A new friendship between Australian and Chinese Millennials has bloomed

BEIJING, April 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Millennials aren't smartphone junkies who speak fluent Emoji and care only about their Instagram influence. Millennials are the single largest age group in both Australia and China and they will have an enormous impact on the globe's future.

Last week, eighty millennials from Australia and China, travelled to Beijing for an intense innovation boot camp as part of the CAMPx2018 program. The China Australia Millennial Program (CAMP) is in the third year of the award-winning 100-day training program for young innovators.

The goal is to apply the principals of design thinking in order to identify sustainable solutions to global issues. CAMPx2018 Beijing week was five days of in-context learning on how to disrupt their industry by connecting with new technologies, all right in the heart of Beijing's start-up hub.

While in Beijing, CAMPers met and learned from innovation leaders including

• Allan Chou, CEO - RAIDiCAL Shanghai
• Song Wei, TusStar Park Vice-President
• Kerryn Ross, Director Of Innovation for EY Oceania
• Fan Hongyi (Troy), International Business Manager at Tsinghua SEM X-celerator, Cross-cultural Content Creator, Weibo KOL

The week included visits and workshops at some of Beijing's best start up incubators and accelerators and technology universities such as:

• Plug'n Play - Beijing's office for international investment institution jointly founded by Sias International University and Amidi Group.
• Innoway - China's $36M government-backed start up village which has incubated a total of 878 companies including 121 overseas teams with a total financing of 7.65B RMB ($1.22B).
• Tsinghua SEM X-celerator - a start-up acceleration platform promoted by the Tsinghua University which has accelerated more than 150 start ups and has invested nearly 100 million RMB in those businesses
• UCAS (University of Chinese Academy of Sciences) with over 15,000 continuing students among whom more than half are doctoral students and 4 campuses in Beijing UCAs is the heart of China's research and development in sciences.

"Being a mentor at CAMPx2018 Beijing Week really puts across the importance of physical presence on the ground for the Australian teams to experience the Chinese culture in its truest form. The group was open minded and has now has a better sense of understanding of the Chinese people and their environment. I am very thankful and proud to be a part of the CAMPx2018 Beijing Week," said Allan Chou, Founder of RAIDiCAL and mentor for CAMPx2018.

"CAMP has opened up my eyes to the innovation landscape outside of Australia. I have learnt to be more confident in an idea and from my own peers alone have grown in one week from someone who felt they were too young to create waves of change to someone with the new found ability to be challenged and succeed in the face of that. Beijing and it's innovators have showed me the resources available and what a potential collaboration can bring to life," commented Emily Crozier, Final Year Civil Engineering Student at UTS, CAMPx2018 participant.

"CAMP Beijing was a complete eye-opener! We were able to see first hand how China is tackling a range of global problems with innovation and the tools of tomorrow. We were also able to engage with future focused entrepreneurs and individuals and share their insights on the importance of cross cultural understanding and China's place in the global economy," shared Amy Lego, Recruitment Team Leader at Macquarie University, CAMPx2018 participant.

"I've been blown away by the calibre and good intentions of this incredible new movement of young people. These are people who are not waiting for permission to lead their own futures, rather shaping it in real time, with real outcomes, and real bonds between each other. Over the next 50 days, we'll see innovation 'millennial style', digital and mobile first, created with a global mindset. No other group innovates quite like Australian and Chinese millennials. Watch this space!" said Andrea Myles, CAMP CEO and organizer of CAMPx2018.

Why China and Australia?

China is facing now a crucial challenge in its development and Australia can help to bring a new breath into global issues. The Chinese wealthy middle-class is urgently requesting higher life standards. Baby formula, nutrition supplements, food security… are sectors where Australia got some of the highest standards in the world and can share it with China. Defining itself as a Western country in the Asia-Pacific region, Australia needs a better understanding of its largest trade partner for eight straight years. China is committed to peaceful development through win-win cooperation and they are no reasons why Australia should not say yes.

CAMPx2018 start up training program brings together 100 young Australian and Chinese leaders from all industries for 100 days to design industry solution, up-skill their cross-cultural communication, learn design-thinking and strengthen the Australia-China relationship.

To know more about their development, contact us:

General: info@australiachina.org

or follow CAMP's social media on:

Twitter: twitter.com/china_australia
Facebook: facebook.com/chinaaustraliamillennialproject/
Website: www.australiachina.org  

Few words about CAMP (China Australia Millennial Project):

"CAMP delivered direct commercial business outcomes, a connection with leading edge influencers and were extremely useful in rounding out our stakeholder positioning and marketing to policy makers including politicians and bureaucrats," said Justin Howden, Head of Government Relations.

• Being heralded as part of the solution to 'future-proofing' Australia, CAMP is equipping the next generation of Australian entrepreneurs with the Asia literacy and networks.
• CAMP is proudly powered by incredible international partners such as Swisse, EY, Alibaba and China Eastern.
• CAMP gain the trust and support of Australian institutions such as Macquarie University, the City of Sydney and the federal government's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade via the Australia-China Council.
• CAMP or China Australia Millennial Project is an Australian-Chinese privately owned company.

What does CAMP solve?

China/Western countries cultural miscomprehension: can we find solutions? This Australian start-up decided to create a platform where millennials can connect with governmental and industries to find better ways to work and life together. CAMP aims to build the bridge between China and Australia millennials through innovation.

How? By being a platform connecting Chinese and Australian millennials. CAMP gives them a voice, a stage. With CAMP they can express their vision, connect and develop. Together and with CAMP they find solutions for global issues. CAMP allows them to employ their inner potential. With CAMP participants connect with other brilliant innovative minds, coming from different industries and culture.

What's its impact? CAMP helps millennials' speeches to scope a higher level and reach the right person to solve cross-cultural issues. The start-up is strongly connected to governmental and international private companies which are following the progress of CAMP's Millennials. 

What is their service? Each year CAMP organises a 100 days training for 100 participants. An award-winning cross-border innovation program unites dynamic young leaders who are passionate about business, social innovation and strengthening the Australia-China relationship, and provides them with the tools to address real-world global challenges.  The program, with mentorship, workshops, design panel, design thinking tool and lectures work both online and offline between Australia and China.

Few Words about Andrea Myles, CEO and Co-founder:

• Since her first encounter in 2002, Andrea Myles loves China and has pursued every opportunity to gain a deeper insight into this fascinating country.
• Driven by her passion, slight frustration of the transactional nature of the Australia-China relationship and impatience for positive change, Andrea co-founded the China Australia Millennial Project, which connects leading talent in both nations.
• Possessing a working proficiency in Mandarin, she has two bilingual Masters degrees, a BSc in Neuroscience and is a fellow of the School for Social Entrepreneurs.
• She has been named one of Australia's 100 Most Influential Women by Westpac and the Australian Financial Review.

Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180427/2117223-1