Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University Immersive Dome Theater officially opens, accelerating the formation of a global creative media collaboration ecosystem

Dome Cinema Becomes a New Landmark for Creative Education

On December 18, 2025, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University(XJTLU) held a major launch event focused on cutting-edge audiovisual technology at its Taicang campus in Suzhou. During this event, the university’s School of Film, Television, and Creative Technology officially inaugurated its immersive dome cinema, a digitally creative space built with significant investment that immediately drew industry attention.

This dome cinema employs internationally leading immersive display technology solutions. The interior features an 18-meter diameter dome structure equipped with self-emitting LED screens, capable of providing a 110°×180° surround viewing coverage, with a resolution reaching 8K level. Coupled with a full-surround sound system, it creates a highly immersive digital experience environment for viewers. The specifications of this facility are considered innovative within domestic higher education.

Professor Liu Qian, Dean of the School of Film, Television, and Creative Technology, commented on the educational significance of this new facility. He believes that such an immersive display environment can transform abstract concepts that are difficult to express with traditional methods into intuitive, tangible perceptual objects. This has an important role in promoting interdisciplinary teaching, academic research, and creative practice.

MEGA Creative Media Festival Demonstrates International Influence

Alongside the activation of the dome cinema, the grand opening of the 5th MEGA International Creative Media Festival took place. The festival’s theme for the year is “Immersion,” focusing on three major fields: film, digital media arts, and creative technology. It aims to build a global platform for creative exchange through film screenings, international competitions, and thematic summits.

A notable change this year is the expansion of competition categories—adding two new directions: AI-generated content and short videos, aligning with industry frontiers. This adjustment led to a significant increase in submissions: a total of 1,384 entries from 14 countries and regions, a 67% increase compared to the previous year, setting a new record. Ultimately, 14 teams and individual creators received various awards.

The live broadcast of the festival’s opening ceremony garnered over 2.07 million views, a data point that reflects the growing attention and enthusiasm of the international creative community for this event.

Prospects for Immersive Technology Applications Become the Core of Industry-Academia-Research Dialogue

Another highlight of the event was the thematic summit. Under the theme “Immersing the Future: Scene Revolution and Value Innovation Driven by Immersive Media,” experts and scholars from higher education institutions, creative industries, and content creation organizations were specially invited to engage in in-depth discussions on how immersive technology can be applied in content creation, spatial experience design, and future application scenarios development.

International Alliance Established, Collaboration Ecosystem Officially Launched

Simultaneously, an institutional innovation was announced—the formal establishment of the International Immersive Media Creation Alliance. Initiated by the School of Film, Television, and Creative Technology at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, this alliance aims to create a collaborative network gathering global creative forces to promote the educational application and industrial practice of immersive media technology.

These initiatives demonstrate that XJTLU is advancing the ecosystem of this frontier field through infrastructure innovation, the construction of creative practice platforms, and the improvement of international cooperation mechanisms. Professor Shi Youmin, Executive President of Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, pointed out that the dome cinema introduces a new spatial paradigm for creative expression, providing faculty and students with opportunities to explore the profound relationship between humans and technology.