On May 10, the Cultural Integration and Technological Innovation—Youth Leaders Academic Salon, held against the backdrop of Asian Civilization Week, was successfully convened at the Zhongxi Book House on Zhejiang University’s Zijingang Campus. The event focused on young Asian leaders, facilitating in-depth dialogue on technological innovation and cultural convergence. It was chaired by Zhao Yupei, Vice Dean of the College of Media and International Culture.
At the opening, Fang Xingdong, Executive Vice Dean of the college, delivered a welcome address. He emphasized that in the tide of globalization, cultural integration and technological innovation act as dual engines driving social progress. Asia, as a confluence of diverse civilizations, harbors boundless vitality. This salon aimed to build bridges for Asian youth, enabling the collision of ideas and mutual learning among cultures, thereby co-creating a new vision for exchange and infusing youthful energy into global sustainable development.
Jiang Yun, Director of the Zhejiang International Communication Center, underscored in her speech that the College of Media and International Culture at Zhejiang University has nurtured numerous young creators with global perspectives. The collaboration between the college and the Zhejiang International Communication Center has a solid foundation in areas such as content co-creation and offline coordination. The establishment of the International Youth Creation Base represents a practical achievement of their deepened partnership. She expressed hope that this platform would pool professional expertise to inject new vitality into the international dissemination of China’s stories.
Subsequently, Fang Xingdong and Jiang Yun jointly unveiled the plaque for the International Youth Creation Base, marking a new phase of collaboration between the Zhejiang International Communication Center and the college.
Jiang Xianzheng, Deputy Director of the International Communication Committee of the Zhejiang Journalists Association, delivered a speech titled A Global Perspective from China, Hangzhoufeel Returning from the World. He detailed the Hangzhou International Communication Center’s development strategy through four dimensions: building one distinctive brand, strengthening two major platforms, utilizing three vessels for global outreach, and advancing four strategic initiatives. Projects such as 5,000 Years of China Through Hangzhou and Hangzhou Old Friends aim to transform industrial, cultural, and policy advantages into international communication strengths, elevating Hangzhou’s global narrative.
Zhu Qian, Vice President of the Zhejiang Provincial Youth Literature and Art Association, centered on online literature in his presentation The Z Power of Online Literature. He asserted that online literature has become a mainstream cultural phenomenon and a vital force in cultural export. Future Z Power trends, he noted, will manifest in three ways: refinement and classicization of content, and creator-driven dissemination empowered by AI integration. Each creator, he added, will serve as a new platform for telling China’s stories well.
Following this, Fang Xingdong and Xie Qing, Deputy Director of the Zhejiang International Communication Center, jointly presented honorary certificates to eight Asia Cultural Exchange Ambassadors in recognition of their outstanding contributions to promoting mutual learning among Asian cultures.
The roundtable session, moderated by Wei Xiao, Assistant Director of Zhejiang TV International Channel, featured in-depth discussions with four panelists: Chen Faling, founder of Guangyutongchen Technology; Liu Le, Deputy Director of the Art Department at Zhejiang Conservatory of Music; and Zhejiang University international student representatives Ding Shi Biyu and Yamaguchi Riko. Key topics included leveraging AIGC to build bridges for cultural communication, how youth can propel Chinese culture globally through the 'Digital China Wave,' and balancing cultural specificity with universality.
With the conclusion of the roundtable, the Cultural Integration and Technological Innovation—Youth Leaders Academic Salon drew to a successful close. The event not only provided a stage for Asian youth to exchange ideas but also, through the launch of the International Youth Creation Base, pioneered practical pathways for the global dissemination of Chinese culture. Moving forward, young participants will continue to harness wisdom and action to invigorate Asian civilizations through cross-cultural synergy.
