Oriented on making people closer

What is the "China Governance" competition? It is an annual student competition organized by leading Chinese universities. Participants are students from China and other countries who are studying in China. Instead of dry theory, they travel to Chinese cities and villages to study real-life examples of how local authorities work, environmental programs and digital services. Then they try to apply this experience to the problems of their own countries.

This time, about two hundred students from China and two dozen other countries gathered in Jingmen, a city in central China. Their goal was to study real governance cases, understand how rural revitalization and local innovations shape China's modernization, and consider which lessons might benefit other nations.

On Sunday, the second China Governance Case Analysis Competition for university students concluded in Jingmen, Hubei Province. The four-day event ran under the motto "Discover Jingmen, Inspire the World." Participants examined real governance practices across eight themes, including urban and rural development, digital public administration, and environmental governance.

In the finals, teams presented their projects and defended their findings, turning local examples into cross-cultural dialogue. In the international student category, the top prize went to a team from Sichuan University, composed of students from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, and China. Their case study focused on a village in Zhejiang Province and explored how its ecological revival model could serve as an example for Pakistan.

Francesca Rann Rositudottir, a student from Iceland, said that such exchanges are hugely important. In her view, young people from different countries need to come together and share ideas. Communication, she noted, is what matters most.

The competition was launched in November 2025. It drew broad participation from universities across China. Eighty teams from thirty-three universities made it to the finals. Among the nearly two hundred student participants and observers were thirty-eight international students from twenty-four countries, including Russia, Germany, Japan, South Korea, and Uzbekistan.

Through lively debates and joint case analysis, students from China and other countries explored how communities tackle shared challenges — from balancing economic growth with environmental protection to making digital public services accessible in remote areas.

Sherbek Mukhiddinov, a student from Uzbekistan, shared his impressions. He said he discussed local issues with residents of Jingmen, talked about the same topics with foreign students, and learned a great deal about what he himself can do in his home country to help develop its regions.

This event is more than a competition. It is a platform for academic exchange, university-local government cooperation, and — above all — cross-cultural dialogue.

Experts say the goal is to encourage young people to better understand China through field research and real-world examples, while contributing their own ideas to high-quality development and modern governance.

Photo: orient.tm