"I envision the youth from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan taking an active role ininnovation and creativity within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), aiming to harness international advanced knowledge and technology," said Wang Ruijun, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, during the Dialogue on International Bay Area Youth Driving High-Quality Development.
On March 2nd, the dialogue, themed "Uniting World Talent, Constructing Bridges to the Future, and Realizing the Bay Area Dream", was organized by the Guangdong Oversea-educated Youths Association and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Youth Association in Guangzhou.
Nearly 400 representatives from diverse industries, including those from the GBA, Tokyo Bay Area in Japan, San Francisco Bay Area and New York Bay Area in the United States, as well as young talents from both domestic and international backgrounds, convened to engage in keynote speeches and roundtable discussions.
The forum aimed to facilitate discussions on how young people in the GBA can contribute to significant initiatives such as the "High-quality Development Projects for Guangdong Counties, Towns and Villages" projects, talent development, and industrial technological innovation. It also sought to promote the convergence of overseas high-level talents in industry and technological innovation, emphasizing the importance of their participation in the development of the GBA.
Zhao Gansen, President of the Guangdong Oversea-educated Youths Association said, "I believe that high-quality development and new productive forces are two particularly important options for many of our overseas returned fellow students to better participate in the rise of China."
Wu Xueming, President of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area Youth Association, highlighted the importance of gathering talent from around the world to advance the development of the GBA. "The mission of leveraging the advantages of the 'one country, two systems' policy, as well as the international reputation and resources of higher education institutions, to build a platform with global influence that integrates young people into the development of the GBA," he said.
During the event, alumni and representatives from universities in the four major bay areas, along with other outstanding alumni engaged in the development of the GBA, jointly inaugurated the International Bay Area Universities Alliance (IBASA).
IBASA comprises more than 50 universities, alumni associations, research institutes, and student unions from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, New York Bay Area, San Francisco Bay Area, and Tokyo Bay Area.
IBASA aims to connect and serve young people in the international Bay Areas, mobilize elite youth from around the world, and create a platform for East-West exchanges in talent, capital, and projects to promote high-quality development in the Bay Areas.
In addition, initiatives such as iBay Capital and the Guangdong Youth Development Foundation's Special Fund for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Youth Association were launched during the event, furthering the commitment to youth development and regional cooperation.