IMUSE in Bejing: Innovation is the future

The opening ceremony of a China-US student exchange program has been held in Beijing at Tsinghua University. Those addressing the meetinng have encouraged the students to keep innovating and embrace the world with an open mind.

The student exchange program is dubbed IMUSE, or Initiating Mutual Understanding through Student Exchange. Innovation, inspiration and imagination were the key words being heard at this year's IMUSE conference.

A number of influential speakers were part of Tuesday's opening ceremony, sharing their perspectives on youth and innovation with the students from China and the United States. Wu Wei, Deputy Secretary-General of China's National Youth Federation, says friendship among the young people is key to helping forge stronger ties.

Wu Wei, Deputy Secretary-General of China's National Youth Federation, speaks at the IMUSE opening ceremony in Beijing on August 14th, 2018. [Photo provided to China Plus]

"A good relationship between the young people is a foundation of a good relationship of the two countries. The friendship young people build together gives hope to the future of the two countries. With their foresight, courage and wisdom, the young people of China and the United States are able to create and develop a new type of relationship between great powers."

Other speakers at the event shared their experience as the developers of start-ups in China, including their thoughts on innovation. Cao Shenshen, Director of Tencent's Product Policy Department, says Tencent continues to recruit from China and the US to keep their innovation pipeline fresh.

Cao Shenshen, Director of Tencent's Product Policy Department, speaks at the IMUSE opening ceremony in Beijing on August 14th, 2018.  [Photo provided to China Plus]

"Since last year, we have launched our projects on artificial intelligence, quantum, driverless technology, Internet of Vehicles and Internet of Things. In our laboratories, we work with the world's top scientists, including a number of North American professors and experts."

The opening of the IMUSE conference also included a number of American students listening in.

Matthew Baldwin from MIT says he's been impressed with how China has been embracing techological advancement.

"I didn't expect so much to be paid...paid by the systems here. It's all very advanced technologically. Like in the U.S.,it's still very much cash based, or using a debit or credit card system, where here is all using the apps like WeChat. That was a big shock."

IMUSE opening ceremony is held in Beijing on August 14th, 2018. [Photo provided to China Plus]

IMUSE is a Chinese-American fellowship founded in 2007 by Harvard University, Peking University, and Tsinghua University. The program recruits students from both sides, with a goal of trying to facilitate mutual understanding through cross-cultural communication and friendship. The Massachusets Institute of Technology, MIT, has later joined the program.