As AI and data science rapidly reshape industries, universities worldwide are rethinking how they deliver hands-on learning. At Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU) in China, the School of AI and Advanced Computing embraced Microsoft Dev Box to give students a modern, scalable, and real-world development environment—right from their first year.

Here’s how XJTLU transformed their curriculum and operations with Dev Box, helping 460+ students access powerful computing resources effortlessly.

🎯 The challenge

XJTLU is a leader in AI and data science education, with over 700 new students joining each year and totaling about 3000+ undergraduate, master’s and PhD students. But traditional on-campus computer labs couldn’t keep up:

• Shared workstations were reset between classes, erasing progress and causing delays.
• Inconsistent setups meant more IT overhead and student frustration.
• Faculty needed greater flexibility to deliver complex modules like machine learning, computer vision, and distributed computing.

💡 The solution: Microsoft Dev Box

To bridge this gap, XJTLU worked with the Microsoft team in China to implement Microsoft Dev Box for one of their courses. Microsoft Dev Box provided a cloud-hosted, pre-configured development environment that solved these challenges head-on. It enabled students to:

• Access their lab setup from anywhere—on or off campus.
• Use tools like Anaconda, Jupyter, PyTorch, and VS Code without installing anything.
• Enjoy a consistent, reliable experience across all machines.

“We wanted students to experience a modern development environment from day one—one that matches industry practices and scales with our program.” — Dr. Maruf Hasan, Director of Teaching and Learning

🛠️ How it was implemented

✅ Tech Stack

• Microsoft 365 A3 Subscription (existing)
• 180 Intune licenses to manage Dev Box environments
• Azure AD for user authentication
• Bicep templates for provisioning 180+ Dev Boxes
• Custom image with all required tools pre-installed

🧪 Pilot Course

The course Introduction to Neural Networks served as the pilot for using Microsoft Dev Box. Over 7 weeks, 460+ second-year students used Dev Box in both labs and self-study. Machines were auto-hibernated to save costs and recycled after the course.

“If it runs on my Dev Box, it runs for every student—100% confidence.” — Dr. Siqi Huang, Program Director, Data Science

🎓 Student Feedback

Student response? Surprisingly quiet—in the best way.

• ✅ No complaints about installation or access
• ✅ Appreciated the freedom to work remotely
• ✅ Seamless experience from login to model training

“Students often complain—but not this time. They were happy, and I think that speaks volumes.” — Dr. Huang

🚀 Key Benefits

• Consistency: No more environment drift or troubleshooting
• Scalability: Easily supports hundreds, with plans to grow to thousands
• Modern experience: Mirrors real-world development practices
• Remote access: Learning continues beyond the in-class lab
• IT efficiency: Image once, deploy many
• Cost controls: Auto-shutdown and hibernation features built in
• Faculty empowerment: Fully configurable to fit each course’s needs

🧭 Looking Ahead

XJTLU plans to expand Dev Box across all four years of its AI and Data Science programs. Their goal? A unified platform that accompanies students throughout their academic journey—becoming a blueprint for institutions globally.

“Imagine a student joining in year 1 and using the same cloud environment all the way through graduation. That’s the future we’re building.” — Dr. Hasan

🙌 The Power of Partnership

This project succeeded due to a strong collaboration with Microsoft’s education team in China.

“Tommy and Jacky were phenomenal. Their support made this pilot a joy to implement. We felt like true partners.” — Dr. Huang

📢 Final Thoughts

Microsoft Dev Box isn’t just a tool—it’s an enabler. For XJTLU, it’s helping bridge the gap between academia and industry, and prepare students for the careers of tomorrow.

If you’re an educator, administrator, or IT leader thinking about modernizing your development labs—Microsoft Dev Box might be your answer.