Students most interested in international politics, survey shows

The Association of International Affairs Exchange and Training of Macao recently released a survey showing that nearly 48% of secondary students in Macau are most interested in political developments within international affairs.

Notably, some students reported spending 2.5 hours or more per week studying international issues.

Overall attention to international affairs among respondents scored 5.74 out of 10, indicating a moderate level of engagement. The findings also revealed that more than 70% of surveyed students spend less than one hour per week following international current affairs, suggesting significant room for improvement in their time commitment.

The survey examined students’ concerns regarding international politics, economics, society, culture, and global issues, collecting data from 714 valid questionnaires across 18 schools last year. It found that the most pressing international domain for respondents was politics, with 47.8% expressing concern, followed by technological development at 39.5% and sociocultural issues at 33.5%.

When prioritizing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, students identified gender equality as their top concern at 44%, followed by no poverty at 38.2% and zero hunger at 37.1%.

The survey also found that the primary sources of international news were television, cited by 66.8% of respondents, followed by Instagram at 49.4% and YouTube at 43%.

The findings indicate that time investment and participation in related activities significantly enhance interest in international affairs. Students dedicating 2.5 hours or more per week to learning about global issues recorded an average interest level of 8.31 points, 2.57 points higher than the overall average.

Meanwhile, those who had participated in international affairs–related activities showed an interest level of 6.74 points, compared with 5.66 points among those without such experience.

According to the survey, the association plans to establish a long-term monitoring and evaluation mechanism to develop indicators measuring young people’s engagement with international affairs.

The report also recommends that schools integrate discussions of international issues across subjects to enhance students’ critical thinking skills, deepen their understanding of global issues, and improve analytical abilities.