Meeting Summary: Navigating China's Youth in Transition with Professor Thomas Talhelm

After a long-awaited return to China for more than four years, Professor Thomas Talhelm traveled to Hangzhou to meet up with project members and discuss the advancement of his 2023 Provost Project entitled:

“China's Youth in Transition: A Long-Term Study of How Youth Adapt to Wok Life,"

For the past two years, the dedicated research team has meticulously tracked the journey of China's youth as they navigate the intricate terrain of work transitions. This groundbreaking project commenced in the summer of 2022, coinciding with the pivotal moment when college graduates embarked on their professional journeys.

Since its inception, the project has achieved a remarkable feat by diligently following the trajectories of over 400 young professionals across 7 time points from various regions of China. The primary objective has been to unravel the intricacies of their life and workplace transitions, offering unprecedented insights into the challenges, aspirations, and adaptations experienced by this demographic during this crucial phase of their lives.

🤝 Academic Meet-up: This Hangzhou meet-up successfully brought together professors and researchers from Hubei University, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Xiamen University, and Wenzhou-Kean University. The collaborative atmosphere fostered meaningful discussions on the multifaceted dimensions of the research project. They also began discussing next steps and how to begin expanding the scope of the study to capture deeper understandings of changes of China’s youth.

🔍 Project Reflections: Professor Thomas Talhelm provided an illuminating overview of the project, delving into its objectives, methodologies, and preliminary findings. His expertise and knowledge for this subject inspired rich conversations among the professors.

🎓 Student Involvement: This meet-up fostered collaboration with some young bright minds shaping the future. Students from Nanjing Normal University, Shanghai International Studies University, and Zhejiang University attended meet-up and lectures, adding diverse perspectives and energy to the conversation.

🚩 Next Steps: As a result of the get together, the team shared commitment to advancing the research project collaboratively. The next steps involve beginning some advanced analyses to gain better insights of the potential research project goals and preparing a detailed presentation of results. This collaborative effort is poised to contribute significantly to the field of social and cultural studies.

We express our sincere appreciation to Professor Thomas Talhelm, the participating professors, and everyone who contributed to the success of this research meet-up. We are also grateful for Professor of Marketing Zhou Xinyue from Zhejiang University who also invited Professor Talhelm to give a lecture on “Data from 100 Cultures Shows Collectivism isn't What People Think lt ls.” The lecture provided great insights for all in attendance.

Should you have questions about the project's progress please add our WeChat account and we can provide more information.

We look forward to continued collaboration in unraveling the complexities of China's youth in transition.