Silk Road Connects All Nations, Youth Forge a Shared Future— 2026 Sino-Foreign Youth Cultural & Innovation Exchange YES Program
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Zhengzhou University of Science and Technology was founded in 1988, the university is located in Zhengzhou, Henan Province. It is a full-time regular undergraduate institution approved by the Ministry of Education. It was upgraded to an undergraduate university in 2008 and recognized as Henan Provincial Postdoctoral Innovation Practice Base in 2025.
Situated in the core city of Central Plains, the university has two campuses, Erqi and Wanshanhu, with beautiful scenery and convenient transportation. It consists of 18 secondary colleges and offers 59 undergraduate majousrs. Focing on engineering disciplines, it also covers economics, management, literature, art, education and other fields. The university has nearly 35,000 full-time enrolled students.
Sticking to application-oriented education philosophy, the university conducts frequent international exchanges. It has established cooperative relations with universities in Finland, Germany, Malaysia and other countries. As a member of the Erasmus+ Programme, the university provides multilingual courses and possesses abundant experience in receiving international students and short-term study tour groups.
Rated as a national model private university for graduate employment, the university commits itself to the integration of industry and education. It has built practical training bases jointly with over 220 enterprises including Huawei and Yutong, with well-equipped teaching facilities and complete living amenities. Taking advantage of Zhengzhou's profound historical culture and superior geographical location, we provide diversified short-term programs for international youth, covering cultural experience, language learning, professional training and corporate visits, to facilitate mutual learning, communication and common development between Chinese and foreign young people.
To fully implement the major initiatives put forward by President Xi Jinping—inviting 50,000 young Americans to China for exchange and study over the next five years, working to increase the number of French students studying in China to over 10,000 and double the scale of European youth exchanges to China in the next three years, and inviting more Australian youth to China for exchange and study,The Young Envoys Scholarship (YES) Program was launched to support this initiative, with the China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE) serving as the lead coordinating body.
The program portfolio includes short-term exchanges, international summer schools, summer/winter camps, semester/short-term study, short-term internships, international student foundation programs, and youth forums. Flagship short-term visits under the YES framework include the Zhi-Xing China Fellowships, U.S.-China Student Leaders Exchange, and the 1,000 Schools Hands Together Initiative. Hosted by CEAIE, participants explore China’s recent social, economic, and technological advances, engage with its 5,000-year historical heritage, and experience its rich cultural and geographical diversity.
Based on the unique geographical advantages, industrial characteristics and profound cultural resources of the Central Plains region, this project integrate-s diverse activities including industrial visits, enterprise investigations, cultural study tours and joint teaching to build a comprehensive and multi-dimensional international exchange education system. Adopting the advanced Finnish Hackathon innovative practical teaching model, the project organizes mixed teams of Chinese and foreign students for collaborative teamwork, which facilitates in-depth cross-cultural communication and ideological exchanges. The project fully demonstrates the modern industrial development achievements of Henan Province and the essence of fine traditional Chinese culture. It broadens the international vision and improves the comprehensive literacy and practical abilities of local students, while enabling Finnish youth to gain a full understanding of real China and distinctive Central Plains characteristics and deepen friendship between Chinese and foreign young people.
How to Apply
1.Applicants must be currently enrolled undergraduate or master’s students in Finland.
2.Applicants shall be aged between 18 and 45, hold a valid Finnish passport, be in good health and have no criminal record.
3.Applications shall be submitted in groups of 10 to 20 members.
4.Application Deadline: September 20, 2026. All groups shall fill out the application form and send it to the designated contact email.
Fees
1.All applicants must purchase the designated medical insurance prior to entering China.
2.Round-trip flight tickets and visa fees shall be borne by applicants.
3.Fees for additional documents and other related expenses will be announced separately.
4.Apart from the above expenses, Zhengzhou University of Science and Technology will cover accommodation, meals, local transportation and program fees during the activity period after applicants arrive in China. Any personal expenses outside program activities shall be at the participants' own cost.
Contact Information
Tel: 037167860154
Email: huangch@zit.edu.cn
