The annual Global Youth Trends Forum hosted by the Youth Development Administration (YDA), Ministry of Education, opened on October 21 in Taipei. The highly topical theme of this year’s two-day event is “The M∃TA-verse Era: A New World for Youth.” Guest speakers included Digital Affairs Minister Audrey Tang, Acer Group Founder Stan Shih, Minerva University Founding President Teri Cannon, and Marketing Director Utkarsh Amitabh of the Indian unicorn startup 5ire.org. Youths from 35 countries, including Taiwan, are taking part. The event was also being watched by young people around the world through a live stream. The forum is an opportunity to learn about the challenges of digital technology and how youths can respond.

In her opening address, YDA Director General Chen Hsuch-yu wished the forum every success and encouraged the young participants to better understand and address the changes and challenges brought by the digital age. Minister Tang (speaking in a prerecorded video) said the Ministry of Digital Affairs utilizes innovative collaboration models based on diverse partnerships and democratic technologies to enhance technological links between people and society and bring about transformation, forming the foundations for a surge in digital talent. Mr. Shih spoke about the three core values of wangdao (leadership): tiandao (sustainable development), rendao (balance of interests), and didao (value creation). He shared a new vision for Taiwan becoming an innovative silicon island capable of creating even more value in the future. Young people also need to develop the ability to integrate and explore the root of problems. Ms. Cannon shared how youths must be interdisciplinary cognitive thinkers to address the changing world with global perspectives and build their resilience in the revolutionary technological era. Mr. Amitabh (participating remotely) said the future of technological development is based on a foundation of mutual human-machine benefit. Unlimited possibilities can be unlocked by combining the creative thinking of humans and the capabilities of technological tools to create human-centric technologies and utilize blockchain to change the future of humankind.

On October 22, representatives of Taiwan’s business leaders further discussed current industry developments and international trends. Speakers included Ethan Tu, Founder of Taiwan AI Labs; Liang Bor-sung, Senior Director of Forward-looking Technology Platforms at MediaTek; Sega Cheng, CEO of iKala; Huang Yen-lin, Co-founder of FAB DAO; and Hsu You-ren, Founder of AgriForward. For more information, log on to the Global Youth Trends Forum website (iyouth.youthhub.tw/gytf) and Facebook page (fb.com/globalyouthtrendsforum).