Starting from XJTLU: Finding brilliance in a chaotic world

Starting from XJTLU: Finding brilliance in a chaotic world

 – Executive President’s Address at the XJTLU Graduation Ceremony, July 2025

Dear students, esteemed teachers, parents, and friends,

It is my great pleasure to welcome you all. Today, we gather to celebrate a remarkable generation of graduates who are ready to soar, carrying with them the dreams that were nurtured here at XJTLU.

Today is a day to cherish – and one I look forward to every year.

Not long ago, I praised a colleague’s colourful new hair. She joked: “You should try it for the graduation ceremony!” With silver hair like mine, I might just pull it off – and perhaps give the Class of 2025 a fun surprise to remember.

My 11-year-old granddaughter, Zoe, loved the idea. She immediately did some “research-led studies” on her phone, recommending dye ingredients, techniques, and colour combinations. I told her I’d be wearing the graduation cap during the ceremony, so no one would see it. She gave up, disappointed.

The idea didn’t happen, but the thought stayed with me. What if I really showed up today with colourful hair? Photos would spread online in no time.

And the hashtags on social media?
“Trendy president”? “Funny president”? Or perhaps, “Trying too hard to go viral”?

A simple gesture quickly turned into countless versions of a story online.

We see this pattern often:

Someone rises overnight, praised like a superhero, and then comes the backlash: criticism, doubt, even moral outrage. It shows how society is reshaping itself in confusion. This is the world you’re stepping into – uncertain, shifting, and often hard to make sense of.

We live in an age driven by visibility and starved of attention. Whoever captures the spotlight fastest gains the loudest voice. A single speech, a short video, even a fragment of a story, can become a sudden public focus. But with endless content competing for our attention, we fall into a cycle of quick clicks and fleeting trends. Depth fades, and we begin to rely on surface judgments rather than true understanding.

Meanwhile, algorithms keep us in our comfort zones, showing us more of what we already believe.
With AI echoing our preferences, we lose touch with complexity and difference. We skip critical thinking, hold tighter to our biases, and react with emotion instead of reason. Public debate becomes polarised – “us versus them” – narrowing how we see the world.

On social media, stories of success are starting to look the same. A narrow definition of success fuels anxiety, reducing personal achievement to a matter of resources and status. People search for hidden advantages in others to make sense of their own struggles. In doing so, we lose sight of diverse paths to growth and deepen the divides between us.

In a climate driven by emotion, complex realities are reduced to black and white. Our information bubbles erode objectivity, and spaces for reasoned dialogue begin to shrink. We fall into a cycle of extremes – hero or villain, nothing in between.

We live in an age of endless information, but a shortage of meaning. We try to stay focused and think independently, but it’s not easy. Constant updates and emotional noise cloud our judgement.

We’re left drifting in the current, struggling to find a quiet place for clarity.

Looking beyond, we see a world in flux – global order is shifting, technology is accelerating, industries are transforming, and cultures are colliding.

Change brings uncertainty, but also opportunity. Complexity creates anxiety, but also sparks innovation.

A new journey awaits you: how will you stay grounded in complexity? And how will you keep growing through constant change?

The key lies in cultivating your mindset. Interest, purpose, and meaning are the engines that drive you forward. An open, diverse perspective and cross-cultural understanding form your foundation.

Steady focus and long-term commitment keep you on course. And systems thinking – with the ability to adapt and rebalance – will help you grow through change.

Interest is where exploration begins. It’s the key that opens the door to the unknown, helping us discover our talents and passions through trying and doing. It pushes us beyond our comfort zones, into wider possibilities – laying the foundation for a more complete and resilient mindset.

Purpose is at the heart of action. It gives us direction and a sense of responsibility. It is the foundation of progress for organisations, for communities, and for society as a whole. It drives us to create value beyond ourselves.

Meaning lies where interest and purpose meet. It comes from self-awareness and from rising above life’s struggles.

Together, these three form the engine that drives us forward: Interest sparks passion, purpose gives direction, and meaning adds depth, allowing each of us to live a life shaped by our unique mission.

At the same time, an open and diverse mindset allows us to see the world in its richness and complexity. It helps us understand the logic behind different cultures and values, and protects us from the narrowness of a single point of view.

Steady commitment and focus keep us moving along the path shaped by our beliefs and direction.
They help us stay true to ourselves in a noisy world – and stay dedicated to what we love.

In addition, systems thinking and the ability to stay balanced in motion help us make sense of constant change. They allow us to adjust with flexibility, refine our decisions, and keep growing with resilience, no matter the uncertainty.

This is what we call the “HeXie mindset” – a concept at the heart of XJTLU’s education and way of working. May it guide you through life, helping you shape a path that is uniquely yours – clear in direction, rich in meaning and value. At this April’s postgraduate ceremony, I spoke about how the HeXie mindset can help us cultivate Syntegrative Wisdom. If you’re curious, feel free to revisit that message – perhaps it will speak to you differently at another stage of life.

In this complex world, knowledge and skills are just tools.

It’s the pursuit of meaning and values that gives us direction. In this era of rapid technology, we are not short of polished words, detailed images, or instant answers. What we truly need – and what stands out – is genuine emotion, depth of thought, and the values behind them.

To help you navigate the future, I’ve prepared a few parting thoughts – your own toolkit for the journey ahead:

Pursue values and take responsibility.
These are your compass in decision-making – your “should” beyond self-interest, and your “worth it” when facing temptation.

Embrace creativity and imagination.
Sparked by emotion and free association, they help us conceive the unknown from the known, fuelling the breakthroughs that drive civilisation forward and expand human potential.

Have the courage to explore the unknown – and take action.
This is the true source of rapid technological progress: when humans embrace uncertainty, explore bravely, act wisely, and harness technology, we become the force that drives change.

Hold on to emotion and empathy.
They are the foundations of deep connection and trust, and the bridge through which we share understanding and warmth.

Dear students, at this important moment, let us face the world as it is – complex but real.

Sharpen the mindset you’ll need to move through uncertainty. Carry the tools you’ve gathered to navigate the waves ahead. Take with you XJTLU’s wish: A happy life and a successful career.

May the dreams you’ve nurtured here, the wings you’ve grown, the empathy you’ve gained, and the sense of duty you’ve strengthened all help you shape a life of meaning and contribute to a more sustainable, more hopeful world.

It feels like only yesterday we said “Welcome to XJTLU” at your opening ceremony.

Now, it’s time for farewells and best wishes. Dear students, before you celebrate your achievements, take a moment to thank the teachers and family members who have supported your journey.

To all our staff, families, and friends – thank you for standing alongside these brave young people, ready to step into the world with courage and growth.

And of course, I haven’t forgotten the most important task today:

I hereby declare: The Class of 2025 at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University has officially graduated!

Congratulations on your graduation, and may your future be brilliant!

Professor Youmin Xi

Executive President of Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Liverpool