About the 2025 Poverty Alleviation Challenge

Co-hosted by Tsinghua University, the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, the University of Chile, the Universidad del Pacífico in Peru and Minera Las Bambas S.A., the event attracted the participation of more than 310 teachers and students from 27 universities and enterprises in four countries: China, Brazil, Chile and Peru. The China-Latin American Youth Responding to Global Challenges — 2025 Poverty Alleviation Challenge is divided into two stages: the Preliminary Competition and the Transnational Final, aiming to promote cross-cultural communication and collaboration, and inspire the innovative thinking and practical abilities of global youth in the field of poverty alleviation.

On June 7, 2025, the Preliminary Competition of the 2025 Poverty Alleviation Challenge was successfully held, with Tsinghua University as the offline main venue and participants from Latin American countries competing simultaneously in a hybrid online and offline format. After a fierce competition, 12 innovative teams stood out and advanced to the Transnational Final. In August 2025, the Transnational Final of the 2025 Poverty Alleviation Challenge was held in Brazil and Chile successively.

In January 2026, 32 Latin American university students who advanced to the final came to China for cultural immersion activities, including face-to-face exchanges with Chinese teachers and students, visits to China's poverty alleviation bases and institutions, and Chinese cultural tours.

The 2025 Poverty Alleviation Challenge received support from the Chinese Embassy in Brazil, the Consulate-General of China in Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian Embassy in China, the Chinese Embassy in Chile, the Chilean Embassy in China and the Chinese Embassy in Peru. We sincerely thank renowned domestic and foreign enterprises for their strong support for the event, including Envision Group, CGE, Minera Las Bambas S.A., China Mobile International (Chile), Kuaishou International Business (KSIB) and Banco BOCOM BBM S.A..

The chill still lingered, yet the footsteps moved forward. On January 24, 2026, the China-Latin America joint practice tour in Cili entered its third day. Members from the Tsinghua University Center for Latin American Studies, the "Rural Entrepreneurship +" program, the Cili Station of the Tsinghua University Rural Revitalization Workstation, as well as the Universidad del Pacífico in Peru and Minera Las Bambas S.A. continued to delve into the vibrant land of Cili. They visited Hunan Shenzhou Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and Zhangjiajie Jinfu Kaisheng Shoes Co., Ltd. successively, exploring two distinct industrial paths both leading to "poverty alleviation and income increase" — from the entire industrial chain of traditional Chinese medicine to the intelligent upgrading of labor-intensive industries.

Morning: Green Plants Bring Wealth, the Whole Industrial Chain of Traditional Chinese Medicine Activates New Momentum for Rural Revitalization

The early morning sun dispelled the chill in the mountains and shone on the eucommia ulmoides forests. The first stop of the study tour group was Hunan Shenzhou Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. As a leading enterprise deeply engaged in the field of traditional Chinese medicine, the person in charge of the company had already prepared a detailed industrial map, and with full sincerity, unfolded a poverty alleviation picture of "One Eucommia Ulmoides Tree Enriches a Village".

In the enterprise exhibition hall and exclusive warehouse, the person in charge elaborated on the group's whole industrial chain layout of "from the field to the shelf" — from the standardized planting of Chinese medicinal materials and the refined processing of prepared slices to the terminal retail of medicines, every link closely focused on the core of "improving quality and efficiency, and driving farmers". When talking about "Cili Eucommia Ulmoides", a genuine medicinal material, his eyes were filled with pride: "Eucommia ulmoides is a treasure all over. In the past, farmers planted it scattered with meager income. Now, through industrial development, we have turned eucommia ulmoides leaves and bark into 'golden leaves' and 'silver bark'."

Enterprise Warehouse

The development model of "Cooperative + Enterprise + Technology + Farmer" is the key grasp for the enterprise to drive poverty alleviation. Combining the example of a 5,000-mu standardized planting base, the person in charge explained in detail how to integrate farmers' land resources through cooperatives, the company provides seedlings, technical guidance and guaranteed-price purchase, and then empowers with technology to improve planting efficiency and quality. "We not only let farmers obtain land transfer rent, but also give priority to employing them in the base. From seedling raising, management and protection to harvesting, there is income from work throughout the process, achieving a win-win situation of ecological protection and economic growth." He said that after the once idle mountainous land was planted with eucommia ulmoides, it not only conserved water and soil, but also provided farmers with a stable income at their doorsteps, and many poverty-alleviated households have completely rid themselves of poverty by virtue of this.

During the sharing, Chinese and Latin American teachers and students were full of enthusiasm for asking questions. From the efficacy of eucommia ulmoides, to the profit distribution ratio between cooperatives and farmers, and then to the integration path of traditional Chinese medicine and health care industry, everyone asked questions in a chain. The person in charge answered them patiently and carefully, and discussed the company's future plans: developing eucommia ulmoides functional health products to extend the value of the industrial chain; building a health and wellness resort to realize the deep integration of "traditional Chinese medicine + tourism" and further broaden the channels for poverty alleviation and income increase. This informative exchange made the study tour group deeply realize that the high-quality development of the traditional Chinese medicine industry is an important support for rural revitalization and stable poverty alleviation.

Exchange at the Forum

Afternoon: Intelligence Empowers Ingenuity, Upgrading of Labor-Intensive Industries Broadens the Path of Employment-Driven Poverty Alleviation

In the afternoon, the study tour group moved to Zhangjiajie Jinfu Kaisheng Shoes Co., Ltd., focusing on the intelligent upgrading of labor-intensive industries and the subject of employment-driven poverty alleviation. As soon as they stepped into the production workshop, the neat and orderly intelligent production line came into view, which was completely different from the impression of traditional shoe factories. What was even more touching was the enterprise's sense of responsibility of "promoting poverty alleviation through employment and benefiting the community through industry".

The person in charge of the enterprise led the study tour group to visit the entire production line, explaining each key process one by one from cutting, sewing to molding and quality inspection. "Labor-intensive industries are not low-end industries. Through intelligent upgrading and lean management, we can not only enhance competitiveness, but also create more high-quality jobs." He introduced that the company has always taken "driving employment and repaying the community" as the foundation of its development. In terms of employment structure, it gives priority to employing left-behind women and labor force from poverty-alleviated households in surrounding villages and towns, and at the same time builds a sound skill training system — from novice apprentices to skilled workers and then to team leaders, providing employees with a clear career development path, allowing farmers to double their income through skill improvement.

Enterprise Production Line

In terms of the mechanism of employment driving and community development, the person in charge shared the enterprise's practical philosophy and measures. The company actively absorbs the labor force in surrounding villages and towns, pays special attention to the employment needs of left-behind women, poverty-alleviated households and other groups, and provides them with stable jobs and living security. "We not only provide jobs, but also pay social security for employees, build employee dormitories and canteens, so that everyone can work and live in the factory with peace of mind." He said that the development of the enterprise is inseparable from local support, and driving the people of the community to achieve common prosperity is the social responsibility that the enterprise should undertake.

The explanation of the whole process of production management was also full of valuable content. From the cost control methods of lean production, to the quality control standards of key processes, and then to the flexible mechanism of quickly responding to market orders, the person in charge shared the enterprise's management experience without reservation. Teachers and students conducted in-depth discussions on issues such as "whether intelligent upgrading will replace manual employment" and "how skill training can adapt to employees of different age groups". The person in charge responded based on his own practice: "Intelligence is to improve efficiency and optimize positions, not to replace manual labor. We enable employees to master the operation skills of intelligent equipment through training, upgrading traditional workers to 'skilled industrial workers', which can instead create higher-value jobs."

On-site Exchange of the Study Tour Group

Conclusion: Industry as the Foundation, the Road to Poverty Alleviation Moves Forward Steadily

Hunan Shenzhou Pharmaceutical takes the whole industrial chain of traditional Chinese medicine as a link, turning green plants into wealth and laying a solid foundation for poverty alleviation with the ecological industry; Jinfu Kaisheng Shoes focuses on labor absorption, optimizes employment positions and broadens employment channels through intelligent upgrading, accurately meets the needs of left-behind groups and poverty-alleviated households in surrounding villages and towns, and injects lasting impetus into poverty alleviation and income increase with stable employment. Although the two enterprises are in different industrial fields, they both uphold the original aspiration of "driving the people to achieve common prosperity", convey a sense of responsibility through enthusiastic sharing, and interpret the profound connotation of "industrial poverty alleviation" from different dimensions with practical actions. Teachers and students thought in communication and felt in observation, and realized more clearly that poverty alleviation is not a temporary measure, but relies on industrial empowerment to activate the endogenous driving force of rural areas, making farmers participants and beneficiaries of industrial development. In the future, the Chinese and Latin American teachers and students research team will also take this harvest and thinking to continue to explore innovative paths for industrial poverty alleviation and inject more youthful vitality into rural revitalization.