Warsaw-Beijing Forum: Youth for business

  Warsaw-Beijing Forum: Youth for Business - that is the full name of the student-led project that for the past three years has been the new force in development of Polish-Chinese relations. But what’s behind that? A great amount of passion, hard work and dedication given by young people, whose goal is to build bridges between Warsaw and Beijing. They want to promote Polish culture and businesses in the Middle Kingdom by breaking culture, geographical and language barriers. This year’s edition of the project is right on the doorstep - the Warsaw Part is planned for May 2016, the Beijing one - for October The idea of the project was born in October 2013 at the University of Warsaw. Since its early days it has attracted a great attention of numerous partners, such as Deloitte, DLA Piper, HSBC, and The Polish Institute of International Affairs. It has also received a financial support from a number of entrepreneurs. A huge media coverage was provided by Rzeczpospolita, TVP Warszawa, Kariera w Finansach, Investing.com and Equity Magazine. How did a new, student-led initiative gain so much support and popularity in such a short time? We believe it’s due to an unique form of the project. Warsaw-Beijing Forum is made out of two week-long conferences. The first part is going to take place in Warsaw, from 18th to 25th May 2016. Fifteen students of China University of Political Science and Law are going to spend a week in Warsaw - they will take part in lectures, workshops and case studies. The meetings will focus on the main theme of this years’ edition - “The Eurasian Dream”. High class experts will showcase to the students the legal and economic aspects of cooperation between Europe and Asia and the chances for economic growth for both Poland and China. The second part of the project will be held in October 2016. Fifteen students from Warsaw will fly to Beijing to participate in lectures and meetings with Chinese experts. Diverse topics of the meetings will make it easier for Poles to understand the Chinese business ethics, manners and the business environment in the Middle Kingdom. Their stay in Beijing will be a great chance for them to learn more about the economy, law and culture of China. China is one of the strongest and fastest developing economies of the World, which makes the development of long lasting bonds with the country a vital interest for Poland. Therefore one of the aims of the project is to educate future experts, that would be able to make contacts with Chinese partners, businessmen and scholars from the Middle Kingdom. 'Warsaw-Beijing Forum was established with a full awareness of the constant changes in the terms of geopolitics and the constantly growing impact of China in the World. It is crucial that Poland had experts that understand the characteristics of the Middle Kingdom - experts that would make the cooperation between the countries fully possible,'  says the main coordinator of the project, Krzysztof Florczyk. Students from China and Poland are once again set to prove that debates and meetings concerning the law and economy of both countries can have a real impact on the key milestones of the cooperation between the countries. As a Chinese proverb is saying: “Each step leaves a trace; work assiduously and achieve progress”. The persistence and the great ambition of the organizers of Warsaw-Beijing Forum has caused a student-led project to be an Europe-wide phenomenon and a true pride of the University of Warsaw.