most advanced interactive classrooms in China at the time. Many universities have visited iZJU to gain insights into its educational platform development and classroom design.

Achieving Breakthroughs through Reform and Firm Determination

The quality of student recruitment is highly correlated with the quality of education and teaching and has a corresponding effect on the reputation of both the campus and the university. Zhou has been responsible for undergraduate and graduate admissions at the campus, and, each year, the quality of student recruitment has consistently improved due to his active advocacy for undergraduate admissions quotas and policies, his recommendation that graduate students be exempt from entrance exams, and his efforts to enhance the planning and execution of recruitment publicity. With his endeavors, the campus built 25 admission teams for domestic undergraduate programs and initiated the ‘winter break admission policy information sessions' that reached over 100 top-ranked high schools. Zhou not only conducted admissions presentations at these schools but also led the biannual 'Campus Open Day' events that still attract great attention and participation. His work in undergraduate recruitment led to a special award and a first-place honor for the campus, while his efforts in graduate recruitment earned two second-place awards. He has also focused on international student admissions, creating the 'International Campus, Zhejiang University High-Level International Student Training Fund.' Beyond these existing programs, he has launched new initiatives like the 'AI Digital Health' master’s program and the undergraduate international engineering program. The 'AI Digital Health' program, which was introduced in 2022, has become one of the most popular master's programs on campus. In 2020, he coordinated with colleges at ZJU to organize the very first English-taught undergraduate engineering program for international students. So far, this special program has enrolled 61 students.

In addition to these many accomplishments, Zhou helped launch a much-needed Academic English writing course at the international campus in September 2023, which has received high praise from students. Enrollment for 2024 has more than doubled.

Serving the Teachers and Students with Unwaning Enthusiasm

‘Teachers and students first’ is a belief shared by Zhou and every administrative staff member on campus. The campus administration therefore focuses on coordination and planning, understanding and addressing the needs and concerns of faculty and students. Zhou established a liaison system within the Office of Academic Affairs to improve communications and better serve the institutions. He coordinated visits to each institute, holding in-person meetings to better understand their needs and challenges, and has worked to address them. When young colleagues encounter challenges at work, whether it is a major decision or an apparently trivial matter, he is always patient in offering guidance and support. 'Think for the students and give young people opportunities' is a motto he often repeats.

Discussing the social reputation and recognition of the campus's international education, Zhou said, “If you want to be an administrator for academic affairs, be an expert,” adding that, “when managing trivial day-to-day academic affairs, merely understanding how the partner university operates isn’t enough—you must also understand the underlying logic behind their approach.”