On April 16, AUCA and AIS (Asia International System) jointly held a reception with Industry Experts in Changshu. Three leading industry guests, along with high school counselors from all over the country and representatives of overseas universities, engaged in an open and practical communication on a topic of common concern:

"Trends are changing, Demands are changing - have we kept up with students' future?"

Who are They? Those who stand at the forefront of trends.

Three guests respectively come from the fields of finance, technology, consulting and education. As those who make decisions, recruit talents and set strategies on the front line of the industry every day, their perspectives may be closer to the real future than any textbook.

Academic qualifications are the foundation,

Comprehensive abilities and qualities are the key to success.

As a financial HR who has screened over ten thousand resumes, Anya stated that the current employment environment is full of uncertainties. Instead of blindly chasing employment hotspots, having a deep understanding of oneself is the true starting point of career planning. She suggests that when students plan their studies, they should take into account both professional depth and ability differentiation. They should not only delve deeply into their core specialties but also proactively build a composite ability system.

She pointed out that academic qualifications are only the foundation for job hunting. Enterprises also value soft power that supports long-term development, such as proactive thinking, efficient execution, and problem-solving. Such abilities can be refined through internships, practical experience, and project training.

For international talents, Anya offers a new interpretation: True international literacy is not merely an external label of an overseas experience, but rather a mature and self-consistent inner self, the ability to maintain a stable mindset in a multicultural environment, and the capacity for cross-cultural communication and efficient problem-solving. This is also a precious competitive edge in the workplace.

At the same time, she offered three practical suggestions to the college counseling teachers: precise planning, keeping up with the latest industry trends, and connecting with industry resources. Professional in-depth cultivation guides students to build core competitiveness; Matching empowerment, customizing suitable growth paths for students. What suits is the most valuable.

Interdisciplinary? Return to liberal education first.

Boren's experience itself is quite convincing: with a background in architecture, he is now the project director of an autonomous driving unicorn company.

How did he manage to do it? The answer might surprise many: storytelling (the ability to tell stories).

"The partner who interviewed me at that time said that he didn't need someone who could only do things; he needed someone who was good at storytelling."

But Boren emphasized that excellent expression is not empty talk but based on a solid liberal education. The knowledge connection and systematic thinking cultivated by architecture were transferred by him to the cutting-edge field of autonomous driving, which made cross-disciplinary collaboration possible.

"The capabilities you possess in basic subjects and liberal education are the fundamental support for your continuous cross-disciplinary efforts."

His advice to the on-site college counseling teachers was concise yet powerful: "Professional knowledge is the foundation of one's existence, and innovation is the direction of the future."

Don't miss those overlooked opportunities.

Brian advised students to "break free from the vicious cycle and look at the world", as global markets such as the Middle East, South America, Europe and America are all brimming with vast opportunities. He shared several real cases:

Meituan's overseas expansion has rapidly grown from just a few people in Saudi Arabia in 2024 to 3,000, and it is gradually shifting its focus to Brazil. The project prefers Arabic language talents and those who are fluent in both Chinese and English. The salary is about twice that in China.

Brian believes that in the AI era, language proficiency is the core pass for global employment. "Go to Silicon Valley and take a look. Many of the top talents in AI do not come from STEM - but from linguistics." The foundation of AI is linguistics."

As for the college counseling teachers, Brian's advice is extremely practical: "Parents are the best and most accessible vocational education resources." Let the students interview their parents to learn where they work and what occupations they have. Every week, one parent is invited into the classroom to share their real workplace experiences."

 Suggestion for college counselors from a professional perspective.

Elizabeth, the CEO of AIS International, as a cognia and wasc certification management service provider, combined with her senior expert with nearly 30 years of experience in international education, in response to the widespread anxiety of the teachers present about whether liberal arts students still have a future in the AI era, Elizabeth gave a powerful response from the essence of education: Students who have both liberal arts and science and engineering thinking are often more likely to become leaders than those who are purely science and engineering students. Because the core of leadership lies precisely in communication, empathy, creativity and resilience - and these are precisely the most essential training goals of liberal arts education. Strategic thinking in liberal arts and tactical implementation in science. We should handle the seemingly divergent thinking and behavior of students in the short term with the mindset of nurturing a person for a hundred years. This is a change of this era, and we accept it without anxiety. Nowadays, the new generation has their distinct characteristics and advantages, and we need to respect and understand them. At the same time, it is proposed that in this era, teachers need to guide and assist students in cultivating deep thinking and meditation training even more.

She also emphasized a key national strategy: by 2030, every school must be equipped with a full-time career planner. This means that career planning must be laid out in advance and systematically cultivated during the primary and secondary school stages.

Dialogue: Education and Industry Resonate in Unison

The atmosphere at the event was particularly lively. Many college counseling teachers actively asked questions, bringing the exchange to a climax. Everyone actively raised questions about real pain points such as professional selection, college guidance resources, and career enlightenment, and the guests responded sincerely one by one. The two-hour exchange was filled with exchanges, questions and answers, and was both profound and warm. Trends are changing, demands are changing, but one thing remains unchanged: the future of students requires us to see it earlier and more truly.

A big thank you to all the guests and educational peers for your participation. AUCA will continue to build a high-quality industry exchange platform, gathering more business guests from cutting-edge fields and overseas universities to gain insights into trends and promote mutual growth.

Highlights of the event: INSIGHTS FOR TOMORROW｜学生的未来，我们跟上了吗？