The special session of the Global Youth Multicultural Forum titled "Pact for the Future, Empowering the Youth" was held at Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU) on April 11.

The event themed "Cultivating Global Competence, Embarking on a New Era Together," aims to explore the role and capacity building of youth in global governance.

Participants of the event pose for a group photo. [Photo/bfsu.edu.cn]

At the event, Su Dapeng, deputy secretary of the CPC BFSU Committee, highlighted the university's commitment to nurturing young talents with global competence, cross-cultural communication skills, and innovative practical abilities. He stated that BFSU is advancing professional, scenario-based, and practical empowerment to explore new educational models that integrate diverse disciplines, encouraging students to actively fulfill global responsibilities and contribute to international understanding and sustainable development.

Wang Kan, deputy director of the China International Communications Group, highlighted that the Global Youth Multicultural Forum has become a significant platform connecting over 1,000 young people from more than 60 countries across six continents. Wang stressed that the initiative focuses on placing youth at the core of global governance, addressing global challenges like peace and security, and development imbalances through innovative vitality.

Amalia Di Iorio, vice-chancellor of La Trobe University in Australia, delivered a keynote speech on "education and youth power in global competence." She noted that in the rapidly changing political and technological landscape, global competence is a crucial ability for youth participating in global governance. She introduced the collaborative programs between La Trobe University and BFSU, which aims at systematically developing students' cross-cultural adaptability, communication skills, and critical thinking.

The event also featured the launch of the "Lai Hua Xiao Ke Tang" (China insights workshop) initiative, a one-stop service platform for international students in China, designed to assist them in adapting to study and life in China and to deepen cultural exchanges between China and other countries.

In the keynote sharing session, experts and youth representatives from fields such as international education, cultural communication, cross-cultural experience, and global governance practice shared insights.

This event, aligning with the spirit of the United Nations' "Pact for the Future," united over one hundred experts from academia and industry, as well as youth representatives from more than 20 countries, to jointly explore the contemporary significance, capacity building, and practical pathways of youth participation in global governance. It provided a high-quality platform for intellectual exchange, cultural mutual learning, and collaborative growth among Chinese and international youth.