On October 17, 2023, the first university tour of “Generation Z in Shanghai”, a city brand IP campaign, kicked off at the Qian Xuesen Library of Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Under the guidance of the Publicity Department of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and the International Communication Office of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, the all-encompassing project “Generation Z in Shanghai” narrates the journeys of Generation Z as they pursue their education, build their families, and advance their careers in Shanghai. This project vividly paints a picture of Shanghai as a city that captures the hearts of young people.

With the theme “Generation Z: Illuminating Shanghai’s Urban Innovations”, the exhibition spotlights prominent individuals and their exemplary stories within the program. It showcases the journeys of young people hailing from diverse countries and fields. Among them are an African girl researching aircraft engines in Shanghai, a student from Tongji University embarking on an expedition to Antarctica, an Egyptian youth teaching Chinese to foreigners, a senior undergraduate who established a company valued at hundreds of millions of Yuan, and a landscape designer contributing to the revitalization of Zhongshan Park, and more. They have witnessed city’s development and are actively using their creativity and youthful vigor to shape their second hometown — Shanghai.

The exhibition is jointly organized by IP SHANGHAI and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, marking the inaugural stop of this series of events. The exhibition’s opening ceremony was graced by the presence of distinguished guests and representatives from various institutions, including the International Communication Office of CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, the Education and Public Health Committee of CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, the Shanghai Municipal Education Committee, the Communist Youth League Shanghai Committee, Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Tongji University, East China Normal University, and Zi De Guqin Studio. The exhibition site features an ingenious interactive wall where visitors can scan the QR code to access the complete video series. Additionally, there are various photogenic spots for social media.

The extensive global reach of “Generation Z in Shanghai” has established innovation as a pivotal keyword connecting this generation with the city. The Generation Z Creative Workshop was also officially launched at the opening ceremony to consistently showcase young individuals’ innovation and creativity and reflect Shanghai’s dynamic vitality. With innovation and creativity at its core, this workshop integrates communication, incubation, and exhibition to establish a brand-new track for Generation Z to drive the city’s innovative development. The organizer introduced that the “Generation Z Creative Workshop” program will initiate an annual design competition to encourage students to interpret the city image from innovative perspectives and promote the publicity of urban culture.

Working closely with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, IP Shanghai established a “Generation Z Creators Repository” to provide a platform for young creators to showcase their works and explore potential IP application opportunities for exceptional creative projects.

Representatives of Generation Z in Shanghai were present at the event and participated in a roundtable forum themed “Crossing the Boundary: Generation Z-driven Urban Innovation”. Representatives include Rachel, a graduate student from the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics Aerospace at SJTU, and Wang Jialing, a representative of the sci-tech innovation industry.

According to IP Shanghai, the university tour will be exhibited in more universities in Shanghai. This initiative aims to encourage more members of Generation Z to participate and share their personal growth, narrating their distinctive Shanghai stories.

Translated by Chen Longzhi

Proofread by Zhao Xiaojing

Editor on Duty: Diwei Chen 

Responsible Editor: Qianqian Jiang, Yuhe Fu