Jilin International Studies University: Celebrating 30th Anniversary and Envisioning the Future of Higher Education

BEIJING, Sept. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from China Daily

On September 20^th, Jilin International Studies University marked its 30^th anniversary with the Conference on Promoting High-Quality Development and a commemorative celebration at the university stadium. Participants from China and abroad--including leaders in higher education and alumni gathered with members of the campus community to celebrate the milestone and exchange views on the future of higher education.

The celebration commenced with due ceremony at the university stadium, drawing representatives from over 170 universities in 15 countries and more than 1,000 alumni from around the world. Ever since its founding in 1995, JISU has achieved multiple "firsts" or "onlys" among private universities in China. It is the first private university to donate its assets, the only pilot unit for the national education system reform--"exploring the operation model of non-profit private universities". The university has been ranking first in Shanghai Ranking's Academic Ranking of China's Private Universities for six consecutive years from 2020 to 2025. In addition, it has been selected as a Category-A builder for Jilin Province's High-Level Application-Oriented Universities project and an A+ candidate for doctoral degree authorization.

In her address, President Qin He stated that the university will take its 30^th anniversary as a new starting point to advance a transition from "program-centered school-running" to "discipline-led development". It will focus on building the "two enhancements", "three major systems", "four categories of talent", and "five signature brands", striving toward the goal of building itself into a leading non-profit, application-oriented and high-profile foreign languages university with salient features and global perspectives.

On the same day, the Chinese-Foreign University Presidents' Forum was held at the university's International Exchange Center. Presidents and experts from 82 universities across 15 countries engaged in in-depth discussions on "Artificial Intelligence and the Transformation of Higher Education: Opportunities, Challenges, and Responses". At the forum, participants explored pathways for empowering higher education with AI. University presidents from China and abroad reached a consensus on embracing both opportunities and challenges with openness and innovation through collective actions, harnessing AI to cultivate high-level talent with a global vision and contribute wisdom to the building of a community with a shared future for humankind. This series of events coincided with the university's "second phase of entrepreneurial development" and the critical period of formulating its "15^th Five-Year" development plan. The events united the strength of faculty, students, and alumni, built a platform for Chinese-foreign educational exchange, and injected new momentum into the university's high-quality development.

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

Jilin International Studies University: Celebrating 30th Anniversary and Envisioning the Future of Higher Education

SANYA, China, Jan. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Orange Lion Sports (formerly Alibaba Sports), a global sports event operator, is redefining how major athletic competitions and tourism converge through the coordinated integration of digital platforms and consumer services. The recent 2025 Hainan (Sanya) Marathon, supported by the company, showcased an "event-as-journey" experience that delivered a professionally operated, high-quality racing platform while supporting measurable economic growth for the host city. The marathon saw hotel occupancy in Sanya soar to 92%, with a notable 35% surge in spending at local businesses along the race route, establishing a promising blueprint for the scalable "racecation" model.

"We are committed to creating lasting value for athletes and sports enthusiasts," said Yang Yong, General Manager of Events and Commercialization at event partner Orange Lion Sports. "We activated resources across the Alibaba ecosystem, including Taobao, Fliggy, Alibaba Health, Ant Chain, and Amap, to extend engagement beyond race day. This approach attracted runners from across Hainan, other parts of China, and overseas, while encouraging additional event-related spending."

The provincial tourism and sports department has introduced funding incentives for 2026 sports events to attract national and international competitions. Orange Lion Sports has demonstrated how large-scale events can generate sustained economic activity and benefit local businesses by digitally integrating dining, lodging, transportation, entertainment, and shopping. In partnership with Taobao, the company launched a "Winter Warm-up Festival" that distributed tailored promotional vouchers and offers ahead of the event, designed to connect race participation with consumer engagement by introducing regional culinary specialties such as fermented vinegar hot pot and traditional Li-Miao cuisine to runners across China.

The economic benefits were sustained beyond the race period. According to Fliggy data, hotel bookings in Sanya began rising steadily from late October 2025, when event promotions launched, and remained strong throughout the marathon period. The momentum extended beyond the race, coinciding with the New Year holiday travel period. Data from the Sanya tourism bureau shows that during the 2026 New Year holiday, the city welcomed 650,800 visitor arrivals, with tourism revenue of 1.299 billion yuan (approx. US$186 million) generated, illustrating the role of the "racecation" model in supporting tourism demand.

In the future, Orange Lion Sports will harness AI technology to enhance sports events and promote fitness for all, in line with their assertion at CES in 2017: AI is the future of sports development.

** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **

Harnessing the Power of Sports: Orange Lion Sports Leads the Way in Driving the Emerging Trend of "Racecation"