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Problem: How can South Africa address climate vulnerability while ensuring equitable access to water and energy? Solution: Strengthen governance, combat corruption, and practice inclusive decision-making in climate adaptation. During the May 2026 symposium, representatives from GEN's South Africa team examined how climate change, governance failures, and historical inequality collectively undermine water and energy security. While South Africa has progressive constitutional p

Problem: How can we prevent over-reliance on AI tools from undermining critical thinking and learning? Solution: Establish an "AI Student User Code" that promotes transparency, verification, and responsible AI use through shared social norms. During the May 2026 symposium, representatives from GEN's UC Berkeley team explored the growing challenge of AI dependence in education. As generative AI becomes increasingly integrated into academic work, the team argued that current re

Problem: How can Eastern philosophy be translated into individual behavior? Solution: The Introspection Evaluation Matrix The Japan team centered on the transformative power of Eastern philosophy, stressing that individual self-cultivation serves as the foundation for broader social and organizational change. While other participants focused on macro-level international organizations or national policies, the Japan team argued that sustainable progress is only possible when l

Problem: How can a government adapt to a super-aging population caused by declining birth rates? Solution: Using public enterprise to fill gaps in government capability During the December 2025 symposium, the Korea team focused on the urgent challenge of Korea’s rapid transition into a super-aged society, marked by declining fertility, a shrinking workforce, and mounting fiscal pressure to accommodate elderly individuals. As the proportion of aged individuals accelerates in g

Problem: How can we engage a large population in public climate change harm reduction campaigns? Solution: Promote “Green Nudges” to minimize effort/hesitation in daily decision-making During the April 2025 symposium, representatives from GEN’s Korea team focused on strategies to engage larger populations in green campaigns aimed at combatting the effects of climate change. As human-driven damage from climate change continues to intensify, the Korea team argued that awareness

Problem: How can ESG investing be most effective? Solution: Return from a contested investment paradigm back to an earlier model of corporate responsibility The U.S. Young Professionals team researched the evolution of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing, examining how it developed from early corporate social responsibility initiatives into a widely adopted framework for evaluating sustainability and ethical impact. ESG has grown beyond a metric system in

U.S. Young Professionals, April 2025 Problem: How can we differentiate “greenwashing” from sincere corporate efforts to promote environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals? Solution: Use Natural Language Processing (NLP) to verify company’ claims The U.S. Young Professionals Team explored how artificial intelligence can evaluate corporate reports of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) efforts. As government regulations increase the volume of corporate reporting,

Tongji University, December 2025 Problem: How can China, the United States, Japan, and South Korea interact to promote a global cybersecurity order? Solution: A “Structure-Interaction-Stability” framework of shared governance In this fall conference, the Tongji University team presented a comparative analysis of cyberspace security strategies in China, the United States, Japan, and South Korea. Cyberspace has shifted from a technical domain into a geopolitical competition, wh

Tongji University, April 2025 Problem: How can we manage technology competition among China, Japan, and the US? Solution: A Nested Governance Framework and Sandbox Regulatory Practices At the April 2025 symposium, the China team, represented by Tongji University, focused on the critical intersection of emerging technologies and global security governance within the China-Japan-US trilateral relationship. As technologies like AI, quantum computing, and biotechnology reshape

UC Berkeley, April 2025 Conference Problem: How can cities engage the public in planning and decision-making to ensure clean mobility projects respond to community needs and address past inequalities? Solution: Redefine public engagement as “co-governance” to bridge the gap between community input and design decisions. The UC Berkeley team addressed the challenges of achieving equitable clean mobility in San Francisco. Despite high usage, the transit infrastructure remains un

UC Berkeley, April 2025 Conference Problem: How can we redesign social media to reduce polarization and promote democratic dialogue, rather? Solution: Implement “ideologically stretching algorithms,” respect-based norms, and decentralized governance. The UC Berkeley team addressed the intensifying global issue of political polarization. Current social media structures accelerate division by rewarding outrage and isolating users into ideological bubbles where nuance is lost. W