Prof. Youmin Xi is Executive President of Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of University of Liverpool and also professor at the School of Management of Xi’an Jiaotong University. His research and teaching areas cover the development mechanism and strategic analysis of social and economic system, strategic management and policy analysis, decision-making and decision support systems, management behaviour and firm theory, organisational behaviour and leadership, and educational management. In 1987 he was the first person in mainland China to be awarded a doctoral degree in the field of management engineering, while in 1993 became the youngest supervisor of PhD candidates in management engineering in China. In 1987 Youmin Xi established HeXie theory and extended it into HeXie management theory gradually with his research team, an indigenous theory widely recognized in academic circle.

As a visiting professor, he has conducted joint research projects in universities in Canada, America, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. Much of his research in China has been designated as national key projects. He has successfully supervised over 200 masters and PhD students, while as an author or co-author, more than 300 academic papers and 30 books have been published.