Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, border control measures have been implemented by countries around the world and people are facing unprecedented challenges to their livelihoods. In response to the crisis, the Youth Development Administration, Ministry of Education, is organizing the 2021 Global Youth Trends Forum on the theme of “Global Partnership—The Impact of COVID-19 on Global Youth.” The forum will open a new chapter for youth to get reconnected to the world in the COVID-19 era. The first round will take place in Kaohsiung on October 9. A livestream of the exciting dialogue between cross-disciplinary professionals, scholars, and global youth will be held to inspire cooperation on corresponding measures to combat the influence of the pandemic.

The forum will focus on the impact of COVID-19 on the younger generation and feasible steps for global youth to battle the pandemic together. Three major themes will be covered, including “education and learning,” “social innovation (eg. employment),” and “mental health.” The current international status of the issues will be outlined and future trends will be discussed in the context of how they relate to young people. In the keynote session, international panelists will join online to share the multiple repercussions of COVID-19 from a global perspective and discuss how global youth can respond to the challenges and work together to counteract the impact of the pandemic. The panelists include Jan Owen, former CEO of the Foundation for Young Australians and founder of the Learning Creates Australia Foundation, who is an Order of Australia honoree and was named “Westpac Woman of Influence” by the Australian Financial Review; and Meg Zeenat Wamithi, ambassador to the international youth organization One Young World and founder of MindMapper UK, who has been honored with a Diana Award and was named one of the top 10 Rare Rising Stars in 2019.

Domestic heavy hitters invited to be panelists include Academia Sinica fellow Chen Chien-Jen, who is known for his long-term dedication to research in epidemiology and public health, and CommonWealth Magazine English website editor and senior writer Liu Kwangyin, who has rich overseas experience and knowledge of international relations and industrial economics. The speakers will discuss the impact of the pandemic and the response of young people. To bring some youthful creativity and inspiration to the session, it will be cochaired by Howard Chien and Catherine Lu, hosts of the well-known podcast Morning Taiwan Glocal News.

In addition to renowned experts and academics from home and abroad, local youths and foreign youths living in Taiwan will also participate in the forum. Traversing national boundaries and overcoming the restrictions of the pandemic, the forum will be livestreamed so youths around the world can come together to share how life has changed in their countries and how they have reacted to COVID-19 crisis. The three themes of the forum focus on discussion of issues that global youth face concerning discontinuance or transformation in education and learning, qualitative changes in industry structures and job markets, and the multiple impacts on life and mental health under the pandemic.

Do not miss the 2021 Global Youth Trends Forum! The first round of livestreams will take place at 10:15 a.m. (UTC+8) on October 9, 2021. All are welcome to join. This is an opportunity to take on the challenges of the pandemic together with global youths, face the future hand in hand, and connect to worldwide networks. For updates on the Global Youth Trends Forum, please check the official website (https://iyouth.youthhub.tw/gytf2021/ ) and stay tuned for links to the livestreams (https://youtu.be/YYoprEUqRtM)