Roundup: Final hours for Sino-Australian youth to join Vivid Sydney's "CAMP"

It's truly China Week in Sydney, with the harbor city glowing red from Chinatown to the Opera House with the lanterns of the Lunar New Year, and applications for the groundbreaking inaugural China Australia Millennial Project (CAMP) entering the final phase, just as the sails of the Opera House turn a proud red for the Year of the Sheep.

While giant lanterns of Terracotta Warriors guard the city, CAMP is announcing the final places for all the young applicants living "the China Dream" -- encouraging them to unpack their imaginations and snatch up the last remaining of the 200 delegates restricted to "entrepreneurial youth aged 18-35 from China and Australia."

The 200 Australian and Chinese young innovators will work together to tackle global challenges and create solutions.

Twenty-five-year-old Beijinger Lu Rui, one of the first accepted delegates, says he is a "CAMP-er" not just for himself -- but to share his own ideas and hopefully inspire others.

"CAMP tries to connect AUS innovators with CN innovators to face the same social problems we have. The more you share, the more you receive. For me, to share all my skills/concepts/ experiences would be useful."

A young designer, who cut his teeth with Wieden+Kennedy, Shanghai, and the "Urban China" magazine, Lu has a passion for creativity that marks the fearlessness of the new China-Australia explorers.

"I'm a roadrunner who always provides the stimulus for my creativity," he grins, happily.

"I like working with a special emphasis on creative ideas and communication goals, with a very high attention to detail. Inspired by everything, everywhere, interested and enthusiastic, I 'm in complete love with visual creation and culture communication. "

The brainchild of long-term China engagement expert Andrea Myles, CAMP is gathering the "cream of the dream" for an idea- incubator with some of the world's best China-minds -- kicking off in an explosion of light and color at Sydney's Vivid Festival of Ideas in June.

The program, the first of its kind, will be accepting delegate applications until Feb. 28, 2015 -- time enough for the newly- initiated to make a break and jump on a one-of-a-kind experience of Sino-Australian youth networking, brain-scrambling and idea- innovating.

The inaugural 12-week program includes an online mentored component and an intensive five-day face-to-face summit being staged as part of Sydney's Vivid Festival of Ideas from June 1-5, 2015. CAMP will help foster mutual cultural understanding as well as providing delegates a professional development program designed to stretch their creative problem-solving and innovation skills.

Myles, the chief executive officer and founder of CAMP, has charged delegates across cooperative theme-based "think tanks" with identifying and solving the big-letter dramas prevalent across both societies. All groups are led and mentored by business leaders and gurus already familiar with breaking down barriers.

"CAMP aims to bring together some of the brightest young minds from China and Australia to form a collaborative 'hothouse' to develop creative solutions to potentially universal problems," says Myles.

"The intent is to foster greater mutual understanding and awareness that will pay dividends within our nations' bilateral relations for the years to come."

"The teams will have the opportunity to pitch their ideas publicly to compete for mentoring and financial support -- its our belief these will result in practical and innovative solutions to real world problems."

"In the end it will be forged-friendships that attract the greatest benefits: developing the bonds which build relationships will be done intellectually, entrepreneurially, socially as delegates get to celebrate their time in Sydney from a bridge climb, the wonders of Vivid Sydney in and of course cross cultural awareness and bonds -- which will have huge long-term career benefits as Australia participates in the Asian Century."

CAMP applications are open to Australian and Chinese citizens living both within Australia and China who believe they possess the drive, passion and willingness to expand their horizons required to successfully participate in the program.

"The program will require a commitment of time and energy," adds Myles, "But for those who throw themselves into the experience wholeheartedly, it will undoubtedly deliver fantastic results. And we promise it will be a lot of fun along the way as well." Endi