Students from the International Business School Suzhou (IBSS) at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) have won a Gold Award at the 2025 Belt and Road Negotiation competition, held at the East China University of Political Science and Law, in Shanghai, on 11 May 2025.
Representing the Government Delegation, the IBSS team impressed judges with their composure, policy insight and persuasive diplomacy across a number of competitive rounds. They advanced through intense preliminary stages to reach the semi-finals, where they outperformed four other top-performing teams from across China to claim first place in their category.
This year’s competition brought together delegates from 68 leading universities such as Fudan University, Shanghai Jiaotong and Tongji University. The event simulated real-world negotiations centred on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and was delivered entirely in English. Students took on stakeholder roles – including governments, corporations, intergovernmental organisations and non-governmental organizations – and were challenged on their cross-cultural communication, strategic thinking and real-time negotiations skills.
List of Gold Award Winners
Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University – Government Delegation Gold Award
Shanghai Jiao Tong University – IGO Delegation Gold Award
Tongji University – Enterprise Delegation Gold Award
Sichuan University – NGO Delegation Gold Award
In addition to the team win, three IBSS students received individual honours:
Li Jann Orwell Sablay - Diplomacy Award
Jiawen Li - Public Speaking Award
Shaun Stephen Quinn - Law Advocacy Award
The IBSS team’s achievement highlights the growing reputation of the School as a proponent for practice-based business education, with a strong emphasis on graduate employability and international outlook.
This success is a testament to the hard work and commitment of both the students and coaches involved, as well as IBSS’s broader dedication to experiential learning. Through opportunities like this, students are encouraged to step beyond the classroom and apply their knowledge in practical settings that mirror real-world business and policy environments.
Dr Soljee Lee, one of the lead coaches, emphasized the importance of such experiences:
“Participating in events like these is important and valuable for our students, as it offers a meaningful opportunity to experience the complexities and challenges of real-world negotiation—something they will inevitably encounter in their future professional lives, especially being trained to thrive in diverse global contexts.”
As the 2025 Belt and Road Negotiation Competition draws to a successful close, we extend our deepest appreciation to all contributors whose expertise and dedication made this transformative experience possible. Through the judges’ discerning insights, coaches’ unwavering mentorship, staff’s meticulous coordination, and volunteers’ enthusiastic support, participants have not only honed their professional competencies but also cultivated confidence, camaraderie, and a profound sense of belonging—qualities that will endure beyond this competition.
Coaching Faculty
(Campus & National Rounds)
Dr Soljee Lee | Assistant Professor, IBSS
Dr David Dufour | Associate Professor of Practice, IBSS
Dr Shilei Liu | Teaching Fellow, IBSS
Yixin Zhang | Transferable Skills Training Specialist, IBSS
Yidan Liu | Transferable Skills Training Specialist, IBSS
Distinguished Judges
(Campus Round)
Dr Asen Velinov | Lecturer & Founding Director, Wenzhou-Kean University
Miaoqiang Dai | Programme Director & Research Fellow, Foundation for Law and International Affairs
Dr Xiaofu Li | Associate Professor, East China University of Political Science and Law
Organizing Committee
Hailu Hou | Career Counsellor, IBSS
Bingxuan Zhou | Student Employability Officer, IBSS
Weng Lim Tay | IBSS Alumnus
Ekaterina Vorobeva | IBSS Student
Student Volunteer Corps
Peicheng Li, Yiran Wang, Simin Chen, Yanyu Li, Chuang Zhang, Shuhan Zhang
A big thank-you to all those involved in making this achievement possible!
Former UNESCO Director-General speaks at XJTLU
Multilateral leaders need vision, ethics, and political courage