As the 2025 APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting approaches, Yonsei University's bustling campus in the Republic of Korea (ROK) offers a microcosm of Asia's evolving aspirations. CGTN correspondent Yang Xinmeng recently walked its halls to capture perspectives from what many call 'Generation APEC' – digitally native students navigating an interconnected future.
'Hello, future!' beams Lee Ji-hoon, a 21-year-old international relations major, encapsulating his peers' optimism. 'We swap K-pop dance tutorials with Indonesian friends during lunch, then debate semiconductor supply chains in afternoon seminars. That's our normal.'
Three key themes emerged from dozens of interviews:
Borderless Innovation: Thai exchange student Nalin Chotechuen emphasizes, 'My robotics team has members from five APEC economies. We don't see tech leadership as a zero-sum game.'
Sustainability First: Environmental science majors highlighted climate collaboration as non-negotiable, with Korean student Park Min-ji noting, 'Seoul's air quality depends on regional partnerships.'
Cultural Bridges: International student coordinators reported a 40% increase in cross-campus Asian language exchanges since 2022.
Yang's reporting reveals a generation leveraging digital connectivity to redefine economic cooperation. 'APEC isn't just about trade agreements for them,' she observes. 'It's the group chat where they negotiate shared challenges in real-time.'
As preparations intensify for the 2025 gathering, these campus conversations offer policymakers a vital insight: tomorrow's economic architecture is being drafted not just in boardrooms, but in dorm rooms buzzing with cross-border dreams.
