西浦IBSS院長狄蘇文教授在2014本科開學典禮上的致辭
2014 Opening Ceremony Speech by Prof. Sarah Dixon
Dear parents and students,
尊敬的家長們，親愛的同學們：
It is my great pleasure to represent the staff and faculty of our university at this wonderful event. With each new cohort of students our university increases its vitality and strength. As our students develop into global citizens,so does the University’s reputation and standing in the world arena.
我感到很榮幸能夠作為教師代表在這次典禮上發言。每一屆的新生都給西浦注入了更多的活力，也參與和見證著西浦的發展。你們成長為世界公民的過程，正是西浦提升其全球知名度和競爭力的過程。
Our academic staff will be supporting your educational journey, but your success, and theirs, depends very much on how much you develop as independent thinkers and in particular how much you interact in class.
在西浦，老師會協助你們學習，但你們的成功，更取決於亟需培養的獨立思維能力，尤其是在課堂上交流互動的能力。
I have loved my experiences here in China, here at XJTLU. But the one thing that really shocked me was my first experience in the classroom when I asked a question and no-one answered. Yes it was a big lecture theatre, yes there were about 100 students there, yes it might have been a bit intimidating to have the Dean standing in front of the class. But you must be brave, you must have courage,and you must not be concerned about ‘losing face’, about giving the wrong answer. You are here to learn, you are here to experiment, and you are here to activate your minds. You are in a safe environment and we learn not by doing things right all the time, but also from our mistakes.
我很享受在西浦的教學經歷，但我在這裡上的第一堂課卻讓我感到震驚：當我提出問題後，沒有一個學生回答。即便那是個很大的教室，即便在座有100多位學生，即便是因為院長站在講臺上使學生感到膽怯，但無論如何，你們必須要勇敢起來，鼓起勇氣，不要因為害怕回答錯誤感到丟臉而放棄發言和交流的機會。你們來到西浦是為了學習、實踐和激發思想的火花。在西浦安心的環境裡，你們不僅僅是通過做對事情來學到東西，更是從錯誤中來獲得進步與提高。
You must remember that at our university we do not expect to stand at the front ofthe class and lecture to passive students. We do not expect that you will agree with everything we present to youin class. We do not expect our classrooms to be hushed and quiet. But we do expect you to actively participate in academic debates. We do expect you to be creative and share your ideas. And by the way, we do expect you attend ALL lectures and tutorials! We have enough evidence to demonstrate that non-attendance results in poor marks or failure.
在西浦的課堂上，我們不希望看到被動的、過分安靜的、對一切不經過自己的思索就全盤接受的學生。我們希望甚至要求你們主動參與學術討論、富有創造力、積極分享自己的想法。此外，我們希望你們能夠珍惜每一堂課，因為大量證據表明，出勤率低將導致低分甚至不及格。
Our location here in Suzhou Industrial Park means that we are surrounded by a variety of companies and enterprises – this therefore also means that your horizons are not limited to the classroom. We have active engagement with ‘the real world” which will help you to apply theory to practice.
西浦位於蘇州工業園區內，周圍有很多的公司和企業。所以，你們在這裡的學習並不僅僅侷限於課堂，還延伸至校外，可以通過參與各類社會實踐來鞏固和應用所學知識。
As a research-led institution you also have the opportunity to experience research-informed teaching – your Professors will present you with leading edge theories that they have developed and that will enable you to gain deep insight into the subjects you are studying. As students you may also have the opportunity to work with one of your professors on one of their research projects, supporting a further contribution to knowledge.
作為一所研究導向的大學，西浦將提供研究導向的教學方式。你們的老師將和你們分享他們的研究成果，幫助你們更深層次地瞭解所學的課程。同時，你們還將有機會參與到老師的科研專案中，深化知識，學以致用。
Apart from our academic staff there are many wonderful professional staff in the university who will give you support and help as you progress through your studies. For example, for our international students the International Student Support Office will help you to get settled in and the one stop student service centre is the place for all students to go for information. The Career Development Office will support you to find internships and organizes careers fairs. You will have seen already the marvelous facilities on ourcampus – the library which stretches over 7 floors, the facilities for studentclubs. In our lecture theatres, classrooms and laboratories you will find leading edge technology and modern surroundings. You will experience a blended learning approach, with our online learning system ICE supplementing your face to face engagements. You must take advantage of the opportunity tojoin one of our many student clubs, engaging with extra-curricular activities which can help you to stand out from the crowd when you are applying for jobs or for a postgraduate degree.