On the evening of August 18, CISS Youth of the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS), Tsinghua University held the annual meeting for the 2022-2023 academic year work summary & the 2023-2024 election campaign. The meeting was chaired by Wang Yexu, Secretary General of CISS Youth, and joined by Da Wei, Director of CISS, Xiao Qian, Deputy Director of CISS, Dong Ting, Sun Chenghao, and Shi Yan, Fellows of CISS, and Miao Zhengming, Wen Jing, and Nie Zhengnan, Postdoc Fellows of CISS.

First of all, Secretary General Wang Yexu and Deputy Secretary General Zhao Yuqi made a work summary of the past academic year. Zhao introduced that in the past year, with the support and help of CISS experts and teachers, CISS Youth hosted a total of 20 activities while giving full play to their initiatives and pursuit of innovation. During the winter vacation, CISS Youth made a trip to Shanghai together with the “Telling Great Chinese Stories” Practice Group of the Tsinghua University Student Association of International and Strategic Studies (SAISS) to conduct a field visit, featuring a theme of “The ‘Shanghai Experience’ in Telling Great Chinese Stories.” Wang particularly introduced the characteristics of team building and innovative management of the Secretariat, such as establishing the rules for credit counting and extending liaison and publicity. Meanwhile, Wang also gave suggestions and expectations for the next term of the Secretariat given the difficulties and challenges encountered in the work of the current academic year.

Then Lyu Ziyan, Director of the Academic Department of CISS Youth, and Zhu Yimin, a member of CISS Youth, shared their feelings about organizing the special activities during the 2022-2023 academic year. Lyu shared her experience in organizing the first America Insight Annual Conference, including the outputs, her reflections, and behind-the-scenes stories regarding the Conference. With the theme of “One Most Interesting Thing about the United States in 2022,” the Conference brought together experts from CISS, CISS Youth, and columnists from America Insight to review the published results and discuss such issues as U.S. politics, diplomacy, and global governance and security. Zhu Yimin mainly introduced the special activity, “CISS Youth Winter Vacation Group Reading Club,” including its initial intention, the experience in organizing the club, and relevant insights from the perspectives of both the organizers and the participants.

Afterward, CISS Director Da Wei and Deputy Director Xiao Qian commented on the work of CISS Youth in this academic year. They recognized and endorsed the work of the Secretariat, thanked the Secretariat and all the members of CISS Youth for their efforts, and pointed out the areas for improvement. The two professors had high expectations for the work of the new Secretariat and proposed to adhere to the orientation of “pre-career” of CISS Youth, take CISS as the basis, give full play to the subjective initiative and youth consciousness to welcome the new academic year with a full and vigorous attitude and make CISS Youth better and better.

The last section of the meeting was about the election campaign, where the candidates made election presentations and answered questions from CISS professors and the Secretariat. Huang Ying, the candidate for the Secretary General of the new academic year, made her presentation. Huang, centering around the five consciousnesses (administrative, responsibility, innovation, management, and service consciousnesses) that the Secretariat of CISS Youth should cultivate, introduced the work planning and outlook of the Secretariat in the coming year, and put forward some creative proposals for CISS activities. Tan Yannan, Qi Ying, Ye Zichen, and Guan Shiqian made their presentations respectively on past student work experience, participation in CISS Youth activities, understanding of CISS Youth, and future work plans.

CISS Youth is a research and exchange organization for young students and professionals in the field of international studies. Operating under the guidance of the Center for International Security and Strategy (CISS), Tsinghua University, and independently organized by its members, CISS Youth seeks to foster young students and scholars with a strategic vision and international outlook, who will grow into active players in the international arena through a variety of forms, such as lectures, seminars, roundtables, and annual large-scale annual forums. CISS Youth also serves as a referrer and funder for the outstanding members to learn, observe, and speak at international forums, so as to tell great Chinese stories and make China’s voice heard.