What they say
The current landscape of global development is presenting new features, marked by a period of adjustment in geopolitics and globalization, and a shift in focus toward issues such as climate, environment, health and security. Confronted with new challenges, there needs to be innovative thinking, novel approaches and coordinated efforts on the global scale. This is the new mission bestowed upon the youth in the new era. What I want to emphasize is that, despite globalization entering an adjustment period in certain areas, the overall trend has not changed. The world is more interconnected than ever before, and young people must observe, study and solve problems from a global and historical perspective. Zhang Xiangchen, deputy director-general of World Trade Organization
From the Finnish viewpoint, innovation is not a characteristic of only a few creative geniuses. We Finns argue that everyone can and should be creative and innovative both at work and in everyday life, as success in working life is strongly linked to competence and attitude of the entire staff, i.e. to the ability and desire of all of us to renew. Everyday innovations, for example, insights related to renewing and enhancing practical work and operating methods, may not appear as glamorous, but they concretely improve the flow and productivity of work. At the same time, they enhance the relevance and meaningfulness of work. Comprehensive development and innovation competence create added value and ensure competitiveness, and are especially important for smaller organizations such as microenterprises, which rarely have the opportunity to use resources for specialized development and innovation activities and training.
Olli Suominen, education and science counselor at the embassy of Finland in China
The technological landscape is transforming with breathtaking speed.
Fields like AI, 5G and quantum computing are redefining what’s possible, but they also raise the entry barriers due to the complexity and cost of technologies. This makes entrepreneurship extremely costly and inaccessible to a large portion of the youth. We need to ensure that the youth not only catch up, but also stay ahead of technological advancement. Universities and large corporations must provide more targeted support and realworld experience for the younger generation, including a school-enterprise incubation system. The responsibility lies not only with universities, but also with larger companies and funds to dedicate substantial resources to cultivating talent and keeping them abreast of current skill demands. Wahed Ahmadzai, founder of NHub and secretary-general of Alumni Talent Alliance