2024 WIC Global Youth Leaders Application is Open Now

Who Are We?

Since 2014, the World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit has been successfully held for ten consecutive years. Every year, the Wuzhen Summit will invite more than 1,000 high-level representatives from government departments, international organizations, leading Internet companies, industry organizations and academic institutions to carry out dialogues and exchanges on topics related to the global Internet development and governance. Over the past ten years, the Summit has continuously gathered wisdom, built consensus, and deepened digital cooperation. It has developed into a high-end global platform aiming to promote shared benefits and joint governance of the Internet, and the exchange and cooperation in the digital economy, which has won great attention, strong support and wide recognition from the international community.

In July, 2022, the World Internet Conference was formally established as an international organization, with the goal to build a global platform for extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits of the Internet, promote the international community to follow the trend of digitization, networking and intelligence in the information age, meet security challenges together, bring more benefits to the people, and build a community with a shared future in cyberspace.

What Is the Global Youth Leadership Program?

The Global Youth Leadership Program (GYLP) is a brand activity of WIC international organization, which was launched by WIC in 2023. It aims to select outstanding young people in the global Internet field on a regular basis, closely follow the frontier trends of Internet technology, industry and governance, carry out a series of youth activities around Forum, Training, and Research, and build an international exchange and cooperation platform for young people to learn from each other.

• Forum: to organize the Global Youth Leadership Forum at the Wuzhen Summit every year, invite the youth leaders to give speeches on hot topics of the Internet, and build a platform for young people to share their voices;

• Training: to organize high-end field research and training programs in different countries and regions, invite global Internet leaders to give lectures, improve the skills and capabilities of young people, and cultivate youth leaders with global vision and leadership skills;

• Research: to design research topics in light of hot topics such as Internet technology, industry and governance, and organize young people to conduct research. To contribute the wisdom of young people to building international consensus and developing international rules by leveraging the WIC working group mechanism.

In 2023, GYLP launched its first global open call, which attracted the applications by outstanding young people from nearly 60 countries and regions. 18 young people from 14 countries and regions on five continents were invited to attend the 2023 WIC Wuzhen Summit, speak at the Youth and Digital Future Forum, and have in-depth interactions and exchanges with Internet leaders.

What Opportunities Can WIC Global Youth Leaders Get?

1. To attend, as a guest, the 2024 WIC Wuzhen Summit (planned to be held in the first two weeks in 2024 Nov).

2. To speak at the youth forum at the 2024 WIC Wuzhen Summit.

3. To apply for round-trip air tickets provided by the organizers of the Wuzhen Summit and free catering and accommodation during the conference.

4. To have the opportunity to engage in in-depth exchanges with high-level representatives of other international organizations, governments, global leading Internet companies, well-known experts and scholars, and senior officials of the WIC international organization during the Wuzhen Summit.

5. To receive a certificate for the WIC Global Youth Leaders.

6. To be invited to participate in other activities of WIC and a series of GYLP activities. 

7. To have access to job opportunities at the WIC international organization on a priority basis.

What Are the Requirements to Join the GYLP?

1. Embrace the mission of the WIC international organization, have a strong sense of mission, actively spread and be willing to contribute to the concept of building a community with a shared future in cyberspace.

2. Under the age of 45.

3. Have made achievements in the following fields related to the Internet and information and communication technology (ICT):

1) Policy. Working in government departments, with rich work experience in the development of Internet policies and industry management in their own countries; or working in an Internet-related international organization, with rich experience in international exchanges and cooperation, deeply involved in the development of norms on the Internet, and actively promoting the process of Internet governance.

2) Business. Serving as the head or high-level manager of a leading Internet enterprise; or serving as the founder or head of an Internet start-up with strong leadership, innovation capability, and influence.

3) Research. Having made achievements in the research of Internet technology, industry and governance, and obtained relevant honors and awards, technology patents, or published papers in important global academic journals.

4) Public welfare. Serving as the head or high-level manager of a civil society or public welfare organization, with rich work experience in bridging the digital divide, enhancing digital skills and literacy, utilizing digital technology to improve people's well-being, and promoting sustainable social development.

4. Have a global vision and be willing to participate in the youth community of the WIC, and contribute to its development.

5. Have diversified thinking ability across fields.

6. Have excellent public speaking and presentation skills.

How to Apply?

Please complete your application in the online application system of the WIC GYLP before 17: 00 June 26, 2024 (GMT +8) (https://awards.wicinternet.org/en)

What Are the Recruitment and Selection Process?

Phase I: Application (late April to June 26)

Fill in the information and submit all the application documents as required before the application deadline.

Phase II: Review (before the end of July)

The WIC Secretariat will conduct preliminary review of the applicants based on the completeness of the application documents and the Requirements for the Applicants, and then organize relevant experts to carry out the review.

Phase III: Notification (before the end of August)

The WIC Secretariat will contact the finalists and communicate with them on the schedule of attending the WIC Wuzhen Summit, as well as specific matters such as making presentations at youth forum.

Phase IV: Participation (early November)

Selected candidates will attend the 2024 WIC Wuzhen Summit as official guests.

How to Contact Us?

If you have any questions during the application process, please do not hesitate to contact us (youth@wicinternet.org).

Welcome to sign up and continue to follow the WIC GYLP program. Let's work together to build an inclusive, open and dynamic community of global youth leaders of the WIC and build a community with a shared future in cyberspace.