Annual Review 2019 | 1 #AsiaGameChangers Founded in 1956 by John D. gender equality, while making Rockefeller 3rd, Asia Society is a enormous contributions to society nonpartisan, nonprofit organization and social structures within their that works to address a range of home countries. The honorees include challenges facing Asia and the rest of Japan’s Yuriko Koike, the country’s the world. Asia Society has cultural first female defense minister and centers and public buildings in New first female governor of Tokyo, who York, Hong Kong, and Houston, has paved the way for other women and offices in Los Angeles, Manila, leaders in her country; Chhaya Melbourne, Mumbai, San Francisco, Sharma, who led the investigation Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney, Tokyo, and prosecution of several high-profile Washington, D.C., and Zurich. crimes in India, and transformed police With an work and the roles of policewomen; Across the fields of arts, business, China’s Jane Jie Sun, the dynamic underlying culture, education, and policy, Asia and trailblazing leader of Ctrip, a Society provides insight, generates 25-billion-dollar travel company where interest ideas, and promotes collaboration more than half of the employees between Asia and the world. are women; and Faiza Saeed, the in strengthening presiding partner of Cravath, Swaine & Every year, Asia Society’s global Moore; Sana Mir, recognized as one of and increasing network nominates leaders who the best cricket players in history and are making a transformative and former captain of Pakistan’s national understanding positive difference for the future of team, who has championed women’s between East and Asia and the world, including artists participation in this male-dominated and arts professionals who have sport; Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi of the West, I felt that made a significant contribution to United Arab Emirates, a pioneer in the the development of modern and art world who has tirelessly promoted one of the ways contemporary art in Asia. greater cultural understanding and exchange in the Middle East and to foster Asia Society Arts Game Changers around the world; and the Kung Fu 2019 honored by Asia Society Hong Nuns of India and Nepal, who have understanding Kong were Indonesian artist Christine harnessed their mastery of martial arts Ay Tjoe, Chinese artist Fang Lijun, to challenge patriarchal structures and was to increase Pakistani artist Imran Qureshi, empower girls and young women in respect, to and Natee Utarit from Thailand. the Himalayas and beyond. Asia Society Mumbai lauded Akbar increase mutual Padamsee, Gulammohammed Sheikh, and Vibha Galhotra from India, as well appreciation as the Chinese artist Yang Yongliang. The 2019 Asia Game Changers are for the other’s women who have truly championed accomplishments. John D. Rockefeller 3rd Founder of Asia Society Jack Ma I. M. Pei Indra Nooyi ASIA GAME LIFETIME ASIA GAME CHANGER ACHIEVEMENT CHANGER OF THE YEAR AWARD OF THE YEAR 2015 2017 2014 Manny 2016 His Highness 2018 Pacquiao the Aga Khan ASIA GAME LIFETIME CHANGER ACHIEVEMENT OF THE YEAR AWARD 2 | President’s Message Dear reader, 2019 was another special year for Asia I wish to thank our institutional and Society Switzerland. We are thankful individual partners for their invaluable to our network of partners and support, our partner organizations for collaborators who helped us continue their constructive collaborations, our building bridges between Asia and members for their active engagement Switzerland in order to promote a and the Asia Society Switzerland team better understanding of Asian art, for their strong dedication and hard culture, policy and economies. Our work. 2019 program offered a non-political platform for insightful conversations, cultural exchanges, and shared views, and facilitated conversations with experts from around the world. We have invited leading members of Adrian T. Keller our global Asia Society network to President of the Board Zurich, experienced the Asian temple food culture with our senses and together with our curious audience, we explored unique elements of Asian art, ranging from contemporary art and manga comics, to historical paintings, sculptures or manuscripts. That is just to mention a few of this year’s highlights. We have welcomed more than 250 new members who joined our member community this year. 17 Corporate Partners make our program possible with their financial support. These corporations are our foundation, and most of them have been with us since the very beginning. As many of them have strong ties with Asia, they understand the need and importance to create bridges of understanding. As an organization, we strive to learn from one another, promote dialogue, and foster a culture of mutual understanding between our people and cultures in order to coexist and grow together. At Asia Society Switzerland, we believe it is important to touch upon the core values of Asian cultures, such as discipline, pride of innovation, respect, a strong entrepreneurial spirit and Asia’s ‘thrive to survive’ attitude and modesty. | 3 Asia Society Switzerland’s Experts for 2019 For all of Asia Society programs we have the honor to welcome refreshing and thought-provoking speakers. In 2019, Asia Society Experts travelled from 39 locations to Zurich, Bern, and Geneva. By sharing their knowledge and expertise with our members and audience, they supported our mission of strengthening the bridges of understanding between Asia, Switzerland and the world. Experts from America Experts from Europe An Xiao Mina Boon Hui Tan Agatha Kratz Alessandro Curioni Andries Diener Clare Rewcastle Brown Dirk Schmidt Affi liate researcher, Vice President, Associate Director, IBM Fellow, Vice Partner, Asia Green Real Investigative journalist, Tenured Senior Berkman Klein Center Global Arts and Cultural Rhodium Group, France President Europe and Estate, President, Swiss- United Kingdom Lecturer and Senior for Internet and Society, Programs and Director Director, IBM Research, Chinese Association, Researcher of China’s Harvard University, of Asia Society Museum, Switzerland Switzerland Political Economy, Trier U.S.A. U.S.A. University, Germany Daniel H. Rosen Kaiser Kuo Jue Wang Kristin Shi-Kupfer Margit Molnar Markus Herrmann Matthieu Zellweger Partner, Rhodium Group, Co-Host, Sinica Podcast, Lecturer, Leiden Director, Research Head of China Desk, Director, Sinolytics, Photographer, U.S.A. U.S.A. University; Associate Area on Public Policy OECD Economics Switzerland Switzerland Fellow, Asia-Pacifi c and Society, Merics, Department, France Programme, Chatham Germany House, Netherlands Petra Sigmund Philipp Hildebrand Ruth Kattumuri Sarah Kenderdine Theresa Fallon Deputy Director General Vice Chairman, Founder and Co-Director, Professor of Digital Founder and director, for East Asia, Southeast BlackRock, Switzerland India Observatory, Museology, École Centre for Russia Europe Asia and the Pacifi c, Distinguished Policy polytechnique Asia Studies, Belgium Federal Foreign Offi ce, Fellow, London School fédérale de Lausanne, Germany, Germany of Economics and Switzerland Political Science, United Kingdom Uli Sigg Former Swiss Ambassador to China and world-renowned collector of Chinese contemporary art, Switzerland Are we experiencing the highest to connect and empathize with Asia. life-expectancy of all time? Will we Increasing Asia Competence is at the soon live to be 100 years old? Are core of Asia Society Switzerland’s machines going to outsmart us? Will mission. I am proud and honored that climate change throw our ecosystem so many leading experts from around off balance? Is democracy retreating the world have taken time this year in the world? In short: What does our to join us, sharing their insights and future hold? We don’t know the answer experiences, allowing us to be part of to these questions, however we are a global conversation that is crucial certain that our future, the world’s for the future of Switzerland and the future, will become increasingly world. infl uenced by Asia. In comparison with our past, the future will be shaped by events in and ideas from the Asian region. Understanding the future thus requires Asia Competence: a holistic, sustained understanding of Nico Luchsinger Asian issues, paired with the ability Co-Executive Director 4 | Experts from Asia Dirk Schmidt Evgeny Morozov Ambassador Chan Bruno Maçães Bridget Welsh Carsten Hasbach Dan Wang Hao Jingfang Tenured Senior Writer and researcher, Heng Chee Former Portuguese Senior Research Director for Belt & Road, Technology analyst, Economist, China Ambassador-at-Large Minister and author, Associate, National Siemens, China Gavekal Dragonomics, Development Research Lecturer and Senior Spain Foundation, Researcher of China’s with the Ministry China Taiwan University, China science fi ction author Political Economy, Trier of Foreign Affairs, Senior Associate and social University, Germany Co-Chair, Asia Society, Fellow, Habibie entrepreneur, China Singapore Center, University Fellow, Charles Darwin University, Malaysia Matthieu Zellweger Eric Durand James Crabtree Jamil Anderlini Jeong Kwan Joleen Liang Kin-Ming Liu Parag Khanna Photographer, Head Cyber Center of Author and journalist, Asia Editor, Financial Buddhist nun, starred Partner, Squirrel AI Independent public Strategy Advisor and Switzerland Competence, Swiss Re, Associate Professor of Times, Hong Kong in an episode of “Chef’s Learning, China affairs consultant, author, Singapore Switzerland Practice, Lee Kuan Yew Table”, South Korea Hong Kong