Engaging the Future: Conversations with Chinese Youth

On August 7^th, the World Bank Group and Youth2Youth (Y2Y) network welcomed a group of Chinese students visiting the United Nations in New York and the World Bank in Washington D.C. The group met with World Bank staff to learn more about the institution and discuss success factors for young people in their education and early career choices.  

Comprised of over 100 students and young professionals, the group visited the World Bank to understand the institution’s role in poverty reduction, listened to experiences by experts and young professionals in developing a meaningful career while sharing their views and aspirations as emerging leaders of China. In the seminar, the participants met with the newly-elected Y2Y steering committee, learned about its mission as the World Bank’s youth community dedicated to building channels to cultivate fresh ideas and perspectives into World Bank operations.

A video presentation highlighting the partnership between the World Bank and the People’s Republic of China over the past 30 years was also shared with the participants. Many students showed great interest in the breadth and scope of the World Bank’s support to China and asked a number of highly insightful questions. The group was also introduced to the Youth Innovation Fund (YIF), a Y2Y sponsored initiative which provides youth at the World Bank Group an opportunity to design and implement projects focusing on innovation, efficiency and impact on youth development around the world.

Last year’s YIF projects such as Matt Groh’s “Sports Camp in Jordan for Refugees from Iraq and Syria”, and Karina Baba and Hannah Kim’s “Innovative Public Sector Promotion Project in Brazil” demonstrated the passion and creativity necessary to complete the ambitious projects aimed at improving lives around the world.

As students learned more about the elements of building a meaningful career, participants also shared their aspirations with their peers and expressed future career interests ranging from fashion design to volunteerism and social entrepreneurship, as  well as developing careers in development and diplomacy. Many students also expressed an interest in pursuing higher education abroad.

Shaun Ng, Lead Financial Officer at the World Bank Treasury, concluded the event by taking the opportunity to share his career and life experiences with the visiting group. The students had a number of questions related to managing workplace disagreements, balancing career and relationships, as well as how to find a sweet spot in determining an appropriate career choice. “Success is about taking charge of your career choice, it is a combination of work you are passionate about, work that pays, and tasks that come naturally to you.”

Questions or Comments? Contact the Y2Y Communications Chairs Yasmine Djellal at ydjellal@thegef.org or Joe Qian at jqian@worldbank.org.