西浦IBSS院长狄苏文教授在2014本科开学典礼上的致辞
2014 Opening Ceremony Speech by Prof. Sarah Dixon
Dear parents and students,
尊敬的家长们，亲爱的同学们：
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.
我感到很荣幸能够作为教师代表在这次典礼上发言。每一届的新生都给西浦注入了更多的活力，也参与和见证着西浦的发展。你们成长为世界公民的过程，正是西浦提升其全球知名度和竞争力的过程。
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，老师会协助你们学习，但你们的成功，更取决于亟需培养的独立思维能力，尤其是在课堂上交流互动的能力。
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学经历，但我在这里上的第一堂课却让我感到震惊：当我提出问题后，没有一个学生回答。即便那是个很大的教室，即便在座有100多位学生，即便是因为院长站在讲台上使学生感到胆怯，但无论如何，你们必须要勇敢起来，鼓起勇气，不要因为害怕回答错误感到丢脸而放弃发言和交流的机会。你们来到西浦是为了学习、实践和激发思想的火花。在西浦安心的环境里，你们不仅仅是通过做对事情来学到东西，更是从错误中来获得进步与提高。
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.
在西浦的课堂上，我们不希望看到被动的、过分安静的、对一切不经过自己的思索就全盘接受的学生。我们希望甚至要求你们主动参与学术讨论、富有创造力、积极分享自己的想法。此外，我们希望你们能够珍惜每一堂课，因为大量证据表明，出勤率低将导致低分甚至不及格。
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.
西浦位于苏州工业园区内，周围有很多的公司和企业。所以，你们在这里的学习并不仅仅局限于课堂，还延伸至校外，可以通过参与各类社会实践来巩固和应用所学知识。
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.
作为一所研究导向的大学，西浦将提供研究导向的教学方式。你们的老师将和你们分享他们的研究成果，帮助你们更深层次地了解所学的课程。同时，你们还将有机会参与到老师的科研项目中，深化知识，学以致用。
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.