It is the dialogues among youth from China and abroad that enable cooperation and bridges cultures. Promoting international youth dialogue is crucial for strengthening cultural exchanges with foreign countries, enhancing the national image, and fostering the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.

During the winter vacation of 2024, Tsinghua University organized 45 overseas social practice teams, with a total of 697 students and faculty members, to visit 27 countries on 6 continents. They engaged in face-to-face dialogues with young people from various countries and conducted a variety of international exchange activities on topics of global concern. Tsinghua students spoke out, showcasing the character of Chinese youth and contributing wisdom to the world.

China-Malaysia forum: International communication in focus

On Jan. 28, the China-Malaysia Youth Exchange Forum on International Communication and Youth Exchange in the New Media Age was successfully held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The forum was organized by Tsinghua University, TusStar (Malaysia), and the University of Malaya, with over 40 Chinese and Malaysian youth representatives in attendance.

During the opening ceremony, Wang Rui, president of the Tsinghua University Committee of the Communist Youth League of China, emphasized that with the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia in 2024, face-to-face friendly exchanges between the two countries' youth are timely and important. He stated that Tsinghua University attaches great importance to international exchanges of young talent and hopes to deepen cooperation with Malaysian universities and research institutions in various fields, so as to play an active role in promoting educational development and facilitating people-to-people connectivity. Xing Yunxi, a student from Tsinghua University, and Chiang Kai Lin, a student from the University Tunku Abdul Rahman, delivered speeches on the theme of international communications and cultural exchanges in the new media age.

At the forum, Chinese and Malaysian youth engaged in a lively roundtable discussion exploring the role of youth in international communication. Through the conversation, Malaysian student Winnie was surprised to discover that the social media platforms used by Chinese and Malaysian youth are similar or even identical, and that the exposure to new trends is highly comparable, such as the current heated topic of MBTI personality types. When discussing whether to express one's own opinions on social media, Wang Zhongyu, a student from the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature at Tsinghua University, noted that speaking out itself is of great significance and young people should bravely express their views on the international stage.

China-Italy dialogue: collaborative discussions on sustainable innovation

On Jan. 25, the closing ceremony of the "2024 Milan Academic Week" of the China-Italy Design Innovation Hub of Tsinghua University was held successfully. The event was organized by Tsinghua University and co-organized by Polytechnic University of Milan. Over 120 participants , including students from Tsinghua overseas social practice teams as well as faculty and students from the Polytechnic University of Milan, joined the event.

During the closing ceremony, four young speakers from China and Italy delivered speeches on sustainable development and innovation. Salena Zhou, chief representative of the 2022 Youth 20 for Italy, focused on the nature of social enterprises and the challenges they face. She emphasized that social enterprises not only provide employment opportunities for marginalized communities but also create green supply chains through the application of sustainable technologies. Zhao Boyuan, a doctoral student from the Department of Electrical Engineering at Tsinghua University, introduced the "Dream Network" project widely implemented in western China. He introduced the project's background, operating model, and future development, highlighting the positive attempts of "Dream Network" in building photovoltaic microgrids to promote sustainable development. Lei Yuxin, an alumna of Tsinghua University and Polytechnic University of Milan and also a researcher in the field of digital cultural heritage, shared her experience of studying cultural heritage preservation in Italy. Angela Montagano, a professor at the Polytechnic University of Milan, presented the sustainable strategic goals of the POLIMI Management School and the establishment of sustainable development-related programs.

China-Latin America exchange: youth impressions of China

One of the overseas social practice teams embarked on a journey to Chile and Argentina from Jan. 11th to Jan. 25. Throughout this period, the team met with students and faculty from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, the University of Chile, and the National University of Lanús in Argentina, and engaged in numerous youthful dialogues centred around the theme of sharing impressions of China and promoting people-to-people connectivity.

At the University of Chile, young people from China and Chile engaged in in-depth discussions on topics such as China-Chile relations and Chilean education system. Renzo Burotto, a graduate student at the University of Chile, expressed that his first impression of China was its rich historical and cultural heritage. After interacting with Tsinghua students, he became more interested in modern Chinese history and affirmed his desire to pursue further studies in China, especially at Tsinghua. Additionally, through this activity, the School of Journalism and Communication at Tsinghua University and the School of Communication at the University of Chile have preliminarily agreed on cooperation for summer course projects, opening up new possibilities for continuing the dialogues between Chinese and Chilean youth.

At the National University of Lanús in Argentina, students and faculty from Tsinghua University interacted with students enrolled in the "Contemporary China Studies" master's program. During the exchange, the graduate students shared their impressions of China and explained the reasons for their interest in China and their choice of this major. Carla Martin, one of the graduate students, mentioned that Chinese TV dramas and animations are important ways for Argentine youth to understand China, and her understanding and fondness for Chinese history come from Chinese historical TV dramas such as "Love Like the Galaxy" and "Love Between Fairy and Devil." Camila Quian, the program director, expressed that the doors of the National University of Lanús are always open to students and faculty from Tsinghua, and she expressed the university's willingness to establish more cooperation projects with Chinese universities and engage in long-term youth dialogues.

The Tsinghua University Committee of the Communist Youth League of China and the Center for Global Competence Development at Tsinghua University have been long committed to guiding Tsinghua students to become advocates and practitioners of sustainable development internationally. In the future, Tsinghua students will continue to promote the Global Development Initiative through practical actions, injecting youth power into the world's solidarity and contributing youth vigour to global development.

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