In December 2025, CISS Youth at the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS), Tsinghua University, organized a series of group exchange activities under the “Academic Partners” program. Centered on talent cultivation, the program encourages members of CISS Youth to form “academic partnerships” with CISS research fellows, engaging jointly in academic research and practical activities to enhance students’ research capacity and practical skills. Conducted on a group basis, the exchange activities focused on frontier topics such as international politics, technological competition, and major power relations. Through a format combining presentations, faculty guidance, and open discussion, participants engaged in in-depth exchanges on academic challenges, career planning, and personal development. The activities effectively strengthened communication and mutual understanding among academic partners and yielded positive outcomes.

On October 30, 2025, the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) at Tsinghua University held the 6th “Academic Partner” Meeting for Strategic Youth. Fifteen participants from Tsinghua University, Peking University, the China Foreign Affairs University, and other institutions attended the event. Associate Research Fellows Sun Chenghao and Dong Ting, Assistant Research Fellows Shi Yan and Song Bo, Postdoctoral Fellow and Assistant Research Fellow Wen Jing, and Wang Congyue participated as mentors for the “Academic Partner” program. The meeting was chaired by Meng Qingyi, Minister of the Academic Department of the 6th cohort of Strategic Youth.

On October 9, 2025, the CISS Youth program at the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS), Tsinghua University, held the first session of its “Strategic Youth Roundtable” series, focusing on Public Opinion and the Young Generation. The event featured Susan Shirk, Professor at the University of California, San Diego, and Honorary Director of the 21st Century China Center, and Da Wei, Professor at the Department of International Relations and Director of CISS, as the keynote speakers.

The trajectory of U.S.–China relations has become one of the world’s most closely watched issues, with public opinion playing an increasingly significant role. While international surveys reveal both commonalities and differences in mutual perceptions between the two societies, their design and interpretation often carry limitations that may obscure complex realities. This roundtable will explore U.S.–China polls and public opinion from the perspective of contemporary youth—examining valuable findings, meaningful insights, and areas requiring critical reflection. It aims to encourage young Chinese participants to consider how public sentiment shapes bilateral relations and how it might be influenced through policy, media, and social interaction. Through open dialogue, the event seeks to deepen youth understanding of international relations and contribute fresh perspectives to a more rational and constructive U.S.–China engagement.

On September 12, 2025, the CISS Youth program of Tsinghua University’s Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) successfully held its 26th Book Club session. The event featured Dr. Paul G. Clifford, Nonresident Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, Honorary Fellow at the Foreign Policy Association, and Visiting Research Fellow at King’s China Institute, King’s College London, who delivered a keynote speech and engaged in in-depth discussion on the theme “China’s Modern Logistics: Breakthrough Development.”

From June 23 to 27, Sun Chenghao, Fellow at the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) at Tsinghua University, led CISS Youth members Li Yijie and Gong Xiaoyu on a research visit to New York and Washington, D.C. The delegation held 20 meetings and roundtable discussions with nearly 60 representatives from U.S. think tanks, chambers of commerce, businesses, media, international organizations, U.S. government agencies, and congressional offices, focusing on China-U.S. relations and related topics.

On June 21, 2025, CISS Youth held the 17th session of its “CISS Youth Talk” series, themed “The Return of MAGA: Fractures Between ‘America First’ and ‘European Autonomy’.” The keynote speaker was Yu Daha o, PhD in International Relations from Fudan University and Visiting Scholar at Freie Universität Berlin. Dr. Yan Shaohua, Associate Professor and Deputy Director of the Center for China-Europe Relations at the Institute of International Studies, Fudan University, served as the discussant. Over 40 students and faculty members from Tsinghua University, Peking University, Renmin University of China, and other institutions joined the session online. The event was moderated by Wang Yinuo, a member of the Fifth Secretariat of CISS Youth.

On May 30, 2025, the 16th session of CISS Youth Talk, hosted by CISS Youth, was held under the theme "The Art of Power: How Land Power Shapes Great Power Strategic Will." The keynote speaker was Ma Chubo, a PhD candidate at the School of Marxism, Peking University and a member of the 5th cohort of CISS Youth. Mei Ran, Associate Professor in the Department of International Politics and Director of the International Relations Program at the School of International Studies, Peking University, served as the discussant. Nearly 70 students from Tsinghua University, Peking University, Renmin University of China, and China Foreign Affairs University participated online and in person. The event was moderated by Zhang Yuanshinan, Secretary-General of the 5th CISS Youth Secretariat and a graduate student at China Foreign Affairs University.

On May 23, representatives of the CISS Youth program from the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) at Tsinghua University visited the Yenching Academy of Peking University for a dialogue session. The event, titled "China-U.S. Strategic Competition, Cooperation, and a New Paradigm of Global Governance," brought together ten young representatives from China, the United States, and Europe for in-depth discussions on the evolving international landscape, the future of China-U.S. relations, and the transformation of the global governance system. The dialogue was moderated by Zhang Yuanshinan, Secretary-General of CISS Youth.

On May 25, 2025, the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) at Tsinghua University successfully held the second review and exchange meeting of its “Academic Partners” program under the CISS Youth initiative. Young scholars from universities including Peking University, Fudan University, China Foreign Affairs University, and Nankai University participated online. The meeting was chaired by Wang Yinuo, Director of the Academic Division of the Fifth Cohort of CISS Youth. The session served as a midterm evaluation of the program’s progress since the first review meeting in early March, with the goal of further optimizing its mechanisms.

On May 22, representatives from CISS Youth, the youth initiative of the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) at Tsinghua University, were invited to visit the China-United States Exchange Foundation (CUSEF) and participate in the “Dialogue with Ambassadors” event co-hosted by CUSEF and the Max Baucus Institute from Montana, USA. The event was moderated by Mr. James Chau, President of CUSEF, and featured Ambassador Cui Tiankai, former Chinese Ambassador to the United States, and Ambassador Max Baucus, former U.S. Ambassador to China, who shared their perspectives on how China and the U.S. can engage constructively with each other.

On May 14, members of CISS Youth from the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) at Tsinghua University, along with representatives from the Tsinghua Student Association for U.S.-China People-to-People Exchange, visited Schwarzman College for a youth dialogue with the ninth cohort of Schwarzman Scholars. Themed “Bridging the Pacific: US-China Youth Dialogue”, the event focused on exploring practical avenues for cooperation between China and the United States in the areas of trade, technology, and geopolitics. The dialogue was moderated by Schwarzman Scholar Mithra Dhinakaran.

On April 26, 2025, the Tsinghua University Association for China-U.S. People-to-People Exchange and CISS Youth of the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) co-hosted a forum titled “Cross-Border Trade and the International Order under the Trump Administration’s ‘Reciprocal Tariff’ Policy.” The event brought together nine guest speakers from Tsinghua University, Yale University, HeLi Advisory, Vision Capital, and other institutions to discuss the impact of the Trump administration’s proposed reciprocal tariff hikes on global trade and the world order.

​On March 9, 2025, the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) at Tsinghua University successfully held the first review and exchange meeting for its CISS Youth “Academic Partnership” Program. Young members from universities at home and abroad—including Peking University, Fudan University, Renmin University of China, and China Foreign Affairs University—joined the event online. The meeting was chaired by Wang Yinuo, Director of the Academic Affairs Department of CISS Youth. As a mid-term review, this meeting provided a valuable opportunity to assess the program’s development since its launch in late December 2024 and explore directions for future improvement.

On March 9, 2025, CISS Youth hosted the 15th session of "CISS Youth Forum," focusing on "Three Years of Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Origins and Reflections." The event featured Dang Haonan, a member of the 5th cohort of CISS Youth and a graduate of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), as the keynote speaker, with commentary by Song Bo, fellow of CISS, Tsinghua University. Over a hundred faculty members and students from universities including Tsinghua University, Peking University, Renmin University of China, Beijing Normal University, and China Foreign Affairs University participated online. The session was moderated by Ye Zichen, Secretary-General of the 5th CISS Youth Members.

On January 8, 2025, the CISS Youth delegation from the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University visited the United Nations Industrial Development Organization Investment and Technology Promotion Office.

On December 22, 2024, the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS)held the Fifth CISS Youth "Academic Partners" Meeting and Project Launch Ceremony. A total of 16 CISS Youth members from Tsinghua University, Peking University, China Foreign Affairs University, Harvard University, and other domestic and international universities participated in the event through online and offline format.

On December 12, 2024, the Center for International Security and Strategy , Tsinghua University (CISS) successfully held its the 25th CISS Youth's Book Club.This event featured a talk by Jeffrey Ding, an assistant professor of political science at George Washington University, who shared insights from his recent book, "Technology and the Rise of Great Powers: How Diffusion Shapes Economic Competition," published by Princeton University Press.

On December 6, 2024, the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University hosted the sixth session of its “CISS Youth Observes the World” series, titled “Living U.S.-China Relations as a Third Party.”

On November 8, 2024, CISS Youth hosted the 14th session of the “CISS Youth Talk”, titled “Alienation – Challenges of Humanitarian Aid.”

On October 13, 2024, the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS) at Tsinghua University held the inaugural meeting for the 5th CISS Youth.