JA Asia Pacific announces formation of the JA Asia Pacific AI Council to media at the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the New Champions

In June 2026, global leaders gathered in Dalian, China, for the 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions (AMNC), widely known as the "Summer Davos." Organized by the World Economic Forum under the theme "Innovating at Scale," the meeting brought together more than 1,500 leaders from business, government, academia, and the innovation ecosystem to explore how technological breakthroughs can be translated into economic progress, enterprise, and employment.

Since its launch in 2007, the Annual Meeting of the New Champions has served as the Forum's flagship platform for entrepreneurship, innovation, and next-generation growth companies. Among the leaders helping shape the agenda was AMNC Co-Chair, Jonas Prising, whose longstanding advocacy for skills development, workforce adaptability, and human potential reflects a growing recognition that the future of work depends not only on technological innovation, but on preparing people to thrive alongside it.

Prising is also the immediate past Board Chairman for JA Worldwide.

This year's discussions focused on a critical challenge facing economies worldwide: how to turn rapid technological disruption into opportunity through innovation, entrepreneurship, and public-private collaboration.

President & CEO, Dr Vivek Kumar, representing JA Asia Pacific at this event, found this conversation to be especially relevant.

Scaling Human Ingenuity Alongside Technology

Across plenary sessions, roundtables, and media engagements, one message stood out clearly: the true opportunity lies not simply in scaling technology, but in scaling human ingenuity.

Artificial intelligence (AI), digital transformation, and emerging technologies are reshaping industries at an unprecedented pace. Yet innovation delivers its greatest value when it expands access to opportunity, creates meaningful employment, and equips people with the skills to thrive in a changing world.

Speaking with global media at the WEF AMNC, Vivek Kumar, President and CEO of JA Asia Pacific announced the launch of the JA Asia Pacific AI Council. He shared, “There appears a disconnect between sectors where jobs are emerging at scale, and the preparedness of youth to either understand those sectors well or to be seeking a career there. Going upstream could help prepare these youth better but also help employers attract the brightest of them.”

https://youtu.be/0pG_GBdQI1g

As leaders examined the future of economic growth, several themes consistently emerged:

• Building AI and emerging technology ecosystems that generate real economic outcomes

• Creating jobs and pathways to employment at scale

• Strengthening public-private partnerships that move from intent to measurable impact

• Expanding access to opportunity for young people and underserved communities

These priorities closely reflect JA's mission to prepare young people for employment and entrepreneurship in an evolving global economy.

Why Workplace Readiness Has Become a Global Priority

One of the most consistent themes across discussions was workplace readiness.

As economies transform, workforce challenges extend beyond technical skills. Young people entering today's workforce must navigate constant change, adapt to emerging technologies, and continuously develop new capabilities throughout their careers.

Workplace readiness now includes a broader set of competencies:

• Resilience and adaptability

• Financial capability and economic awareness

• Entrepreneurial thinking and problem solving

• Digital fluency and technology literacy

• Communication, collaboration, and leadership skills

These human capabilities are becoming increasingly important in a world where technology continues to reshape the nature of work.

For JA Asia Pacific, this represents both a challenge and an opportunity. Across the region, millions of young people are seeking pathways to meaningful employment. Equipping them with practical skills, entrepreneurial mindsets, and future-focused competencies remains one of the most effective ways to ensure they can participate in and contribute to economic growth.

“Junior Achievement’s on ground network of 66,000 volunteers, 5,000,000 youth & committed partners across Asia Pacific gives us a powerful platform to move from vision to action,” said Vivek Kumar.

Partnerships That Deliver Measurable Impact

Another recurring theme throughout the meeting was the importance of partnerships that create tangible outcomes.

Addressing youth employability and preparing future-ready talent requires coordinated action across sectors. Governments, businesses, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations each have a critical role to play in ensuring that young people can successfully transition from learning to earning.

For organizations such as JA, partnerships are not simply vehicles for funding programs. They are catalysts for systemic change. By bringing together employers, educators, policymakers, and community leaders, partnerships can help create more inclusive pathways to employment and entrepreneurship.

This emphasis on collaboration mirrors the founding principle behind JA's work: that preparing young people for successful futures requires real-world experiences and meaningful connections between education and industry.

Investing in the Future of Work

The conversations at the Annual Meeting of the New Champions reinforced an important reality: the future of work is ultimately about people.

While AI and emerging technologies continue to transform economies, long-term prosperity will depend on whether individuals have the skills, confidence, and opportunities to adapt and thrive.

For JA Asia Pacific, the path forward is clear. By continuing to invest in workplace readiness, financial health, entrepreneurship education, and strong cross-sector partnerships, we can help millions of young people build the capabilities needed for the jobs of tomorrow.

The challenge before us is not simply to innovate at scale. It is to ensure that innovation creates opportunities at scale.

Because when we invest in young people's potential, we are not just preparing them for the future of work. We are empowering them to shape it.