About the 2025 Poverty Alleviation Challenge Program
The "2025 Poverty Alleviation Challenge Program" was jointly organized by Tsinghua University, the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Universidad de Chile, Universidad del Pacífico (Peru), and MMG Perú (Las Bambas). It attracted over 310 teachers and students from 27 universities and enterprises across China, Brazil, Chile, and Peru. The Program consisted of two stages: the "Preliminary Round" and the "Cross-National Final," aimed at promoting cross-cultural communication and collaboration, and inspiring global youth's innovative thinking and practical capabilities in the field of poverty alleviation. On June 7, 2025, the Preliminary Round was successfully held, with Tsinghua University serving as the offline main venue. Participants from Latin American countries competed simultaneously online and offline. After fierce competition, 12 innovative teams stood out and advanced to the Cross-National Final. In August 2025, the Final rounds of the "2025 Poverty Alleviation Challenge Program" were held successively in Brazil and Chile.
In January 2026, 32 Latin American university students who advanced to the Final came to China to participate in cultural immersion activities. These included face-to-face exchanges with Chinese teachers and students, visits to Chinese poverty alleviation bases and institutions, and cultural tours in China.
The "2025 Poverty Alleviation Challenge Program" received support from the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Brazil, the Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China in Rio de Janeiro, the Embassy of Brazil in China, the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Chile, the Embassy of Chile in China, and the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Peru. We sincerely thank renowned domestic and international enterprises such as Envision Group, CGE Chile, MMG Perú (Las Bambas), China Mobile International (Chile), Kuaishou International Business Unit, and Bank of Communications Brazilian Subsidiary (BOCOM BBM) for their strong support in hosting the event.
On January 21, 2026, representatives of teachers and students from Tsinghua University, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Universidad de Chile, and Universidad de Santiago de Chile visited the Embassy of Chile in China and held in-depth exchanges with H.E. Mr. Pablo Arriaran, the Chilean Ambassador to China. Dr. RONG YU, Postdoctoral Fellow, and PhD candidate FAN Jiwei from the Tsinghua Latin America Center also attended the event. This visit was an important part of the study tour in China for the winning Chilean youth of the "2025 Poverty Alleviation Challenge Program." Both sides engaged in profound discussions on topics such as the role of youth in global poverty alleviation efforts, educational cooperation between China and Chile, and people-to-people exchanges.
At the beginning of the meeting, Ambassador Pablo Arriaran extended a warm welcome to the delegation. He pointed out that Chile highly values the development of its relations with China, regards China as a key partner, and looks forward to bilateral cooperation extending beyond traditional economic and trade fields into broader dimensions such as education, science and technology, and innovation. The Ambassador particularly emphasized that China's advancements in cutting-edge technological fields like engineering and artificial intelligence provide valuable learning opportunities and career prospects for Chilean youth. He encouraged Chilean youth to actively learn about China and seize the development opportunities it offers. Ambassador Arriaran stated that the Embassy is willing to continue actively promoting practical cooperation between universities, enterprises, and institutions of China and Chile, building sustainable exchange networks, and injecting lasting momentum into deepening bilateral relations.
Picture: H.E. Mr. Pablo Arriaran, Chilean Ambassador to China, in exchange with Chilean youth representatives
Subsequently, Ms. Maribel Florez, Director of Global Learning at the Office of the Vice President for International Affairs of Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, introduced the design philosophy and operational model of the "2025 Poverty Alleviation Challenge Program". She stated that the project focuses on multi-dimensional poverty alleviation issues such as energy poverty, food security, environmental protection, and urban development by forming transnational and interdisciplinary youth teams. She emphasized that all project proposals are designed for practical implementation in specific regions and possess potential for scalability. This collaborative model, which integrates perspectives from students in China, Brazil, Peru, and other countries, breaks down academic and cultural barriers, effectively promotes cultural understanding and knowledge sharing, and provides innovative ideas for addressing common development challenges in Latin America.
Picture: Ms. Maribel Florez delivering her speech
Following this, youth representatives from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Universidad de Chile, and Universidad de Santiago de Chile shared the innovative solutions they developed during the "2025 Poverty Alleviation Challenge Program". These solutions focus on specific challenges faced by Chile in areas such as sustainable resource utilization, educational equity, disaster response, water resource management, and immigrant social integration. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and technological application, they aim to propose actionable, localized solutions.
Pictures: Scenes from the exchange meeting
This exchange activity not only demonstrated the innovative thinking and practical capabilities of Chilean youth in the fields of poverty alleviation and sustainable development but also highlighted the positive outcomes of educational cooperation between China and Chile in cultivating global competence and promoting practical solutions. The Chilean youth representatives generally expressed that through collaboration with teammates from China, Brazil, and Peru, they not only enhanced their practical abilities to solve complex problems but also gained a deeper understanding of the importance of combining transnational collaboration with local practice. In his concluding remarks, Ambassador Arriaran once again affirmed the creativity of the younger generation and encouraged Chilean youth to maintain an open mindset, fully utilize high-quality platforms like the "Poverty Alleviation Challenge Program", translate knowledge into concrete actions, and contribute their youthful wisdom to the sustainable development of Chile and the broader region.
This visit strengthened the role of educational exchange as a link in bilateral relations between China and Chile and laid a solid foundation for further cooperation between the two countries in fields such as talent cultivation and innovation in the future.
Pictures: Group photo of participants
Group photo of the Chilean delegation
