From 22 to 28 July 2025, a high-level delegation from the All-Africa Students Union (AASU) participated in the 5th China–Africa Future Leader Dialogue, held across Jinhua, Yiwu, and Beijing, China. The Dialogue brought together young leaders from Africa and China to deepen cooperation, promote intercultural understanding, and foster youth-led approaches to sustainable development.
The AASU delegation was led by Secretary-General Peter Kwasi Kodjie, and included Esther Ndeme Assiene (Vice President, Central Africa), Jemilatu Mamshie Bawa (Chief Operating Officer), Angel Warira Mbuthia (Secretary for Gender and International Relations), Abusninah Emad Ahmad Nasr (Secretary for Education and Students’ Rights), Oumu T. Sall (Representative from the Office of the AASU President), and El Hadj Hussein Tapily (Vice President, West Africa).
Over the course of the week, the AASU delegation joined other African and Chinese participants in a packed programme of institutional visits, thematic discussions, and cultural exchanges. Delegates visited the Zhejiang Normal University, Leapmotor’s AI-driven vehicle manufacturing site, Senshan Health Town, the Grand Canal Museum, and the National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Centre, among other key institutions. The programme highlighted China’s approach to intelligent education, green development, and cultural heritage preservation – offering valuable lessons and entry points for African youth.
Discussions centred around the future of youth innovation, digital learning, climate-conscious development, and equitable global partnerships. Participants collaborated on public welfare project ideas aimed at strengthening youth roles in carbon neutrality, environmental literacy, and digital cooperation. AASU delegates actively contributed to joint working sessions on climate-smart policy, sustainable agriculture, and south-south education exchange.
On the sidelines of the programme, the AASU delegation also participated in the World Youth Peace Conference held in Beijing on 29 July 2025. At this landmark event, Secretary-General Peter Kwasi Kodjie represented African youth and joined four other youth leaders from across the world to deliver the World Youth Peace Initiative – a unified declaration calling on global youth to defend peace, uphold multilateralism, promote mutual learning among civilisations, and pioneer inclusive technologies and global development.
His participation reaffirmed AASU’s continental commitment to peace, justice, and youth-led diplomacy, particularly within the context of rising global tensions and climate uncertainty.
AASU’s participation in both the China–Africa Future Leaders Dialogue and the World Youth Peace Conference served as an opportunity to exchange experiences, strengthen partnerships, and contribute to ongoing dialogue around global cooperation, youth empowerment, and inclusive development. Through these engagements, AASU reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that the voices of African students are reflected in international platforms shaping the future of education, peace, and equitable global progress.
