XJTLU Unveils State-of-the-Art Immersive Dome and Establishes Creative Media Alliance

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) marked a transformative moment in immersive media education on December 18, 2025, with the simultaneous unveiling of three major initiatives: a cutting-edge immersive dome cinema, the fifth edition of the MEGA International Creative Media Festival, and the newly formed International Immersive Media Creation Alliance. These developments collectively represent a paradigm shift in how universities approach cross-disciplinary creative learning and industry partnership.

The Immersive Dome Cinema: A New Frontier in Educational Spaces

The centerpiece of XJTLU’s innovation is the immersive dome cinema housed at the Entrepreneur College in Taicang. Measuring 18 meters in diameter and boasting 8K resolution capabilities, the facility features a self-illuminating LED display system that creates a 110°×180° wraparound visual experience. This wraparound field of view, combined with a fully enveloping sound architecture, transforms the space into an unprecedented environment for teaching and creative experimentation.

Dean Qian Liu of the Academy of Film and Creative Technology emphasized the pedagogical significance: “Complex, abstract concepts that were traditionally challenging to communicate now become immediately tangible and intuitive within this immersive setting. As an internationally competitive facility and a first-of-its-kind initiative in higher education, this cinema serves as a catalyst for multidisciplinary research, instruction, and artistic innovation.” Professor Youmin Xi, serving as Executive President, further contextualized the facility as a platform enabling deeper exploration of human-technology interactions and establishing fresh paradigms for creative expression.

MEGA Festival Reaches Record Participation with AI and Short-Form Content Innovation

The concurrent launch of the fifth MEGA International Creative Media Festival under the “Immersion” theme reinforced XJTLU’s commitment to digital innovation. The festival expanded its scope this year, introducing dedicated categories for AI-generated content and emerging short-form video formats—reflecting industry trends toward algorithmic creativity and platform-native storytelling.

The response exceeded expectations, with 1,384 submissions arriving from 14 countries and regions—a 67% surge from the previous year and the highest intake to date. Fourteen award-winning projects and creators were recognized across multiple disciplines. The opening ceremony livestream garnered over 2.07 million concurrent and cumulative views, underscoring the festival’s growing visibility in global creative communities.

The festival’s centerpiece summit, titled “Immersive Future: Scene Revolution and Value Innovation Driven by Immersive Media,” convened scholars, practitioners, and institutional leaders to examine how immersive technologies reshape content production, spatial design, and emerging use cases.

Establishing an International Alliance for Collaborative Innovation

Completing this trifecta of announcements, the Academy of Film and Creative Technology officially established the International Immersive Media Creation Alliance. This collaborative framework aims to connect academic researchers, creative practitioners, and industry stakeholders in advancing immersive media technologies and expanding their applications across sectors.

Together, these three developments position XJTLU at the forefront of immersive media education, creating ecosystems where theoretical knowledge meets practical creation and where Xi’s vision of human-technology synergy becomes manifest in tangible learning outcomes.