Zihan Xuan, a student studying the MSc Environmental Change and Management, was chosen as one of the 200 Leaders of Tomorrow by the St Gallen Symposium in Switzerland, after he entered their Global Essay Competition. In this blog he reflects on his experience of travelling to Switzerland with other Leaders of Tomorrow.
‘Confronting Scarcity’ was the central theme of the 53rd St. Gallen Symposium, held on 2 - 3 May 2024 in St Gallen, Switzerland. From the tangible shortage of energy and financial resources to the intangible lack of time and leadership, we are confronted with interconnected scarcities, and the choice to strive for more, or to thrive with less.
Every year, the St. Gallen Symposium organises the Global Essay Competition, which attracts over 700 submissions from postgraduate students around the world. In my essay, which focused on the scarcity of T/truth, I explored how in an era of heightened political polarisation, it is increasingly important to design political systems that enable citizenries to discover universal knowledge while embracing intersubjective realities. Through reconciling German philosopher Jürgen Habermas' deliberative democracy and American political theorist Iris Marion Young's communicative democracy, my essay sought to demonstrate and operationalise an innovative governance instrument that straddles the Janus-faced nature of T/truth.
Having qualified through my essay as one of the 200 Leaders of Tomorrow, I had the privilege to discuss the causes of, and solutions to, the plethora of modern scarcities over two packed days of international and inter-generational dialogue in the quaint town of St. Gallen. From high-level panels on the future of the European security architecture to private roundtables with C-suite business leaders, we leveraged unique opportunities to interact with decision-makers from diverse sectors, challenge the status quo, and inspire collective action. Among many distinguished guest speakers, I found it particularly insightful to learn about Singapore’s energy transition policies from Tan See Leng (Minister for Manpower, Singapore), the role of the Global South in the international order from Lindiwe Mazibuko (Co-Founder & CEO, Futurelect), and the potential of inter-generational leadership in the boardroom from Felipe Paullier (Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, United Nations).
L-R: Zihan Xuan and Dr Felipe Paullier, Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, United Nations Youth Office
While inter-generational collaboration proved to be a consistent thread across many conversations, it was also evident that significant differences in perspectives exist between current leaders and Leaders of Tomorrow. Through our interactions, there was a palpable awareness of the imperative for paradigm shifts in political governance and business models, even as traditional worldviews should be credited for a sustained era of peace and prosperity. In this regard, the Voices of the Leaders of Tomorrow 2024 report, launched at the Symposium, documented key findings on the range of competing views on the role of free market to address sustainability challenges, the tension between green growth and degrowth, and the skills required to thrive in an uncertain and constantly evolving labour market.
Notably, the Oxford ECM course equips me well to navigate such topics with a critical and holistic approach, while contributing to an inter-disciplinary exchange across the political, business, and academic realms.
Finally, while reflecting on the range of scarcities, there was undoubtedly no scarcity of enthusiasm and optimism expressed by all participants to shape a more resilient and sustainable future. In the student-run conference, it was incredibly inspiring to experience the outcomes of nine months of dedicated planning and execution by the International Students’ Committee, empowered by the generous support of the university and its partners. Leaving the Symposium with fresh learnings, like-minded connections, and a renewed sense of radical hope is the ultimate testament to the lasting legacy of the 53rd St. Gallen Symposium.
Read more about Zihan's achievement and also his winning essay: The politics of a post-truth era & the promise of democratic-communicative knowledge democracy.
