This year's meeting of the network was held at Beijing Friendship Hotel on July 24, with about 50 member institutions taking apart.

Zeng Qingkai, Secretary-general of China Daily and Editor-in-chief of 21st Century, expressed gratitude for members' support and proposed three key initiatives: strengthening multilingual cultural connectivity, fostering strategic collaboration through youth and media partnerships and enhancing member participation through shared governance and regional 
projects.

A 21-member executive council, comprising 14 Chinese member institutions and seven overseas member institutions, was elected. The secretariat, represented by Zhang Haigai, Deputy Editor-in-chief of 21st Century, reported significant progress over the past year, including network expansion to 70 members, high-impact academic forums and youth-focused programs such as the BRICS Young Leaders Forum and the Belt and Road Youth English Speaking Competition. The network aims to deepen academic collaboration, to become an international NGO, and to amplify its global influence, attendees were told.

During discussions, members emphasized the need for stronger academic collaboration, cultural exchange initiatives and improved information sharing. Proposals included joint research projects, teacher exchange programs and multilingual training to further bridge language and cultural divides. The council reaffirmed its commitment to empowering youth and fostering cross-border partnerships in education and communication.


Council member representatives.