As war drums thundered across the theater, Ammara Hanif, a Pakistani student studying in Xi'an Jiaotong University (XJTU), gripped her seat. On the stage, through projection, dynamic lighting, holography, water screens and real-time video tracking, the production transformed history into a multisensory spectacle, reviving the grandeur of the Qin Dynasty and its legendary Terracotta Warriors. "This isn't a history lesson," she said. "It's a time machine and we're about to see where it leads."

After the show, Anastassiya Yuy, a Kazakh student at the XJTU, said: "I never imagined technology could give history a heartbeat. This show didn't just tell a story — it made me feel it. It showed that love and hope are universal, no matter where we're from."

The combination of history and high-tech was just the beginning. The students were about to see how innovation is shaping the future beyond the stage.

The international visitors went to the Western China Science and Technology Innovation Harbor （iHarbour）of the XJTU. At its digital exhibition hall, they learned about the development history of the XJTU and its role in promoting international exchanges and sci-tech advancement.

At the Institute of Engineering & Medicine Interdisciplinary Studies, they learned about a four-year-old girl from Ganzi, Sichuan province in southwest China, who lost her nose in an accident. Thanks to 3D bioprinting and tissue engineering research led by Professor Wang Jing from the XJTU's School of Mechanical Engineering, she received a new nose.

It was made possible through the Qinchuangyuan innovation platform, which links R&D, clinical application, and industrialization.

"This is medical treatment with a soul," Yuy said. "I feel proud to study in a university that turns science into compassion." Ammara added: "Seeing how interdisciplinary research can deliver real solutions gives me hope for the future."

Furthermore, they engaged in in-depth discussions with professor Li Min from the School of Mechanical Engineering. During the exchange, the visitors gained insights into cutting-edge interdisciplinary research focused on brain-computer interaction and rehabilitation.

At the School of Information and Communications Engineering, Professor Guo Cheng introduced millimeter-wave and terahertz microsystem technologies and their application in real-world settings.

The group also toured Building 7 at the iHarbour, a model of sustainable design that won the 2023 WFEO H.J. Sabbagh Prize for Excellence in Engineering Construction. Entirely designed by XJTU's School of Human Settlements and Civil Engineering, the building has dual-layer solar photovoltaic-electrothermal systems, passive energy-saving strategies, and intelligent internal flow control, setting a new standard for eco-friendly smart architecture.

This forward-thinking mindset extends into education, where global partnerships are shaping the next generation of innovators. The students visited the XJTU-POLIMI Joint School, established in 2022. As the first Sino-foreign cooperative educational institution between Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI) and a Chinese university, the joint school serves as a global platform for education, research and startup incubation. "Education without borders," said Russian student Alexey Pilipchak. "This is what global learning should be."