In late August, over 310 students and faculty from the Chinese mainland, Chile, Brazil and Peru gathered in Santiago for the China–Latin America 2025 Youth Challenge to Alleviate Poverty. This cross-cultural event sparked fresh ideas for sustainable development, blending diverse disciplines and perspectives.
Six finalist teams took center stage with bold proposals: one transformed mine tailings into eco-friendly building materials; another delivered digital education platforms to remote communities; a third designed foldable housing for post-disaster recovery; and others tackled water security in hard-to-reach regions.
Taking the top prize was a joint team from Tsinghua University and the University of Chile, whose solar-powered water collection and purification system promises to deliver safe drinking water to off-grid villages. By pairing clean energy with advanced filtration, their prototype could redefine rural water access.
With representation from 27 universities and enterprises, the challenge highlighted how youth-led collaboration can drive real impact in poverty reduction. These young innovators are already shaping sustainable solutions—proving that a fusion of tech, teamwork and cultural exchange can light the path out of poverty.
Reference(s):
Act to Action: Youth innovation lights the path out of poverty
cgtn.com
