An international student at Peking University believes that digitalization and sustainability, key topics at the upcoming 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in north China's Tianjin, are most appealing to youth, as such long-term issues profoundly impact the young generation growing up amidst rapid change and uncertainty.
The SCO Tianjin Summit will take place from August 31 to September 1. In a recent interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), David Kolosov, a PhD candidate in political science at Peking University, said the summit's focus on digitalization and sustainability will strongly resonate with Generation Z.
Kolosov noted that young people are growing up in an era marked by rapid change and uncertainty, which makes long-term issues particularly relevant to them. He added that the summit's agenda goes beyond policy and is also about shaping the future that young people will experience.
"Looking at this year's SCO Summit in Tianjin, I think a few topics are likely to resonate with younger audience. One is digitalization. Like in July, the SCO held a digital economy forum here in Tianjin that gathered hundreds of participants from governments, business, and academia, and so on. So, they discussed areas like AI, smart cities, and digital skills training. The China-SCO Digital Technology Toolkit (2025) with more than 50 digital products was also introduced there. And for young people there, these initiatives can be relevant because they link directly to future job markets and skill developments," Kolosov said.
Kolosov added that sustainability, including green development and environmental protection, will be another focus at the upcoming SCO Summit, a priority that aligns closely with youth concerns for their future.
"Another theme is sustainability. So, the summit scheduled for August 31 to September 1 will bring together leaders from over 20 countries and several international organizations. One of the outcomes is expected to be a long-term development strategy with sustainability among its focused areas. While political declarations don't always translate immediately into action, they can set priorities for regional cooperation on issues like green growth and environmental protections, and so on. And so, these are topics that many young people care about because they will live with the consequences," Kolosov said.
"So, things like digital transformation, economic opportunity, and sustainable development at the summit, align with concerns many young people already have. Whether or not the SCO delivers the great result, these are the kinds of discussions that touch on the future in a changing world," he said.
Digital, green future tops youth agenda at SCO Tianjin Summit
