Dear Friends and Partners Who Have Followed and Supported the Poverty Alleviation Challenge,
Greetings!
As the preliminary round of the “China–Latin America Youth Responding to Global Challenges — 2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge” comes to a successful close, the Working Group, on behalf of the China–Latin America Youth Responding to Global Challenges — Poverty Alleviation Challenge Working Group (China, Brazil, Chile, and Peru), Tsinghua University Latin America Center, the Center for China–Latin America Management Studies at the School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University, and all project colleagues, would like to express our sincerest gratitude and highest respect for your continued support. With your generous support, this year’s Poverty Alleviation Challenge has made breakthrough progress, reaching new heights in scale, depth, and influence.
This report presents the main outcomes of the preliminary round. We are pleased to see that the Poverty Alleviation Challenge has built a cross-national innovation ecosystem covering China, Brazil, Chile, and Peru, involving nearly one hundred universities and institutions and attracting 666 outstanding young participants. In recent years, the program has also produced systematic solutions closely aligned with the goals of poverty alleviation and sustainable development, with topics covering targeted areas such as online education, artificial intelligence, intangible cultural heritage and handicrafts, solar energy, and clean water.
The 12 finalist projects this year span frontier areas including offline AI education, Amazon agroforestry, and the conversion of waste into bioenergy. These projects demonstrate clear strategic relevance to green technology, net-zero new industrial systems, and sustainable communities.
Your care and support have enabled us to provide participating young people with world-class curriculum design, scientific tools, and case-based research. Together, these resources have helped elevate a youth competition into an innovation incubation platform driven by scientific methodology and dedicated to generating high-quality solutions for sustainable development.
Since February 2026, the Poverty Alleviation Challenge has been further refined and upgraded. The program has gone through a series of key stages, including information sessions in April, cross-national team formation in May, and China–Latin America professional mentor guidance and preliminary evaluation in June.
From July to August this year, Professor Chen Taotao, Director of Tsinghua University Latin America Center, will lead a delegation to Brazil, Chile, and other Latin American countries to explore research topics related to the internationalization of Chinese enterprises in Latin America and mutually beneficial development. The final competitions will also be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Santiago, Chile. After the final round, faculty and students from Latin America are expected to visit China for a study program in January next year. We sincerely welcome your participation and guidance throughout all stages of the program.
Tsinghua University China–Latin America Youth Responding to Global Challenges — Poverty Alleviation Challenge Working Group
July 2026
Main Report
I. Project Background and Strategic Value: From China–Latin America Consensus to a Youth Force in Global Governance
The “China–Latin America Youth Responding to Global Challenges — Poverty Alleviation Challenge” (hereinafter referred to as the “Poverty Alleviation Challenge”) is a cross-national youth competition and exchange program jointly initiated by Tsinghua University Latin America Center, the Center for China–Latin America Management Studies at the School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University, and the Tsinghua University Student Global Competence Development Center, together with partner universities in Brazil, Chile, and Peru.
In 2024, the first Poverty Alleviation Challenge was successfully held and gained visibility and influence in China, Chile, and Brazil. In November of the same year, during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Brazil for the G20 Summit, Qiu Yong, Secretary of the CPC Tsinghua University Committee, and the President of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro signed a cooperation agreement between the two universities on the “China–Latin America Youth Responding to Global Challenges” program. The agreement was included in the list of outcomes of President Xi Jinping’s visit to Brazil, making the program a landmark initiative led by Tsinghua University to advance mutually beneficial China–Latin America development. It has also been described by relevant mainstream media as a “youth force in global governance.”
In 2026, after two editions of continuous refinement, the third Poverty Alleviation Challenge has grown from an exploratory competition into a signature China–Latin America youth exchange program covering China, Brazil, Chile, and Peru and attracting participation from nearly one hundred universities and institutions. It has become one of the landmark achievements of China–Latin America higher education cooperation and people-to-people exchange.
The 2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge has received support from the Embassy of China in Brazil, the Consulate General of China in Rio de Janeiro, the Embassy of Brazil in China, the Embassy of China in Chile, the Embassy of Chile in China, the Embassy of China in Peru, and the Embassy of Peru in China. Envision Group, CGE, Las Bambas S.A., Zhongshan (Beijing) Cultural Industry Co., Ltd., DiDi, China Mobile International (Chile), the Kuaishou International Business (KSIB), Banco BOCOM BBM S.A., and the Luksic Scholars Foundation, among other well-known enterprises and institutions at home and abroad, have provided important support for the competition.
At present, the preliminary round of the 2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge has been successfully completed. Building on the positive example set by the inaugural edition, this year’s Challenge has achieved a larger scale, broader participation, and deeper collaboration with the support of all parties, laying a solid foundation for the continued advancement of the competition and for China–Latin America youth to jointly address global challenges.
II. A Leap in Scale and Influence: Four-Country Collaboration and Expanded Participation
The preliminary round of the 2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge achieved breakthroughs in both participation scale and coverage. According to the final statistics of the Organizing Committee, this year’s Challenge attracted 666 young participants from 88 universities and institutions across China, Brazil, Chile, and Peru, forming a total of 119 participating teams. Compared with 2024 and 2025, the number of participating universities, participants, and teams all increased significantly, further expanding the international influence of the program.
China: 115 students from Tsinghua University participated, leading the formation of 26 teams.
Brazil: 143 students from universities including the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Fluminense Federal University, and the São Paulo School of Business Administration of Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV EAESP) participated, leading the formation of 28 teams.
Chile: 122 students from universities including Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Universidad de Chile, and the University of Santiago, Chile participated, leading the formation of 17 teams.
Peru: 242 students from universities including the University of the Pacific and the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru participated, leading the formation of 47 teams.
In addition to the founding and partner universities in the four countries, the Challenge also attracted 43 young participants from 32 universities and institutions as “extended members,” forming a participation network centered on the partner universities and extending to surrounding institutions. This open and inclusive participation mechanism has provided more young people interested in global development issues with valuable opportunities for cross-national exchange and collaboration.
III. Institutional Topics: Systemic Solutions Driven by Real-World Challenges
During the team formation stage, 26 institutional topics were released this year, covering nine categories of topic providers including university platforms, public institutions, enterprises, and social innovation organizations. These providers included MMG Las Bambas S.A. (Peru), Tsinghua University Online Education Center, the Institute for Accessibility Development of Tsinghua University, the Solidarity and Social Investment Fund (FOSIS) under Chile’s Ministry of Social Development and Family, and Vale S.A. in Brazil. All topics originated from real-world practical issues, and institutional topics were selected 44 times by participating teams.
The topics focused on areas such as online education and skills development, accessibility and inclusive development, rural revitalization and revitalization of existing assets, culture and tourism empowerment, circular economy and community employment, health and housing poverty, sanitation and clean energy in the Amazon Basin, agricultural value chains, and community forestry. They helped connect the competition themes with real poverty contexts and resources for future project implementation.
IV. Cross-National Collaboration: Full-Chain Value Co-Creation from Team Formation to Solution Design
Cross-national collaboration is the most distinctive feature and core value of the Poverty Alleviation Challenge. Among the 119 participating teams in the 2026 Challenge, 96 were cross-national teams, forming multiple types of team compositions such as “China–Brazil–Chile–Peru,” “China–Brazil–Chile,” and “China–Chile–Peru.” These teams accounted for about 80 percent of all participating teams, showing a strong international collaboration profile.
This cross-cultural and interdisciplinary model provides fertile ground for incubating systemic innovations that can respond to complex global challenges such as climate change and energy poverty. Many teams achieved full coverage of members from China and the three Latin American countries, integrating cross-national collaboration throughout team formation, topic selection, solution design, roadshow presentation, and mentor guidance. Through this collaboration, participants not only developed project solutions, but also enhanced mutual understanding through cultural exchange and strengthened their global competence while working together to address shared challenges.
The value of cross-national collaboration is reflected not only in the personal growth of participants, but also in the improvement of solution quality. The diverse perspectives of Chinese and Latin American members enabled teams to draw simultaneously on China’s poverty alleviation experience and Latin American local contexts, designing solutions that were both innovative and practical.
Many finalist teams demonstrated this advantage of integrating Chinese and Latin American strengths: their solutions combined the systematic thinking and technological applications of China’s poverty alleviation experience with an accurate understanding of local social and cultural conditions in Latin America. Such innovation generated through cross-national collaboration would be difficult for teams from a single country to achieve.
V. Mentor Guidance: A Cross-National Knowledge Support System
The 2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge established a China–Latin America cross-national mentor network composed of 110 experts, providing participating teams with comprehensive, professional, and cross-border intellectual support. This mentor team brought together professionals from diverse backgrounds, including universities and research institutions, government and public sectors, enterprises and industries, international organizations, think tanks, venture capital institutions, and social organizations. It ensured that teams could receive guidance from multiple perspectives, including academic, policy, industry, and investment viewpoints.
In terms of country composition, there were 69 Chinese mentors, accounting for more than 60 percent of the total and reflecting Tsinghua University’s academic resource advantages as the Chinese organizer. There were also 21 mentors from Chile, 16 from Peru, and 4 from Brazil, with 41 mentors from the three Latin American countries in total, providing localized support for teams to better understand Latin American contexts. This balanced China–Latin America mentor structure enabled teams to draw on China’s successful poverty alleviation experience while accurately grasping local realities and cultural characteristics in Latin America during the solution design process.
VI. Preliminary Evaluation: Joint Evaluation across Four Competition Areas
The preliminary evaluation of the 2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge was held successively in June across the four competition areas. Experts from Chinese and Latin American universities and relevant fields jointly participated in the evaluation to ensure diversity and fairness in assessment perspectives. In designing the evaluation criteria, the Organizing Committee focused not only on the quality of each solution, but also on the depth and breadth of each team’s cross-national collaboration. The bonus mechanism for cross-national team formation reflected the Challenge’s emphasis on the core value of cross-border collaboration.
After rigorous evaluation across the four competition areas, 12 outstanding teams were selected to advance to the final round of the 2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge. These 12 teams covered the China, Brazil, Chile, and Peru competition areas, with topics spanning educational equity, agricultural innovation, health interventions, circular economy, logistics infrastructure, clean energy, cultural preservation, and other fields. They fully demonstrated the in-depth thinking and innovative exploration of China–Latin America youth on global poverty alleviation issues.
Each team included members from both China and Latin America, and some teams also included young participants from third countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam, Venezuela, and Sweden, reflecting the openness and diversity of the Challenge.
The following table lists the project themes of the 12 teams that advanced from the preliminary round. From offline AI education to Amazon agroforestry, and from migrant oral health to the conversion of fishery waste, these projects are rooted in real local contexts in Latin America while incorporating the experience and wisdom of China’s poverty alleviation practices, showcasing the wisdom and fruitful outcomes of China–Latin America youth collaboration in addressing global challenges.
Table: Finalist Teams and Project Themes
The fruitful outcomes of the preliminary round of the 2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge vividly demonstrate how China–Latin America youth are working together to address global challenges. These achievements were also made possible by the strong support of embassies and partner organizations. With the successful conclusion of the preliminary round, the 2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge is now entering the final stage. The 12 finalist teams will receive further project optimization and mentor guidance before the final round, and will participate in offline exchange and final competitions in Brazil and Chile in August.
We firmly believe that, with the continued attention and support from all parties, this year’s program will generate more innovative and implementable poverty alleviation solutions, contributing the wisdom and strength of the younger generation to global poverty alleviation!
Annex: Media Coverage
I. Chinese-Language Coverage
Tsinghua University Latin America Center
2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge | Workshop on Accessibility Empowering China–Latin America Poverty Alleviation Successfully Held
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/CkPZ5aXRtUNp2u8aZmrkYw
2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge Officially Launched: Information Session Successfully Held
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/ZwcH4pWiEvNpZLaxjovlLg
2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge Project Roadshow Officially Launched — Helping You Find Global Partners
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/6Wy8UGCYqQpS_x87KW0APg
2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge Project Roadshow — Help You Find Global Partners!
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/ZprnteWnp3GH60UG8Y5MJg
2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge | Brazil Information Session Successfully Held
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/e34d_JncHWjUqo3PsdW4Vg
Tsinghua Online Education × 2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge | Using Digital Education to Address Poverty
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/N5EKgkXji0CW4CZ6OLEYrw
Zhongshan Culture × 2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge | AI Lights the Path of Culture-and-Tourism Innovation for Poverty Alleviation
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/aDSfMWa_JBN0zm2jQc0mBg
FOSIS × 2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge | Tackling Real Poverty Challenges
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/EbPK7DjbmVo-Obqr4Am1vw
FOSIS × 2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge | Tackle Real Poverty Challenges
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/gK1wBPBJB4VJOxqdMxk2Cg
MMG Las Bambas × 2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge | Invites You to Explore Poverty Alleviation Solutions Together
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/kyPqzOq6hMiJl6UoHNAmvA
2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge | First Roadshow Successfully Held: Exploring New Solutions for Poverty Alleviation
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/OSoxpUe3d-V1axXCLR1MeQ
2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge | 1st Roadshow Successfully Held, Seeking New Solutions for Poverty Alleviation Together
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/WwG5grtv-nv8ZrxVMkfFEA
2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge | China–Chile Poverty Alleviation Lecture Successfully Held
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/KCh8cEY2v_377arwX1pdaw
Director’s View | China–Latin America Youth Responding to Global Challenges — 2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge: Poverty Alleviation, Development, and Mutual Learning
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/OsiNgXXQw-KcYpdU4dJv0w
Director’s View | China–Latin America Youth Responding to Global Challenges: Poverty Alleviation, Development, and Mutual Learning
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/F1wDvMD-qK49QaIr-ucihA
Second Roadshow of the 2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge Successfully Held | Smart Poverty Alleviation, Cross-National Solidarity
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/uLmkgtjLy_JpgImczg743g
2nd Roadshow of 2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge Successfully Held | Smart Poverty Alleviation, United Hearts Across Nations
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/hN-P6LkWa5YeExsU0h3cZA
2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge | Brazil Poverty Alleviation Lecture Successfully Held
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/35hV-tFjJaH6A6CWKvkRvA
Dialogue on Poverty Alleviation: Latin American Young Scholars Visit Tsinghua
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/j_ZxShqyyl56wSZAA2Mo6g
“China–Latin America Youth Responding to Global Challenges — 2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge” Tsinghua Preliminary Round Successfully Held
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/LpnjGxW8016ccOmZumTWrQ
Media Coverage | Youth from China and Latin America Explore Solutions to Eliminate Poverty
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/zr1dS1BoVH65esNiLB2nrQ
Media Coverage | Chinese and Latin American Youth Pool Their Talent in a Competition to Tackle Poverty
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/vXTLGw9dpdh2RHCRjjkdxA
Media Coverage | “China–Latin America Youth Responding to Global Challenges — 2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge” Tsinghua Preliminary Round Held in Beijing
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/4goqjMg-AlRCBcq2vjq9xA
Media Coverage | “China–Latin America Youth Responding to Global Challenges — 2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge” Tsinghua Preliminary Round Successfully Held
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/cHC8PDdq4YHTgKJJVeHlDA
2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge Preliminary Round Results Announced | 12 Teams Advance to the Latin America Final
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/ywnASBlj8ei8LdqXaaE2AA
2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge · Cross-National Teaming | Project Assistant Feature: Connecting Youth Partners Across Mountains and Seas
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/0o2dSh7R8ldcCtsIipo73g
China Youth Daily: “China–Latin America Youth Responding to Global Challenges — 2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge” Tsinghua Preliminary Round Successfully Held
https://wap.cyol.com/commonDetail/1389811
Xinhua News Agency: “China–Latin America Youth Responding to Global Challenges — 2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge” Tsinghua Preliminary Round Successfully Held
https://h.xinhuaxmt.com/vh512/share/13143919?docid=13143919&newstype=1001&d=1352702&channel=weixin
China.com: 2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge | Workshop on Accessibility Empowering China–Latin America Poverty Alleviation Successfully Held
https://life.china.com/2026-04/13/content_564109.html
China.com: “China–Latin America Youth Responding to Global Challenges — 2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge” Tsinghua Preliminary Round Successfully Held
https://hea.china.com/articles/20260609/202606091889619.html
Global News Radio: “China–Latin America Youth Responding to Global Challenges — 2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge” Tsinghua Preliminary Round Successfully Held
http://www.hqblfp.cn/news/guoneiwai/494.html
Global Education Online: “China–Latin America Youth Responding to Global Challenges — 2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge” Tsinghua Preliminary Round Successfully Held
http://www.lrkygt.cn/edu/20260609297.html
China Weekly: 2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge | Workshop on Accessibility Empowering China–Latin America Poverty Alleviation Successfully Held
http://www.chinaweekly.cn/html/sxzonghe/88646.html
China Weekly: “China–Latin America Youth Responding to Global Challenges — 2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge” Tsinghua Preliminary Round Successfully Held
http://www.chinaweekly.cn/html/sxzonghe/90792.html
China Internet Information Center: 2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge Officially Launched: Information Session Successfully Held
http://hs.china.com.cn/2026-04/16/content_43399860.html
China Financial Times Online: 2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge Officially Launched: Information Session Successfully Held
http://life.3news.cn/ttly/2026/0417/1157728.html
Ifeng.com: 2026 Poverty Alleviation Challenge Officially Launched: Information Session Successfully Held
https://ishare.ifeng.com/c/s/8sOiYGte7ZY
II. Spanish-Language Coverage
CGTN Spanish: Jóvenes chinos y latinoamericanos suman talentos contra la pobreza en una competencia
CGTN Spanish
https://espanol.cgtn.com/2026/06/08/ARTI1780903583598410
X
https://x.com/cgtnenespanol/status/2063889942636617787
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CZp5QwW2Y/
YouTube
https://youtu.be/HT7Cip-1j_k
III. Portuguese-Language Coverage
CGTN Portuguese: “Juventude China-América Latina: Resposta aos Desafios Globais – Desafio de Alívio da Pobreza 2026” inicia etapa preliminar em Beijing
CGTN Portuguese
https://portuguese.cgtn.com/2026/06/11/ARTI1781169363492818
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/1350282760531030
Diario de Pernambuco: “Juventude China-América Latina: Resposta aos Desafios Globais – Desafio de Alívio da Pobreza 2026” inicia etapa preliminar em Beijing
https://diariodepe.com.br/cri/2026/06/11/juventude-china-america-latina-resposta-aos-desafios-globais-desafio-de-alivio-da-pobreza-2026-inicia-etapa-preliminar-em-beijing/
XINHUA Português: Jovens da China e da América Latina se unem para discutir soluções para alívio da pobreza
https://portuguese.xinhuanet.com/20260610/13a26fce8a7a4ec89d4234c8b1ddd9d1/c.html
