Wisdom Gathers in China and Africa, Youth Reaches Far — Award-winning Young Representatives of the "African Youth AI Application Case Creativity Competition" Visit China for Exchange
Author: Published: 2026-11-03 13:50:22 Source: China-BRICS AI Development and Cooperation Center+ Save this article
In golden October, China-Africa friendship adds another youthful footnote.
2026 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and African countries, and is also the "China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges." Against the backdrop of a booming new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, artificial intelligence is injecting a steady stream of innovative momentum into the traditional friendship between China and Africa.
47 countries, 738 submitted cases, and 114 outstanding cases compiled into a collection; the "Collection of AI Innovation Application Cases by African Youth" was officially released in both English and French; more than 20 award-winning young representatives traveled across mountains and seas to Beijing and Shanghai for AI practice visits and exchanges... A set of numbers traces the complete footprint of the "African Youth AI Application Case Creativity Competition" and also outlines a contemporary silhouette of Chinese and African youth connecting through wisdom and moving forward hand in hand.
From creative submissions to a compiled case collection, from "cloud" competition to meeting in person, this year-long youth appointment has written a vivid stroke for the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges and injected vigorous youthful strength into China and Africa jointly advancing the inclusive development of artificial intelligence and enhancing people's well-being.
01
Wisdom as the Medium:
A Youth Invitation Across Mountains and Seas
Youth are an important force in scientific and technological innovation and the future of China-Africa friendly cooperation. To deepen China-Africa people-to-people exchanges and scientific and technological innovation cooperation, promote the cultivation and practical empowerment of young talent in the field of artificial intelligence, and build a bridge for Chinese and African youth to learn from each other and promote common development, the Secretariat of the Chinese Follow-up Committee of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation hosted the "African Youth AI Application Case Creativity Competition," organized by the China-BRICS AI Development and Cooperation Center. The activity has been included in the premium project list of the "China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges."
With the theme "AI Creates the Future, China and Africa Embark on a New Journey Together," the creativity competition issued a broad "call for heroes" to young people in 53 African countries with diplomatic relations with China, soliciting AI application practices that are innovative, demonstrative, and replicable in key directions such as people's livelihood and well-being, scientific and technological progress, industrial application, cultural exchange, and talent cultivation.
Once the invitation was issued, responses gathered in crowds. The activity received a total of 738 cases from 47 African countries, with participants including university students, young researchers, startups, and innovation teams. From sub-Saharan Africa to the banks of the Nile, African youth enthusiastically took up their pens to answer, using lines of code and applications to write down their visions of a better future.
02
Cases as the Bridge:
Innovative Answers in 114 Cases
114 selected cases, 114 innovative answers rooted in African soil. The activity results were compiled into the "Collection of AI Innovation Application Cases by African Youth," which has been officially released and presented in both English and French, allowing the wisdom and achievements of African youth to cross language barriers and reach the wider world.
Opening the case collection, what immediately strikes the reader is the deep embrace between artificial intelligence and Africa's real needs. From healthcare and education and training to agricultural production and public governance, from industrial digital transformation to cultural inheritance and innovation, the selected cases are grounded in Africa's local development needs and actively explore diverse paths for artificial intelligence to solve practical problems.
What is particularly valuable is that, in the face of practical conditions such as network connectivity, computing power resources, and equipment costs, African youth adapt to local conditions, combining artificial intelligence with local languages, cultural characteristics, and application scenarios, so that technological achievements can serve economic and social development more conveniently and inclusively. These explorations not only demonstrate the broad application prospects of artificial intelligence technology but also highlight the wisdom and vitality of African youth in staying grounded in reality and daring to innovate.
Each case is a window for observing Africa's innovative vitality and also a paving stone for China-Africa digital cooperation. The release of the case collection is not only a concentrated display of African youth's innovative achievements but also builds a new bridge for exchanges and mutual learning in the China-Africa artificial intelligence field.
03
Turning Knowledge into Action:
From "Cloud" Competition to Meeting in Person
Creative exchange does not stop on paper; it must move toward face-to-face encounters. Award-winning young representatives were invited to China and traveled to Beijing and Shanghai for AI practice visits and exchanges, experiencing the surging pulse of China's artificial intelligence development through their journey.
The Beijing trip intertwined technology and culture. At the Yizhuang Robot World, the young representatives conducted on-site inspections of the latest scenarios and technological breakthroughs in robot applications driven by artificial intelligence; at the Xiaomi Yizhuang visit site, everyone immersed themselves in the smart ecosystem and learned about the implementation practices of artificial intelligence in intelligent terminals and intelligent manufacturing; at Peking University, Chinese and foreign youth sat together, discussing and sparking ideas around AI talent cultivation, scientific research innovation, and youth exchange and cooperation.
The high-speed rail sped southward. In Shanghai, the young representatives entered the exhibition hall of the Shanghai Operations Base of the China-BRICS AI Development and Cooperation Center to learn on site about cutting-edge AI achievements and application scenarios; at the Model Speed Space, ideas surged at the outstanding case sharing and exchange meeting, where young representatives took turns on stage to share their award-winning cases, engaging in interactive discussions and mutual learning; at Fudan University, both sides held in-depth exchanges on AI research progress and talent cultivation; at the 2026 Global Developer Pioneer Conference, cutting-edge achievements such as core components of embodied intelligence and robot bodies were dazzling, and the young representatives stopped to observe and frequently asked questions.
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From self-introductions at the ice-breaking dinner to candid exchanges at the sharing sessions; from group photos side by side in the exhibition hall to lively discussions at universities—the itinerary was packed, and the rewards were abundant. The visiting youth representatives said one after another that this trip allowed them both to see the rich fruits of China's AI development and to meet like-minded partners, and they look forward to bringing what they saw and learned in China back to Africa, so that the seeds of innovation can take root and sprout in a broader land.
Through 70 years of weathering storms together, the traditional friendship between China and Africa has a long history and has grown ever stronger; walking hand in hand in the new era, the younger generation is becoming the most active factor in China-Africa friendly cooperation.
Using cases as the medium, exchange as the bridge, and youth as the name. As the English-French bilingual case collection spreads and the results of the visit and exchanges take root, more innovative achievements originating from practical needs will take root and sprout, and more Chinese and African youth will come to know and grow close to one another through mutual learning and mutual emulation.
Wisdom gathers in China and Africa, and youth reaches far. On the road of jointly advancing modernization, Chinese and African youth will surely write more wonderful stories of "two-way journeys" and contribute youthful wisdom and strength to building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.
Original link:https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/8stQubBHw89Y1hKWzSszhw?scene=25&sessionid=#wechat_redirect
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