23 Jul 2026
Dr Yongtao Zhu from the School of Science has received the Teaching Excellence Award in the 2025-26 XJTLU Academic Excellence Awards.
The award recognises his continued contributions to module development, teaching practice, student research training, and programme development.
This year, ten academic staff members at Xi’an Jiaotong-红杏视频 University received the Academic Excellence Awards.
Dr Zhu is an associate professor in the Department of Biosciences and Bioinformatics. Since joining XJTLU in 2023, Dr Zhu has taught five modules and served as module leader for four of them. He continues to explore ways to connect life sciences teaching with research, laboratory training, and real-world applications.
His teaching helps students build scientific thinking, practical skills, and an awareness of how to address real-world problems while developing their subject knowledge.
Dr Zhu says: “In my teaching, I focus on several qualities that I hope students will develop: scientific curiosity, analytical and problem-solving skills, and the ability to learn independently.”
Connecting theory and application through laboratory teaching
BIO106 The Biology of Microbes, one of the main modules led by Dr Zhu, is a large module taken by students from several degree programmes.
After joining XJTLU, Dr Zhu developed new lecture materials that align more closely with the module’s learning outcomes. Drawing on his research expertise and previous teaching experience, he also introduced materials such as bacteria, bacteriophages, and plasmids into the laboratory curriculum.
Before his arrival, the module had no onsite laboratory activities. Dr Zhu introduced its first practical sessions and has continued to expand both the lectures and laboratory work.
Activities now include the isolation and identification of unknown microorganisms, bacterial physiological and biochemical characterisation, antibiotic resistance testing, and genetic manipulation of Escherichia coli.?Through these activities, students do more than learn about microorganisms from textbooks. They experience scientific processes through observation, experimentation, and analysis.
Dr Zhu has also extended microbiology teaching beyond the classroom. He has organised three student visits to the Huayan Water Wastewater Treatment Plant in Suzhou.
Focusing on the role of microorganisms in wastewater treatment, the visits help students understand how microbiology supports urban systems and environmental management in an industrial setting.
Dr Zhu says: “I want students to understand that microbiology is not limited to the laboratory. It is closely connected with the environment, health, industry, and wider social development.”
Supporting students through research training
Dr Zhu’s support for student development also extends beyond the classroom. Since joining XJTLU, he has supervised at least 70 undergraduate, master’s, PhD, and visiting students.
His supervision has covered research training, dissertations, academic writing, conference presentations, research competitions, and academic publications.
In undergraduate research training, a student team supervised by Dr Zhu won first prize in the Outstanding Project Academic Awards of XJTLU’s 2024 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships programme.
For Dr Zhu, research training is not simply an extension of subject knowledge. It is also an important process through which students take greater ownership of their research, learn to understand scientific questions, develop teamwork skills, and improve their ability to communicate their ideas.
Dr Zhu says: “Research training also opens up more opportunities for students. Through research projects, they improve their scientific presentation skills, present their work at conferences, contribute to publications, win awards, and receive offers for postgraduate study.”
Dr Zhu has also extended research-led education to international student competitions.
The International Genetically Engineered Machine competition, known as iGEM, is an international synthetic biology competition and one of the most prestigious global events in this field. It provides a platform for students in biology-related disciplines to demonstrate research innovation, teamwork, and interdisciplinary skills.
Dr Zhu served as an adviser to XJTLU’s iGEM teams in 2023 and 2024. In 2025, he led the XJTLU-Science-China team as its principal investigator.
The 2025 team placed in the world’s top 10, received a gold medal, and won the Best New Composite Part special prize. It was also nominated for Best Oncology Project and Best Wiki, achieving XJTLU’s best result in the competition.
Dr Zhu says: “Research is where students transition from learners to creators, and it is the most rewarding part of my work.”
Expanding educational pathways
As the inaugural Programme Director of the School of Science’s new BSc Biomedical Sciences programme, Dr Zhu contributed to key stages of its development from planning to launch.
His work included the programme application, curriculum design, preparation and revision of programme documents, the Degree Awarding Power application, and an application for programme development funding.
These efforts laid the foundation for the programme’s successful launch and future development.
Alongside programme development, Dr Zhu has also contributed to teaching-related services and science education initiatives across the School.
He has served as the Department’s coordinator for the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships programme and as Biological Laboratory Safety Officer. He has also contributed to the School Learning and Teaching Committee, Staff-Student Liaison Committee, and Programme Progress Committee.
Through these roles, he continues to support improvements in teaching quality and the student learning experience.
Dr Zhu also takes part in outreach activities for school pupils. He has developed microbiology demonstration sessions and hosted science activities for primary, secondary, and high school students.
His contribution was recognised with the Outstanding Contribution Award for XJTLU Basic Education Development from the Academy of Future Education.
Across module design, laboratory teaching, research training, and programme development, Dr Zhu places students’ learning experience and long-term development at the centre of his work.
He plans to continue exploring more open, practice-based, and student-centred approaches to teaching. Through this work, he hopes to help more students discover their interests in life sciences, develop their abilities, and understand the value of science by addressing real-world problems.
颁辞苍迟别苍迟：尝耻测补辞
Review：Professor John Moraros，Dr Yongtao Zhu
23 Jul 2026