On 22nd June 2019, the first ever Chinese Overseas Students Conference was successfully held in Beijing Kerry Hotel, with the intention of building a bridge and platform between Chinese overseas students and enterprises and academia, and to encourage students to return and serve the country. Through pictures and video broadcast, the conference had caught the attention of more than 500,000 online audiences, which includes 1000 local, returned, and soon-to-be studying abroad students and parents, 23 guest mentors, and multiple cooperative enterprises and media.
As the special guest of the opening ceremony, the former Chairman of China Everbright Group, also a cultural scholar, Mr. Tang Shuangning, had presented a speech, titled as "Live a Wonderful Three-Dimensional Life". The speech encompassed the relationship between arts and life, advocating majority overseas students to pursue "three-dimensional life", "artistic life", and "enriching life", under the circumstance of having diversified educational and cultural background. The former President and CEO of CICC (China International Capital Corporation Limited), Mr. Levin Zhu, and former General Manager of CIC (China Investment Corporation), Mr. Gao Xiqing had brought an opening dialogue to the conference, titling as "Modern Chinese History and the Relationship Between China and the World". The two mentors were trying to deliver the message of not taking the reformation for granted without making any progresses, to the younger generation. They should maintain an innovative attitude, in producing unique technologies and products that belong to China.
Moving on, the "Innovation and Challenges of China's Science and Technology" had started under the speech of Mr. Sheng Xitai, the Founder of Hongtai Aplus, mainly discussing about the development and changing laws of China's economy and technology ever since reformation. Before taking a lunch break, the special guests in the technology sector round table forum had deeply analyzed and discussed the development trend and direction of China's science and technology, and answered questions for the overseas students.
After the short break, the "Responsibility and Mission of Education" had started under the speech of Dr. Denis Simon, the foreign President of Kunshan Duke University. He reminded the present students to maintain a heart of pursuing change to adapt to different challenges in different environments. The Executive Vice President of Tsinghua Schwarzman College, Professor Pan Qingzhong, also answered the questions regarding the responsibilities and missions of overseas students, from the perspective of international education. The Special Advisor to the President of the University of Pennysylvania, also the founder of World Education Forum, Dr. Cheng Davis, had also shared his speech of "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country", that is captured from the US President Kenndy's classic quote. The Founder of Youku Group, Mr. Victor Koo, and his wife, a well-known director, Mrs. Helen Yu, encouraged overseas students to organically combine the "educational background of studying abroad" with the cultural industry, and produce works that are not only artistic, but also feature cultural protection and promotion, bringing innovative ideas to the cultural industry. The special guests involved in the cultural sector round table forum had also made discussions regarding several topics such as "controversy over internet celebrity, traffic and fan circle culture", "cultural confidence and diverse cultural backgroun", and so on. They also called on overseas students to maintain cultural inclusiveness, openness and cultural self-confidence regardless of what industry they are in.
Lastly, during the closing ceremony, a well-known entrepreneur, the Founder of Wumart Holdings, Inc., Mr. Zhang Wenzhong, had prepared a closing speech for the conference. He called on overseas students to keep pace with the times with a development perspective, drive development with innovative thinking, and advance with the trend of technological revolution and consumption upgrade. After the conference ended, overseas students were given the chance to interact and communicate with the HR from 19 enterprises that are under the list of World's Top 500 Strongest Enterprises, and even have on-the-spot interviews with them. Such great job-seeking opportunity had greatly aroused students' spirits.
