Dr. Prof. Youmin Xi

Dr. Youmin Xi is Professor of management and Vice President Xi'an Jiaotong University.

Before he went into university, he spent 4 years in countryside as a farmer. After the reform of education system of China, he became the first group of university students in 1978. He got B.S. in physics in 1982 from Xi'an Science and Technology University. His M.E. in systems engineering and Ph.D in management engineering were earned in 1984 and 1987 respectively from Xi'an Jiaotong University. He began teaching and researching at Xi'an Jiaotong University in 1984 and was promoted to be associate professor in 1988, full professor in 1992. During this period, he was assigned the head of systems methodology division of systems engineering research institute, director of strategy study and decision-making research institute respectively. From 1993, he assumed the position of deputy dean of management school and became the dean in 1996. He was assigned the vice president of university for reformation, development and construction as well as logistics in 1998.

As a visiting professor, he has conducted joint research project in University of Western Ontario, University of Calgary, University of Saskatchewan, University of Michigan, University of Science and Technology of Hong Kong, as well as National University of Singapore, etc.. Today, besides the administration task, he regularly teaches graduated students and Ph.d candidate courses in decision-making and decision support system, advanced management theory and practice and so on. His research ranges across many fields, such as evaluation and decision analysis of large scale projects, strategic management and policy analysis, decision-making and decision support system, managerial behavior and firm theory, etc. As author or co-author, more than 200 academic papers and 15 books in these fields have been published. He has been awarded many important prizes by Chinese central government and its ministry, such as the Prize for Young Scientists of China(10 winners per two years in whole country), the prize of science and technology for Chinese young scholars (100 winners per two years in whole country), national young and middle age experts who has made distinguished contributions, etc.. In addition to his duties at Xi'an Jiaotong, he is the director of national business adiministation education guidance committee , member of national supervisory committee on MBA education , member of evaluation group of academic degrees committee of state council , director of the young scholars committee in systems engineering and management field, as well as editor of several Chinese academic journals and also director or key member of several academic association and think tank of government. So he has a tightly contact with government and enterprises, certainly rich experience in management practice.

In recent years, Dr.Xi is carrying out several key research projects, such as  "managerial behavior and group support system", "relationship between government and state owned enterprises",“Research on the Theory, Model and Policy about the Organization, Development and Coordination Management of Enterprise Groups”,”innovation of organization and harmony management theory” and so on. Most of them are supported by National Nature Science Foundation's "Chinese distinguished young scientist fund" , key project fund, and State Education Committee's "excellent young teacher fund", as well as soft science fund of science and technology ministry.

In addition to the academic papers, some practical research results and advices have been submitted to local and central governments.

席酉民，男，1957年生。现任西安交通大学副校长，陕西MBA学院常务副院长，教授、博士生导师。1974年高中毕业返乡，1977年考入陕西机械学院，1982年取得物理学学士学位，1984年在西安交通大学获系统工程硕士学位，留校工作并在职攻博，1987年获我国大陆第一个管理工程博士学位，1993年成为我国管理工程领域最年轻的博士生导师。其后曾多次赴加拿大、美国、新加坡、日本等国及香港、澳门、台湾等地区合作研究和讲学。主要从事战略管理及研究方法论、决策与决策支持系统、社会经济系统发展战略研究、管理行为与企业理论等领域的研究和教学，已培养硕士生70余人、博士生40余名，研究工作先后获国家教委“优秀青年教师基金”、“跨世纪人才重点跟踪支持基金”、国家自然科学基金会“优秀中青年人才专项基金”、“国家杰出青年基金”等的支持，主持和参加各类科研课题50余项，其中国家攻关、重大、重点项目20余项，出版学术著作20余部，在国内外专业期刊和学术会议上发表论文300余篇，曾获省部级以上科研成果奖10余项，并获得“做出突出贡献的中国博士学位获得者”、“陕西科技新星”、“全国优秀留学回国人员”、“陕西教育界十大新闻人物”等荣誉称号，以及“中国青年科技奖”、“中国青年科学家提名奖”、“中国青年科学家奖”、“霍英东教育基金会高校青年教师奖”等综合性奖励，现同时兼任教育部工商管理教育指导委员会主任委员、教育部理工科类管理教学指导委员会副主任委员、教育部科技委委员兼管理学科部副主任、全国MBA教育指导委员会委员、国家自然科学基金委员会委员、国家软科学指导委员会委员、中国系统工程学会常务理事兼青年工作委员会主任委员、陕西行为科学协会副会长，是陕西省政协委员、西安市人大代表。

附:

National Natural Science Foundation and I

Xi Youmin

（ Management School of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China, 710049 ）

1. My struggle and career

I was born in Chang'an County, Shaanxi Province. After graduated from high school in 1974 ， I led a country life for four years in my hometown. In early 1978, I became a student of Shaanxi Mechanical Institute (now Xi'an University of Technology), and got my bachelor degree in physics in 1982. In 1984, I got my master degree in system engineering in Xi'an Jiaotong University and started teaching in this university. At the same time, I became a part time Ph.D student major in Management Science and Engineering there. In Oct. 1987, with the dissertation named Harmony Theory and Strategy Study , I was honored the first Ph.D majoring in management science and engineering in mainland of China . As a break of the rule, I was promoted to lecturer when I was a doctoral student and promoted to associate professor one year after my graduation, the youngest one at that time in the university. In 1992, as a visiting scholar, I carried out research in Canada for seven months; the same year I came back and were promoted to full professor. In 1993, authorized by the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council, I became the youngest Ph.D supervisor in the field of the management science and engineering in China . In last ten years, as a visiting professor, I have conducted joint research project in University of Western Ontario , University of Calgary , University of Saskatchewan , University of Michigan , National University of Singapore, University of Science and Technology of Hong Kong, as well as Universities in Taiwan etc. Today, besides the administration task, I regularly teach graduated students and Ph.D candidate courses. Now I am the vice president of Xi'an Jiaotong University.

As author or co-author, more than 200 academic papers and 15 books in management and system engineering fields have been published. I have been awarded many important prizes by Chinese central government and its ministry and province, such as more than ten research projects awarded prizes at the provincial level or the ministerial level, the Prize for Young Scientists of China (10 winners per two years in whole country), the prize of science and technology for Chinese young scholars (100 winners per two years in whole country), national young and middle age experts who has made distinguished contributions, “ the new star of science and technology in Shaanxi Province ” etc.. Up to now more than forty post-graduates and thirty doctoral students got their degrees under my supervision. In addition to my duties at Xi'an Jiaotong University, I am also the member of National Soft-science Guidance Committee ， the member and the consulting expert in the degree program decision team of the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council ， the member and the consulting expert of National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC) ， the member of Science and Technology Committee of Education Ministry and the vice director of its Management Science department ， the director of the Business Administration Education Guidance Committee of Education Ministry, the member of Chinese MBA Guidance Committee ， the standing member of Chinese System Engineering Association and the director of its youth affairs committee, as well as editor of several Chinese academic journals and also director or key member of several academic association and think tank of government etc.. Now, we have build a strong and harmonious research team focusing in the field of strategy study and policy analysis 、 the evolution of organization 、 the theory of management 、 group decision 、 GSS and so on.

2. Science fund and the development of my career

The National Natural Science Foundation plays an important role in the development of my career. At the beginning of my research in the field of management science, my research project — the research on the strategic method system for the development of social economic system, was supported when NSFC started the new special fund for young scientists, which contributed a lot to the progress of my career. In the course of the research, I had more than ten papers published. Two books about this subject were awarded the academic work prizes named as the excellent philosophy social science works and the first class excellent book respectively by the higher institutions of state. The research also was awarded a 2nd class prize for Scientific Progress by State Education Commission. The success from the project is very important to my research career development. After that, I joined the “seven-five” Key Science Program of NSFC, “ the comprehensive research on the forecast and evaluation of the basic scientific subject development”. In 1993, I were the only one who received the special fund of NSFC for supporting the outstanding young scientists in the management science field. In 1995, I was supported by the “ national outstanding youth fund ” of NSFC. After three years research, through the evaluation process of NSFC ， I were approved to be continuously supported in 1999. In recent years, I have supervised the research on the NSFC key project “ study on enterprises group ” and some other projects of NSFC, as well as research projects cooperated with some firms and so on.. To be frank, the science fund put my research to a benignant cycle.

3. The multiplier effect of the science fund

The continuous success of the application of my research proposal for NSFC fund not only provides me more chance and a better condition for the higher-level research, but also gives me more opportunities to realize my ideas engendered in the scientific field working with my team. The long course of the research impressed me deeply and made me think more about that. The competitive equity, the democracy and innovation spirits that the science fund, especially the youth fund encouraged strongly brought out an inspiring effect. Not only the advanced scientific achievement are achieved through the support of the Science Fund, the more important thing is that many promising intellectuals who are important to the steady development of the national science and technology development are emerged. I call this the “ multiplier effect” .

Firstly, it will kindle the spark of intelligence in the young minds as early as possible. When we look back at the history of science development, we can see many scientists achieved great accomplishments at early age. The rich imagination, less fogyism and strong rebelled spirit make the young full of creativity. But they need some encouragement and material support to validate the correctness of their idea or carry out their creativity design. The fund just plays such a role and provides the opportunity and condition for the young to exert their intelligence. On the one hand, the fund can help them realize their assumptions, encourage them spiritually; on the other hand, it can provide some material foundation for them. And the double supports will facilitate the bloom of the intelligence in the youth as early as possible.

Secondly, it can bring up a lot of new experts to ensure the steady development of science for a long time. Digging the youth's intelligence out is only one function and more important function is to bring up some new experts. The fund can select outstanding youth through national wide competition so as to provide lots of youth with the exercise opportunities. It can not only help the early appearance of the achievements of the youth, but also can contribute to their research status as well as to our science development and expert training.

Thirdly, it can spirit up more youth's consciousness of science research and innovation spirit. Though the scope and intensity of the fund are enlarged yearly, the quantity of people obtaining sustentation fund is very few. The difficulty of application for the fund increases its challenge. Because of its fair competition, every applicant has the chance to obtain it. Because few applicants can obtain the fund, it gains more reputation and magnetism. And its encouragement for the creativity attracts more people to search new idea to obtain the fund. So we can say that the fund can inspire more people's scientific research consciousness and innovation spirit.

Fourthly, it is helpful to maintain a steady research direction and make research go deeper. As we all know, the limited research outlay makes many researchers go around money or money oriented in recent years. That is beneficial to marry the need of science and practice, but it also influences many pure foundation research and application foundation research, and make researchers follow the profiting projects and ignore the carrying-out of the profound research. The support of the fund can overcome this contradiction. In fact, the science fund maintains many researchers' steady research. So, science fund ensures our foundation team of science and technology steady development.

Fifthly, it can attract more intellectuals and make the science and technology team stable, and serve our economy and social construction. The construction of socialism market economy offers more chance for people to develop. Since our economy is not strong enough and the investment in science and education is very scarce, many scientists and technicians were forced to leave this area. Usually, the unsatisfied working condition will cause some people who are interested in this area to abandon their former wishes. Recently in order to bring out intellectuals ， our country sets many kinds of science fund for the young people to attract the young people who are dedicated to science to come back from abroad or work at the frontline of research. It will help save the promising fate of many excellent researchers who would give up their science research foreground for some kind of money reason.

4. The science fund provides the necessary environment for t he experts' grow-up ： chance, condition, challenge, and test.

From the process of the experts grow-up, I deeply feel that the science fund especially all kinds of fund for youth provides an essential condition for their pullulating, and exerting especial influence:

Firstly, it is not only an honor but also an encouragement. To the young, the youth fund is not only an outlay for research but also an honor and encouragement. It can add pride and self-confidence but also bring more pressure. The winners will try their best to produce the best result to obtain the recognition from the society. So, obtaining fund can impel development of their career.

Secondly, it is not only affirmation but also exercise. Obtaining fund is an affirmation of the applicant's scientific assumption and ability, as well as an exercise for their research and organizing ability that will benefit them all their lives. For many applicants, they have few chances to sponsor high-level research project independently before they obtain the fund, so they lack experience and exercise. After they obtain the fund, they have to prepare the research plan and organize the members of the project team (even the members are in different subject and different department) to tackle key problem in-group. They may meet difficulty, but with such experience, their ability of organizing and doing science research can improve a great deal, which is helpful to their grow-up.

Finally, it is not only an opportunity but also a test. When applicants apply for the fund, they must examine their own research thought roundly. If they obtain the fund and hold fast to the chance and discuss the problem with more experts in the same field and improve their organizing ability and research level, they will be able to enter the higher level of research. Otherwise, what they obtain is only the research outlay. So, obtaining the fund is an austere test for the young applicants.

I do hope more scientists especially the youth are on the line of NSFC's application, receive exercise and give full play to their intelligence for our country's science project! And I hope more outstanding talents will be brought up.