On 18 July, the 12th National Diplomatic Talent Contest for College Students was held at Xiamen University (XMU). Twelve student teams from top universities such as Renmin University of China, Nankai University, Tongji University, Lanzhou University, Wuhan University, Sun Yat-Sen University and China Foreign Affairs University participated in the contest.

The contest is a national high-level diplomacy and international politics contest initiated and hosted by the School of International Relations/Research School for Southeast Asian Studies of XMU. Revolving around global peace and development, the contest this year had an in-depth discussion on issues of Water Resources Development and Governance of Mekong River, The Road to Peace in Syria and Global Climate Change and Response.

Many students previously participating in the contest became diplomats and professionals in this field. XMU and other universities have been listed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as key candidate institutions for the campus recruitment program.

Liu Xinsheng, former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Cyprus and scholars attended the opening ceremony of the contest. Teachers and students from various high schools were invited to observe and exchange opinions. In this way, a platform ranging from secondary schools to universities is established to cultivate international professionals, which further enhances students’ patriotism and sense of responsibility.

The opening ceremony also announced the establishment of the Xiamen University International Organization Talent Development Association, and the Xiamen University Borui International Talent Education Fund. The fund aims to cultivate international professionals with global vision and patriotism. It also helps young students in different majors to join the international organizations for internships and full-time job.