From July 23 to 28, the 8th China-South Asia Expo and the 28th China Kunming Import and Export Fair were held at the Kunming Dianchi Convention and Exhibition Center, co-hosted by the Ministry of Commerce and the People’s Government of Yunnan Province. A total of 81 young volunteers from YUFE, selected through a rigorous process and comprehensive training, were on site to provide seven days of volunteer services for the expo. They embodied the spirit of dedication, friendship, mutual assistance, and progress, effectively telling the stories of China and Yunnan while promoting Chinese culture to the world, showcasing the vibrant spirit of Yunnan University of Finance and Economics’ youth.

On July 25, Zhao Panfeng, Secretary of the Yunnan Provincial Youth League Committee, visited the young volunteers at the Dianchi International Convention and Exhibition Center and engaged in friendly discussions with them. Zhao expressed gratitude for the efforts our volunteers contributed to the expo and inquired about their logistical support. Wang Haoming, Deputy Secretary of the Youth League Committee, shared his rich experiences from university life during a meal with the volunteers, encouraging them to develop strong skills through participation in volunteer activities and social practices, thereby laying a solid foundation for their future careers.

During the expo, YUFE volunteers were responsible for sales statistics, language services, and satisfaction surveys across nine exhibition halls. The students dedicated themselves to their roles with enthusiasm each day—some moved between booths to track the number of businesses from various countries and recorded specific sales data; others provided written and oral translation support for exhibitors from South Asia, Southeast Asia, and other countries, facilitating efficient communication with guests and visitors to ensure smooth transactions; while some conducted surveys in various halls to gather timely feedback.

The volunteer mobilization and recruitment efforts at Yunnan University of Finance and Economics began in mid-June. Based on voluntary applications from students, a strict selection process was implemented to form a disciplined and competent volunteer team. Among the 81 volunteers, there were 69 main event volunteers and 12 foreign service volunteers. This group included 29 volunteers from management-related majors, 20 bilingual volunteers, 9% were preparatory party members and party members, 9% were from minority ethnic backgrounds, 81% were female students, and 10% were graduate students.

To ensure that volunteers were well-prepared for their roles, a pre-service training session was organized by the university on July 10. During the basic training, Teacher Zhao Yue from the Youth League Committee provided an in-depth introduction to provincial and municipal conditions, as well as guidance on the overview of the expo, volunteer role awareness, safety knowledge, communication skills, and etiquette. In the specialized training session, Teacher Chen Yao and his team from the expo’s statistics department gave detailed explanations on exhibition statistics methods, data sources, recording standards, and collection methods.