Young people are the most vigorous and enterprising… A nation will be full of hope and have a great tomorrow when its younger generations have ideals, ability, and a strong sense of responsibility.

"The Power of Youth and Dreams," a series co-created by Hinews and Hainan International Media Center, puts the spotlight on ten Chinese and foreign young people who have pursued their aspirations and forged shining stories rooted in openness and innovation during their many years in Hainan and China. Through their actions, they demonstrate their shouldering of social responsibility, becoming a bridge for intercultural exchanges. Their stories motivate others to realize their dreams in China and contribute their efforts to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

China’s rural science and technology academies, so called because they bring scientific and technological approaches to farming, enable postgraduate students engaged in relevant research across China to experience farming up close, living, eating, and working alongside farmers to ensure that their research results come to fruition and bring positive change to farmers’ lives. The first such academy was established in Quzhou County, Hebei Province, in 2009 by Zhang Fusuo, a soil scientist and academician of the China Agricultural University, and his team of researchers.  

By 2024, 53 such academies had been set up in Hainan Province with the approval of the China Rural Special Technology Association. Each academy hosts a team of postgraduate research students who get down in the dirt alongside local farmers.

In this episode, we follow the story of three “deans”—student leaders of academies in Hainan’s Lin’gao County, Baisha Li Autonomous County, and Dongfang City—who initially struggled to be accepted by locals, only gradually winning their trust by patiently demonstrating the effectiveness of their scientific methodology. Bringing modern cultivation techniques to the fields, they showed farmers how best to fertilize their crops to boost their yield and quality. Their stories are but snapshots of the lives of other student “deans” across the country who have left the confines of their ivory towers to immerse themselves in the mud and toil of the fields.