HONG KONG and MACAU, Aug. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The World Youth Forum (WYF) – a global youth platform for challenge-based learning and growth, co-created by top cross-sector partners through multilateral collaboration – wrapped up its 2025 Future Economics Leadership Summit (WYF-FELS) in Hong Kong, China, and Future Liberal Arts Leadership Summit (WYF-FLALS) in Macau, China, between August 5 and 16. The event attracted nearly 1,000 youth representatives and diverse academic forces from 15 countries and regions, including China, India, Singapore, South Korea, and the United States, among others, who joined together to explore global issues in the era of artificial intelligence.
Attendees included notable figures such as: Mr. Zhao Gang, Director General of the Global Innovation Center; Dr. Un Shil Choi, Chairperson of the UNESCO Expert Advisory Committee for Learning Cities; Mr. Christopher Caltabiano, Interim CEO and Chief Program Officer of the Council for Economic Education (CEE); Mr. Keith Wenner, President of the Board of the United States Academic Decathlon Association (USAD); and Dr. James Song, President of Midwest University. Experts from institutions including JPMorgan Chase & Co., Amazon.com, Inc., Newcastle University, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and other institutions participated as mentors and judges, providing professional guidance and in-depth evaluations to youth representatives.
WYF: Scenes from the Dual Summits in Hong Kong and Macau
Engaging in Global Issue Challenges: World Youth Launch Interdisciplinary and Cross-Cultural Dialogues
Centered on the AI era, the two WYF summits have built a bridge for global youth to learn, grow, and engage in cross-cultural exchanges. Among them, WYF-FELS, held in Hong Kong, introduced top global academic challenges programs-the National Economics Challenge (NEC) and Business Professionals of America (BPA). Its multi-dimensional challenge system, encompassing knowledge assessments, case studies, and business simulations, enables youth from different countries to compete and collaborate on economics and business knowledge on a shared platform, demonstrating their professional accumulation and understanding of global economic issues.
Subsequently, WYF-FLALS, hosted in Macau, leveraged core challenge activities such as the International Academic Decathlon (IAD) and the Global Youth Creative Expo (Hi World) as platforms to guide participants in exploring issues including “Technology & Social Equity”, “Green Technology & Sustainable Cities”, and “AI & Human Culture” from interdisciplinary perspectives, including mathematics, science, social sciences, and the arts. This approach encouraged youth to uncover new connotations of contemporary humanistic spirit through rigorous academic inquiry.
As a centerpiece of both WYF summits, “U20 Youth Voices” broke down geographical barriers and facilitated cross-national team formation, resulting in cross-cultural teams like U.S.-South Korea, Singapore–Thailand, and China–India. These teams conducted in-depth discussions on global issues such as sustainable development and technology and social equity. Insights from multiple teams were highly praised by experts as “groundbreaking youth perspectives,” underscoring the unique value of cross-national collaboration in researching global issues.
Vishva Rao, a youth representative from the United States, shared, “The convergence of different cultures here has shown me how diverse perspectives blend and shape economic thinking. It’s delightful to strengthen friendships with each other while discussing issues like economics.”
Multilateral Co-Creation: Creating a Global Playground for Youth Learning and Growth
In the “Educators’ Symposium” segment, educators from China, India, Japan, Pakistan, South Korea, the United States, Vietnam and other countries engaged in in-depth discussions on topics such as financial literacy development for middle school students and AI-driven educational transformation, facilitating exchanges and collaboration across the global education sector. During the event, outstanding former participants of WYF and NEC, currently studying at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, shared insights into how their research and study experiences have informed their university studies and future career development, illustrating the long-term value and enduring impact of these initiatives.
“As one of the Co-Creators of WYF, CEE is a U.S.-based nonprofit educational organization with a 76-year history. We are delighted to see WYF leveraging its global youth network to empower youth to play, shine, lead, and shape the future. This aligns closely with our philosophy. When considering how to expand the National Economics Challenge (NEC), initiated by CEE, to more countries, WYF has always been an excellent partner,” noted Mr. Christopher Caltabiano, Interim CEO and Chief Program Officer of the CEE.
Mr. Keith Wenner, President of the Board of the USAD, commented, “The youth have demonstrated excellent cross-cultural communication and collaboration skills, and their ideas are extremely inspiring. USAD and WYF share a strong spirit of alignment – both remain committed to young people’s learning, growth, and progress, empowering them to become whoever they want to be without limitations. This shared commitment to youth development makes our collaboration with WYF profoundly meaningful.”
Houston Hou, Executive Convener of the WYF, stated: “Since its founding, WYF has always firmly believed that young people are the shapers of the future. The significance of WYF lies precisely in providing a truly global stage that belongs to young people around the world. Going forward, WYF will gradually expand into multiple literacy fields such as Science and Engineering, and Life and Health. By 2030, we aim to reach 100 countries and become the world’s most aspirational platform for youth challenge and growth.”
For more information about WYF, please visit the official website: http://www.wyforum.org
