Global Gen Z youth experience a vibrant Shandong

Global Gen Zer Dialogue with Shandong concluded successfully on July 7 in Jinan city of Shandong province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Global Gen Zer Dialogue with Shandong, co-hosted by China Daily and the Information Office of Shandong Provincial People's Government, concluded successfully on July 7 in Jinan, the capital city of Shandong province. The forum, themed "Wisdom of Youth Sets Sail," aimed to foster mutual understanding and learning among global Gen Zers through cultural experiences and extensive communication.

During the event, nine young people from China and abroad took the stage to share their impressions of Shandong after a week-long journey across different cities in the province. They also discussed strategies for effectively sharing Shandong stories with the world.

Yulia expressed her Shandong surprise at Global Gen Zer Dialogue with Shandong. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Yulia, a Russian student currently studying Economics at Tsinghua University, expressed her amazement at how well Shandong has preserved the values of Confucianism, considering that it is the birthplace of the ancient philosopher. She highlighted how children in the province are taught the importance of humility from a young age through Confucius' quote - "two heads are always better than one." Yulia also noted that the warm hospitality of the local people can be traced back to another quote by Confucius - "it's a pleasure to have friends coming from afar."

"Shandong is a place where new areas are constantly being developed, while preserving the original cultural characteristics, so that the new and the old can blend together more harmoniously," she said.

Sherif shared his observations on the remarkable technological advancements he witnessed in Shandong. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Sherif, an Egyptian entrepreneur and MBA graduate, shared his observations on the remarkable technological advancements he witnessed in Shandong, particularly in transportation and agriculture. He commended the province for its highly developed infrastructure, including one of the most advanced high-speed rail networks. Moreover, he highlighted Shandong's adoption of precision farming techniques, such as smart irrigation, crop monitoring, smart greenhouses, and agricultural data analytics, which contribute to enhanced efficiency and sustainability in agriculture.

"I believe that Egypt should learn from China and have better cooperation in promoting and building smart agriculture. This would be a win-win situation for both Egypt and China," he said.

Global Gen Zer Dialogue with Shandong also served as a parallel forum to the 2023 Global Youth Conference, held from July 6 to 9. The conference, with its theme of "New Era, New Civilization, New Youth, and New Mission," encouraged young people to share their wisdom and solutions to address global challenges, promote common values, and contribute to the establishment of a community with a shared future for mankind.