China's talent advantage is a key driver in advancing humanoid robotics
YOUNG TALENTS
Alongside the robotic athletes, the human operators working behind the scenes also drew wide attention, particularly as most were university students and young engineers in their 20s and 30s, with some even still in high school.
During the opening ceremony, the 14-year-old flag bearer from a junior high school in Beijing became the youngest participating engineer. Three teams composed of junior high school and senior high school students also competed in the soccer events.
Young talents from various countries have been pouring into humanoid robotics development. Most are STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) enthusiasts or university students majoring in fields like mathematics, mechanical engineering, electronics, computer science, and communications. During the competitions, they troubleshot malfunctioning robots on-site, connecting laptops to adjust software parameters with the precision and focus of a laboratory experiment.
China's talent advantage is a key driver in advancing humanoid robotics. Zhou Changjiu, president of the RoboCup Asia-Pacific Confederation and one of the co-organizers of the games, noted that China has a culture that deeply values STEM education. Both parents and society place great emphasis on STEM, with many children actively participating in competitions, creating a unique cultural and social environment that fosters talent development.
According to policy documents unveiled this May, China will establish a tiered AI education system spanning primary, junior high and senior high schools to guide students from foundational cognitive awareness to practical technological innovation.