Standing out from the competition of over 800 candidates on Aug 30, eight citizen representatives were entitled to attend the 2014 Tianjin Summer Davos Forum, aiming to allow more ordinary people into the global gathering.

The selection began on July 1 and the eight finalists will watch the opening and closing performances, attend cultural activities, take part in inspection tours and meet with top officials of the World Economic Forum from Sept 10 to 12.

The Chinese citizen representatives are also permitted to make speeches at a regional cooperation forum and exchange ideas with foreign experts during the event.

Ranging from administrators, engineers and financial practitioners, to college teachers and doctors, 90 percent of the applicants have a master’s degree or doctor’s degree with a large number of them having overseas experience.

Established in 2007 as the foremost global gathering on science, technology and innovation, the Summer Davos meeting , or the Annual Meeting of the New Champions, convenes the next generation of fast-growing enterprises shaping the future of business and society, together with leaders from major multinationals as well as government, media, academia and civil society.