Vision Exchange Hub #2: “Inclusivity and diversity” Writing Competition

In today’s multicultural world, achieving true inclusivity and diversity is more crucial—and challenging—than ever, as too much conformity shields people from hearing different perspectives. How can we ensure we’re fostering genuine inclusion rather than merely engaging in token representation? This question calls for honest, sometimes uncomfortable conversations. A world that genuinely embraces a multiplicity of voices creates a stronger, more resilient unity—one founded on understanding, respect, and an openness to growth. By engaging in these discussions, we can move beyond surface-level diversity toward meaningful change that reflects the richness of our global community.

In our first post of the Vision Exchange Hub, we explored two opposing perspectives on the impact of college education on class stratification: does it truly make a significant difference in existing divides? We want to hear from you, our readers, in the form of formal writing as we dive into what true inclusivity and diversity mean on a personal level. Reflecting on your own experiences, what do these concepts look like to you in practice? Are there specific moments, insights, or challenges that have shaped your understanding? Share your perspectives, stories, and ideas with us, and together, let’s deepen our exploration of what it means to create genuinely inclusive and diverse spaces.

The specifics of the are in the following:

1. Topic: Explore the phenomenon of social class immobility around the theme of social equity, integrating personal experiences and observations. The essay can include the following content to deepen the discussion:

1) Definition and Phenomenon: What is social class immobility? What are its specific manifestations in different social or cultural contexts?

2) Personal Experiences and Observations: Share scenes you have encountered or experienced, such as unequal distribution of educational resources or barriers in career development.

3) Impacts and Reflections: Analyze the effects of class immobility on personal development and society as a whole, including its constraints on hope, effort, and social mobility.

4) Potential Solutions: From both personal and societal perspectives, propose visions or suggestions for achieving social equity. This could include discussing the importance of education, institutional improvements, and shifts in social attitudes.

2. Age: 8-12th graders are more prepared for such topics

3. Time Schedule: Dec 20th 2024 – Feb 5th 2025; Prizes will be open in April 2025

4. Rules:

1) Word limit: word count should be less than 500 (word count doesn’t matter that much as long as your argument is convincing!)

2) Reference: There is no required formatting for this essay, but writers should cite their references.

3) Subject focus: Writers are free to approach this question from any perspective—economics, sociology, psychology, or others—but should state their focus on a subject to enhance clarity and depth in the discussion. This allows for a more insightful evaluation of the writer’s reasoning instead of the subjective “right or wrong.”

5. Submission Fee: none

6. Prizes:

1) First prize: $200 gift card -one candidate

2) Second prize: $175 gift card – two candidates

3) Third prize: $50 gift card- four candidate

4) Special awards:

• The Precision Pen Award: Awards a writer with meticulous accuracy and deep expertise in a specialized subject. The prize awarded to the recipient would be tailored to the writer’s specific area of expertise (unrevealed until awarded).

• The Board of Judges will be a combination of economic experts and passionate high schoolers and teachers.

7. Submission: Please submit your article as a PDF format to the email address teenomics@outlook.com

8. Language Requirement: English

10. Judge Board:

1) Dr. Yang: Dr.Yang is a retired investment banker with many outstanding achievements. He was a managing director and global partner of Goldman Sachs from 2017 to 2014 as a leading M&A deal maker in Asia. Before that, he was a managing director of China International Capital Corporation since 1998. Dr. Yang received Ph. D degree in Economics from University of Texas in Austin in early 1990’s and, following that, he worked as an economist with the World Bank before 1998. He was a member of the prestigious the World Bank’s Young Professionals Program. 

2) Dr.Zhao: Alex Zhao holds a Ph.D degree in Economics from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. During his Ph.D study, his major research interests covered international trade, industrial organization, game theory and Econometrics. His Ph.D thesis won “the Best These Award” of the University of Michigan’s Economics Department in 1994. In 1995, Mr. Zhao left academic field and pursued a career in finance industry. In the past 30 years, he worked with two of the top investment banking firms from the Wall Street and Asia respectively as a leading investment banker and private equity investor, with tons of achievements in arears of mergers and acquisitions, capital market, financial product innovations, and private equity investment. Mr. Zhao has retired from those institutions and now lives in Boston with his family. He currently holds an advisory role in various investment companies and technology funds. 

We look forward to reading your responses and seeing the unique perspectives each of you brings to this important conversation! Join us in building a forum where ideas grow and evolve through respectful debate and shared insights, and let’s spark a dialogue that pushes boundaries and deepens our understanding.