Inspiring learning through research and enquiry: the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU)

James Wilson, Yao Wu, Jianmei Xie, Dawn Johnson and HenkHuijser (Chapter 3) offer a case study of a research-based curriculum intervention at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University. The authors outline both the benefits and challenges of the research-oriented opportunities afforded by the 10-week Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) initiative. Although these opportunities are voluntary and outside the formal curriculum, they reflect the principles of the Connected Curriculum framework. In particular SURF offers opportunities to student groups, allowing them to connect with staff and learn about the institution’s research, to develop their research and critical thinking skills, and to share their research with a wider community, for example through a poster exhibition. Based at a joint UK–China research intensive university, located in Suzhou, China, the authors highlight the adaptability of research-based models to different institutional and national contexts.