The  four  first-tier  cities  (Beijing,  Shanghai,  Shenzhen  and  Guangzhou)  have  long  been favored  by  college graduates  in their job  search.  It  is  believed that with  more job  openings, cultural events and educational resources, young people may  have  more  learning and growth opportunities as well as a broader network of social relationships in these cities.

In recent years, however, there has been a rising number of college graduates deciding to work in second- or third-tier cities. For them, being a “big fish in a small pond” means greater opportunities for promotion. With less competition and more support, it may also be easier for them to develop and shine in their own chosen field.

In your opinion, which is more beneficial to one’s career development: a big pond or a small pond?

Tao Café, a self-service retail store opened by Alibaba in Hangzhou, has attracted great public attention.  In this store,  shoppers just  scan the  items they want to purchase through a  QR code. As they walk out, the cost of their purchases is automatically calculated and paid for in only a few seconds.

In  some  people’s  opinion,  a  self-service  store  can  be  beneficial  to  both  society  and  the individual. The operating cost can be reduced, and customers can avoid the embarrassment of being followed by excessively passionate sales assistants. However, it is criticized as being “not convenient but showy” by some others. They argue that customers may have no one to turn to when they need help. Moreover, there is a deeper concern over the possible increase in unemployment if such stores prevail.

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                                                    The Facial Recognition Nightmare Is Upon Us

This is no longer a distant dream but a reality. The facial recognition age has arrived. But when you applaud, excited about all the convenience and security it will bring you (no more keys, cards or pin numbers since no one will be able to pretend to be you), are you aware that your nightmare might have started?

Just imagine you’re standing in front of the cashier, authorizing a payment by smiling at your brand new smartphone. You think by using your phone that everything is under control, but the front-facing True Depth camera will be using you too. It reads your facial features, with your consent  (or without,  if your  phone  is  hacked) to  share with  other  organizations. That  is the beginning of the end: they will be able to analyze your gender, race and approximate age, as well as the brand of orange juice you just paid for. They will study your purchase behavior, model on your features, and make plans to entice you to act in their best interests —to buy more!

Now your face is no longer a part of you. It is part of your property which you will be unable to protect from exploitation.

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                                                                       Should Music Be Free?

The digital era is redefining the way we live. While it brings us huge amounts of resources, it raises questions about how we access them. This is exactly what has happened to music, one of the most popular products nowadays. Once connected to the Internet, we could download mp3s to our computers for free and this seemed much more appealing than going to a CD shop.

However, the “free lunch” has not lasted long.  In recent years, online music platforms in China have been insisting that downloaded music must be paid for. Some major Internet music providers have set up new membership systems which users have to pay if they want to listen to or download the music they like. Moreover, a lot of records that used to be accessible online are now  banned.  Some  people  applaud  the  elimination  of  “free”  music.  For  them,  music  is  the intellectual property of musicians and singers; therefore they argue that we should pay to show respect and  support for their work.  However,  opponents  argue that  having to  pay for  music blocks it from a larger audience. Since the spirit of the  Internet lies in openness and sharing, limiting a user group is seen as discriminatory and unfair.

Location: Cambridge

Duration: 4 weeks

Participants: Teenagers from over 20 countries in Continental Europe, Asia and Africa

Activities:  Tips  for  leaders,  Icebreakers  and  fun  activities  indoors  and  outdoors,  Activities  to develop co-operation and self-esteem, Creative Arts and performance, Environmental protection

Bookstores  are  on  the  way  to  become  a  rarity  as  the  number  of  books  purchased  at bookstores continues to drop. For existing bookstores, solely selling books is barely enough for the owners to make ends meet and the prevalence of successful online retailers, where massive discounts are offered, has pushed many bookstores to the verge of bankruptcy.

However, for many book lovers, bookstores are irreplaceable in many ways. The browsing, dawdling and discovery possible in bookstores and the social interactions which can take place there all play a role and make the material presence of bookstores meaningful. Book lovers hold firm in their hearts a desire that wherever this digital era is leading us, bookstores will always exist.

One of the defining features of humanity is that humans, unlike animals, can make and use various  tools  for  different  purposes.  Throughout  history,  human  beings  have  endeavored  to invent and develop tools to make life more enjoyable and work more efficient. Yet, as a result, humans seem to have relinquished much of their intelligence as more and more tasks have been taken over by tools. Tools are able to make faster calculations, give more precise navigation, and provide  a  broader  range  of  information.  Moreover,  tools  such  as  robots  with  an  increasing potential for empathy and creativity are learning to respond to humans emotionally and to write poems and songs, which used to be thought as the irreplaceable “humanness” of humanity. It is not really an exaggeration to say that gradually refined tools will one day outperform humans in many fields.

While human beings face the competition of being challenged and outperformed by tools, what then will be the irreplaceable feature that defines our humanity?