Kevin Rudd, a former prime minister of Australia, went back to school to try to understand how the Chinese president Xi Jinping thinks. Rudd's effort reflects growing global urgency to decode the mindset of China's most powerful leader in decades. As a Mandarin-speaking diplomat and longtime China observer, Rudd brings unique credentials to this analytical pursuit.

His return to academic study underscores the opacity surrounding Xi's decision-making. Western leaders and intelligence agencies have long struggled to predict Beijing's strategic moves, from Taiwan to technology policy. Rudd's approach combines historical analysis with contemporary political science, seeking patterns in Xi's writings and speeches.

The initiative highlights a broader challenge: interpreting a leader who has centralized power, silenced dissent, and articulated a vision of national rejuvenation that reshapes regional dynamics. Understanding Xi's worldview is now considered essential for managing great-power competition.