Youth need support to release creativity

The mechanisms and means for fostering young talent should be improved in line with the changing society and give young people enough support to encourage them to fully release their vitality and creativity, experts said on Friday.

They made the remarks at the Beijing International Youth Innovation and Development Forum, a sub-forum of the ongoing 2023 Zhongguancun Forum, jointly held by the Beijing Talent Work Bureau, China Daily and Beijing Overseas Talents Center.

Talent is the world's most precious resource and it is essential to let the most talented youth develop their capacities for creativity and innovation, Jeffrey Lehman, vice-chancellor of New York University Shanghai, said at the forum.

"A university must always be asking how it can best prepare its students for lives of satisfaction and contribution. We live today in a world of accelerating change, so it is essential that universities continue to revisit that fundamental question, and we should encourage university leaders to keep experimenting with new ways to resolve it," he said.

The more bold experiments they try, the more likely they are to maximize the innovative contributions that today's students will make to a society that desperately needs their creativity, he said.

Asma Shaikh, director-general of the Human Resources Department, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, said that the younger generation holds the key to the future of our society and immense potential to thrive and make a positive impact, thus it is our duty to nurture and empower them.

Today's youth are naturally inventive, creative and tech-savvy, and highly motivated to use their skills for social causes that make their lives and communities more just, fair and peaceful in an efficient and sustainable manner, she said.

To thrive in innovation, young people must embrace risk-taking and embrace the pursuit of new ideas, which requires creating a culture that values experimentation and learning from failure, she said.

"We strongly believe that empowering young talent is critical to our society's future success. By creating a nurturing environment that encourages creativity, mentorship and access to resources, we can unlock the full potential of young individuals," she said.

Xue Qikun, president of Southern University of Science and Technology, said that the third information revolution the world is experiencing is a critical period of reshuffling the international pattern of higher education and reform of the talent training system, which provides the majority of young people with choices for the future.

Young people are the new force of scientific and technological innovation. Higher education should set its sights on the global frontiers of science and technology, national economic development, the major needs of the country, and the health and safety of the people, and build a professional personnel training mode according to its conditions and needs, he said.

"We need to especially strengthen the exploration and training of young talent, and enable the development of young people with scientific and technological innovation," he said.