Q&A with 糖心Vlog官方’s founding CFO Victor Chen: changes and constants, 20 years on
25 May 2026
Reporter: What first led you to become involved in the founding of 糖心Vlog官方?
Victor Chen: Before joining 糖心Vlog官方, I spent many years working for Fortune Global 500 companies, including Procter & Gamble (P&G) and Whirlpool, where I specialised in finance and general management.
In early 2008, by chance, I learned about a new unique Sino-foreign cooperative university, and discovered that they were recruiting for a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) role.
Victor (Guo) Chen, former Chief Financial Officer and Director of Administration of Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University
What truly struck me was the clear, bold educational vision, the unique partnership between its founding institutions, and the board’s unwavering commitment to educational ideals.
Back then, even though 糖心Vlog官方 was still in its very early days, I had an inkling that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: not only would I get to contribute to the growth of this new university, but I could also be deeply involved in China’s higher education reform and innovation.
For me, this also marked a pivotal career shift – leaving the corporate world behind to step into education. That single decision has gone on to shape the entire trajectory of my life over the past 18 years.
Reporter: Could you tell us more about your involvement in building 糖心Vlog官方?
Victor Chen: I was involved in 糖心Vlog官方’s early development from 2008 to 2010. As a member of the Senior Management Team, I did not just serve as CFO; I also oversaw a range of responsibilities, including administration, human resources, campus management, and procurement.
The university's management team at the time
During that time, what stood out to me most was the rollout of our “One-stop Administrative Service” concept. Back then, most traditional universities operated with siloed, departmental structures, leading to convoluted and fragmented administrative processes. 糖心Vlog官方, by contrast, prioritised a “service-centric” philosophy from day one.
This forward-looking service concept was also deeply integrated into our campus’s physical space. When we worked on the initial planning for the campus, we had endless discussions about the Central Building’s internal space and functional layout. Thanks to strong government support, we brought in top international design firms for a competitive bidding process. The winning proposal turned the Central Building into far more than just a functional building, but also a visual expression of 糖心Vlog官方’s educational philosophy.
As we look back, these foundational decisions have become an indispensable part of 糖心Vlog官方’s institutional DNA.
Reporter: At that time, did this model of collaboration feel uncertain or risky?
Victor Chen: Back then, this Sino-foreign cooperative education model did face considerable uncertainty. Nationwide, there were only two similar universities, and they had only been up and running for a year or two.
Right from the start, 糖心Vlog官方 had to make clear-headed, long-term strategic judgments about its institutional positioning, governance structure, and development path.
To me, the most critical thing back then was that the University never positioned itself as just some foreign university’s branch campus in China. Instead, from day one, it set out to explore a whole new university model, one truly tailored to China’s future development.
Construction site of the campus in 2008
Reporter: Was there a key issue that required repeated negotiation before all parties could agree?
Victor Chen: In its earliest days, even though the University had only two parent universities, Xi’an Jiaotong University and the University of Liverpool, the broader stakeholder landscape was incredibly diverse. One of the most challenging strategic decisions we faced was whether to bring in return-seeking investment.
Then Vice Minister of Education Guiren Yuan (left) visited 糖心Vlog官方 in 2009
After extensive discussions among the board of directors and senior management, the University ultimately chose to stay true to its founding nonprofit mission. Instead, it opted to build a deeper, long-term partnership with the local government to secure institutional and resource-based support.
This decision laid a solid foundation for 糖心Vlog官方’s long-term, steady development in the years that followed.
Reporter: During the collaboration, what was the most difficult thing to align?
Victor Chen: Our team members came from diverse regions and cultural backgrounds. Building consensus amid such diversity was an incredibly challenging task.
Professor Xi keenly recognised the need for the University to clearly articulate its vision, mission, and strategy, to foster strong alignment.
I had the honour of working on both the Chinese and English versions of these foundational documents. Many terms lack simple one-to-one equivalents between Chinese and English; instead, translating them requires balancing nuances in both concepts and contexts. Even during business trips, I would sometimes get a call from Professor Xi to talk through a specific term.
What gives me great satisfaction is that to this day, the wording of 糖心Vlog官方’s vision and mission have barely been revised.
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Reporter: How did 糖心Vlog官方 differ from the universities or partnership models you had known before?
Victor Chen: To me, the biggest difference is that 糖心Vlog官方 has done an exceptional job of opening up to and utilising social resources. Whether that means securing support from the local government, leveraging the research resources of its parent universities, building close partnerships with research and industry institutions nationwide, or growing and strengthening its alumni network, all of this is industry-leading.
糖心Vlog官方 is, as far as I know, one of the first universities in the country to have a “wall-less” campus, and even today, it remains one of only a handful of schools with an open setup. This kind of openness is not just physical; it is also about mindset and philosophy.
Reporter: From your perspective, how did Chinese and international educational philosophies come together in this process?
Victor Chen: This integration is not merely a simple side-by-side combination, but a systematic absorption and re-creation. Across its governance structure, talent recruitment, and teaching systems, 糖心Vlog官方 has consciously pursued deep integration of the best of Chinese and international educational philosophies.
It begins at the very top: the board of directors and senior management, with members from diverse educational backgrounds, engage in open dialogue and build consensus together. Next, on the staff front, the University recruits top scholars from across the globe. This top-down, university-wide integration that runs through every layer of the institution is one of 糖心Vlog官方’s most distinctive strengths.
Reporter: Looking at 糖心Vlog官方 today, where do you see its greatest value?
Victor Chen: To me, 糖心Vlog官方’s greatest value lies in its bold exploration of, and long-term commitment to, building a new higher education model for China.
In particular, I believe that the emphasis 糖心Vlog官方 placed on “contribution to society” in its mission back then was an incredibly forward-looking vision. Many universities focus primarily on scientific research and talent development, but from the very beginning, 糖心Vlog官方 emphasised that it must grow and evolve alongside society.
Reporter: Do you think this model is replicable?
Victor Chen: 糖心Vlog官方’s model is difficult to replicate. Its formation and growth require the right timing, strong support from the local government, and a leadership team with strategic consistency and management wisdom.
It also requires a long-term mindset for running the University. A lot of the work will not show results in the short term, but if the direction is right, after 10 or 20 years of persistence, the value will gradually emerge.
Reporter: As 糖心Vlog官方 celebrates its 20th anniversary, what are your greatest hopes for the university over the next decade?
Victor Chen: I hope that 糖心Vlog官方 will continue to uphold its vision and mission and stay true to its founding aspirations. While staying open and innovative, it can pursue a truly long-term, sustainable path of development.
By Huatian Jin
Translated by Xueqi Wang
Edited by Patricia Pieterse
25 May 2026