Asian Century Summit 2025

The “Asian Century” encapsulates a vision of a future in which Asia plays a crucial role in reshaping and redefining the very fabric of the global economic and societal landscape in the 21st century. As the world’s economic and cultural epicentre shifts toward Asia, business and community leaders in the region should convene regularly to understand and harness the immense potential for growth arising from rapidly changing global and regional dynamics.

Building on the success of the inaugural “Asian Century Summit” in 2024, which featured more than 300 participants, we are excited to continue this journey of exploration and collaboration at the upcoming “Asian Century Summit 2025” (the “ACS 2025”).

The objective of the “ACS 2025”, which includes “Main Session”, “Themed Panel Parallel Sessions” and an “Alumni Town Hall”, is to deepen our understanding of the immense potential for growth presented by the evolving global and regional dynamics in the Asian Century. Through engagement with thought leaders from business and community sectors, participants at the Summit 2025 will:

• Discuss strategies for reshaping responsible leadership and exploring the future of entrepreneurship and business through AI.
• Optimise personal and career development plans by refining the MBA learning journey through the sharing of alumni stories and key lessons.

Event Features:

Main Session

10:30-10:40 | Welcome Address by CUHK Business School

• Professor Zhou Lin | Dean of CUHK Business School and Choh-Ming Li Professor of Economics

  

  Professor Zhou Lin is the Dean of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) Business School and Choh-Ming Li Professor of Economics. He has a distinguished academic career of more than 30 years. He was an assistant and associate professor at Yale from 1989 to 1996, a tenured associate professor at Duke from 1996 to 2001, a WP Carey professor at Arizona State University (ASU) from 2001 to 2008, and a university chair professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) from 2008 to 2019. During his years at SJTU, he first participated in the founding of Shanghai Advanced Institute of Finance (2009-2010), and then led the development of Antai College of Economics and Management as dean for two consecutive terms (2010-2018).

  Professor Zhou’s research interests cover some fundamental areas of micro-economic theory, including game theory, mechanism design, social choice and welfare. Much of his original work was published in leading economics journals, including Econometrica, Review of Economic Studies, Journal of Economic Theory, Games and Economic Behaviour, etc. In 1993, he was awarded the prestigious Sloan Research Fellowship in economics. In 2009 he became the first Econometric Society Fellow elected from the Greater China region.

  At ASU, Professor Zhou was the co-director of PhD programme in economics. After he joined SJTU, he became more involved in administrative affairs, leading the modernisation of the business education at SJTU. He was the Dean of Antai College of Economics and Management for two terms from April 2010 to July 2018. Under his leadership, Antai has transformed from a domestic player into a global player in business education. When he completed his terms as dean, SJTU was ranked by QS among the world top 50 in business and management, accounting and finance, and statistics and operations. Antai’s MBA, EMBA, Masters in Management, and Exec Ed programmes were also ranked highly by the Financial Times.

  Professor Zhou is passionate about management education and he has been active in the community of business educators. He was a member of the Board of AACSB from 2015 to 2019 and chaired its Asia-Pacific Advisory Council from 2015 to 2018. He is currently on its task force on the revision of the accreditation standards. He has also been a member of the EQUIS Accreditation Board of EFMD since 2014. He has chaired or joined the peer review teams of AACSB and EQUIS at various business schools around the world more than a dozen times. Owing to his experience and knowledge, Professor Zhou serves on the international advisory boards for several business schools in Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, France, and Portugal.

  In his early years as a professor, Professor Zhou travelled to many institutions around the world. He visited several universities in Australia, Belgium, China, Japan, and Spain for one month or longer. He also spent half a year at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in 1995 and two years at the City University of Hong Kong from 1999 to 2001.

  Professor Zhou grew up in Shanghai and obtained a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Fudan in 1982. He went to Princeton in 1985 to study economics after placing first on a national examination jointly administered by the Chinese MOE and American Economic Association. He stayed in US after receiving his PhD degree from Princeton until 2008, when he returned to Shanghai and joined SJTU, the alma mater of his parents and his maternal grandfather.

10:40-11:00 | Opening Remarks

• Dr Tony Koo | Administrative Director, Office of MBA Programmes, CUHK Business School

   

11:00-11:50 | Keynote Speeches

• Keynote I: The Future of the Asian Century
  • Professor Chew Seen-meng | Director of Global Development, CUHK MBA Programmes
    Professor Seen-Meng Chew is an Associate Professor of Practice in Finance at CUHK Business School.  He currently serves as the Asia Chair for the Partnership in International Management (PIM) network – a consortium of 66 prominent business schools in the world.Before joining CUHK in 2018, Prof. Chew was a Vice President at J.P. Morgan in Hong Kong, where he worked with the Vice Chairman of Asia Pacific to market China’s investment opportunities to senior international clients.  Before Hong Kong, he worked as an economist at the Singapore offices of International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Morgan Stanley, analysing the economic policy and outlook of South East Asian countries. And prior to returning to Asia, he was a consultant at a prominent consulting firm, NERA Economic Consulting, in Chicago, where he advised multinational corporations on their international pricing strategies.
• Keynote II:
  • Mr Albert Wong | Chief Executive Officer, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP); member of CUHK Council; Chairman, Advisory Board of the CUHK MBA Programmes
    Mr Wong, as CEO of HKSTP, leads the mission of supporting tech startups and enterprises in their pursuit of innovation and growth. Under his guidance, HKSTP has become Hong Kong’s premier hub for unicorns and the largest R&D centre, boasting over 12,000 research professionals and 1,200 tech companies.With over 30 years of experience in commercial, industrial, and leadership roles, Mr Wong has gained valuable insights into the China and Asia-Pacific markets, company building, investment networks, and addressing market needs. Prior to HKSTP, he held significant positions at GE, including CEO of GE Oil & Gas China and CEO of GE Industrial Solutions Asia Pacific.Mr Wong holds an Engineering Degree from the University of Hong Kong and an MBA from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Beyond his professional endeavours, he is an avid runner, actively participating in marathons worldwide.

BEAM Stakeholders Award 2025-26

13:30-13:55 | Opening Remarks

• Overview of the LEAP with BEAM Ecosystem
• Overview of the LEAP Advisers and BEAM Stakeholders

13:55-14:15 | Appreciation for the Existing LEAP Advisers and Industry Masters for 2024–25 &  Awards for the New LEAP Advisers and Industry Masters for 2025–26

Themed Panel Parallel Sessions

14:30-15:45 | Theme 1: Reshaping Future Responsible Leadership in the Asian Century

• Panellists:

1. • Ms Rose Yeung (MBA 2002) | Chief Consultant, Little Prince Foundation; Former Marketing Director, Fairwood Holdings Limited
     Rose is a strategic and all-round sales & marketing practitioner, managing a wide array of sales, marketing and corporate communication functions in FMCG, RETAIL and TRAVEL sectors’ leading brands including Fairwood, Ocean Park, 7-Eleven, Circle K, Watson’s, MARS, M&M’s, Aquascutum and Ashworth. Creative and always think out of the box, Rose is an early adopter in social media and digital marketing and these initiatives have been translated to strong Top of Mind and Brand Equity for 7-Eleven in recent years. She has further extended her creativity in rebranding Ocean Park as Edutainment Resort and Night Chill Out Hub with upcoming hotel and waterpark development.
2. • Dr Fan Ning (MBA 2009) | Assistant Consultant, Hospital Authority; Founder, Health in Action; Chairman, Forget Thee Not; Board Director, Happy Aging Lab
     Dr Fan is a highly accomplished surgeon and humanitarian dedicated to improving health equity for marginalised communities in Hong Kong.Through Médecins Sans Frontières and the Hong Kong Red Cross, he developed a socio-medical model addressing social determinants of health. With “Health in Action,” he influenced the adoption of transdisciplinary services and community pharmacy. His “Forget Thee Not” initiative provides innovative end-of-life services, advocating for advance directives and dying in place.Dr. Fan is an Honorary Clinical Assistant Professor at CUHK and HKU medical schools, Fellow of the Institute of Health Equity CUHK, and serves on various public service committees.
3. • Ms Katina Chong (MBA 2018) | Commercial Planning Manager, Philip Morris International; Vice President, CUMBA Alumni Association
     Katina Chong is a seasoned leader and strategic visionary currently serving as Director of a construction company, spearheading various projects and operational excellence. Her diverse career spans luxury, cultural, and consumer goods sectors, including roles as Commercial Planning Manager for a MNC Travel Retail division, Business and Planning Manager at M+ Museum, and Business Manager in international auction house, where she honed expertise in driving growth through innovative strategies.Academically accomplished, she holds an MSc in Construction Project Management from The University of Hong Kong, an MBA in Entrepreneurship from CUHK Business School, an MSc in Banking and Finance from Queen Mary University of London, and a BSc in Economics from the University of Nottingham.Beyond professional pursuits, Katina is deeply committed to community impact, she leads a charitable organisation focused on empowering underserved communities. She believes in leveraging both business acumen and compassion to create sustainable, positive change.
4. • Mr Steven Pun (MBA 2018) | CEO and Co-Founder, Protech Electronics; Vice President, CUMBA Alumni Association
     Steven Pun (MBA 2018), co-founder and CEO of the ProTech Group, provides professional audio and visual solutions. His company has been recognised as a “National High-Tech Enterprise” and “Shenzhen Specialised and Innovative Enterprise,” indicating its use of sophisticated technologies to produce novel and unique products.

     After graduating from the University of Strathclyde, Steven founded two companies in Hong Kong in 2008 and 2010, and established an integrated industrial and trade factory in Shenzhen. In 2020, he set up chip research and development centres in Dongguan Songshan Lake. In 2023, he expanded his entrepreneurial efforts to the Philippines by establishing a factory there. Throughout his entrepreneurial journey, he earned an MBA from The Chinese University of Hong Kong and is currently pursuing a DBA at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

     In terms of social services, he serves as a director of the Urban Renewal Fund Board, a member of the VTC Electronics and Telecommunications Training Board, a member of the District Youth Development and Civic Education Committee (Yau Tsim Mong), and also a member of the Shenzhen Longgang District Committee of the CPPCC, etc.

     The honours he received include “香港十大傑出青年 Ten Outstanding Young Persons“, “深圳市新銳青年企業家 Shenzhen Outstanding Young Entrepreneur”, “福布斯大灣區 ESG 企業家 Forbes GBA ESG Entrepreneur Award”, “香港青少年夢想實踐家 Youth DreamMakers”, “全球華人傑出青年獎 Outstanding Chinese”, and “Greater Bay Area Youth Leader”.

     Steven initiated a non-profit organisation, Social Seed Charity, in 2018, along with a group of CUHK MBA alumni. They aim to assist socially vulnerable groups and care for grassroots children. Through the “STEM+ Sports Little Leaders” program, sports and technology learning activities are integrated into children’s early education, contributing to the establishment of Hong Kong as an international innovation and technology centre to nurture future talent. The “武跆傳承” project provides free Taekwondo education courses to local grassroots students. Over the past seven years, Social Seed has organised over 100 charitable activities in collaboration with more than 40 supporting organisations, involving over 300 primary schools and kindergartens, with the participation of several hundred volunteers, and has served over 80,000 Hong Kong students.

     Social Seed: https://socialseed.org/

14:30-15:45 | Theme 2: Reshaping Future Entrepreneurship and Business by AI in the Asian Century

• Panellists:

1. • Mr Timothy Leung (EMBA 2005) | Advisor & Former Executive Director, HKAI Lab
     Mr Leung is a business leader and technology strategist with over two decades of global experience spanning Asia, Europe, and the Americas. He currently serves as Advisor and Former Executive Director of the HKAI Lab, where he played a pivotal role in nurturing Hong Kong’s AI and innovation ecosystem. His leadership has extended across the information and internet industries, notably during his tenure as Head of Global Sales and Business Development at Alibaba.com, where he led a multinational team of over 100 staff and drove market expansion across key economies, including Japan, the United States, and Brazil.

     Beyond his corporate leadership, Timothy has been an active advocate and contributor to the startup community as a co-founder, angel investor, and former Vice President & External Liaison of the Artificial Intelligence Society of Hong Kong. His unique blend of strategic planning and operational execution has been instrumental in forging cross-sector partnerships and empowering early-stage ventures. With deep expertise in online business development, channel and partner management, and digital transformation, Timothy continues to advise emerging tech companies and institutions on how to scale innovation with impact.

2. • Michelle Mei (MBA 2020) | Chief Strategy Officer, Youibot Robotics
     Michelle Mei (MBA 2020) used to serve as Strategic Investment Manager in DJI Innovations and Deputy Director of Strategic Planning at Ping An Technology. She has nearly 8 years’ experience in the high-tech industry, experience in strategic cooperation and investment projects, and in-depth research in the fields of artificial intelligence and robotics. She joined Youibot Robotics during her MBA study journey and is currently responsible for company-level strategic cooperation and investment and financing-related work.
3. • Dr Louis Tang (PhD in CSE 2008) | Partner, Data Story; Former Vice President, Shenzhen SenseTime Technology Co., Ltd.
     Dr Louis TANG graduated from The Chinese University of Hong Kong with a PhD in Computer Science and Engineering in 2008. He is currently the Partner of Data Story, a leading AI and Big data company in China, specializing in business intelligence and digital marketing. Previously, he served as Vice President of Shenzhen Sensetime Technology Co., Ltd., responsible for technical planning and solutions in artificial intelligence and AIGC large models.

     Dr Tang has led and participated in over 40 invention patents. He has been recognized as an overseas high-level talent by Shenzhen City, awarded the Second Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress in Guangdong Province in 2019, and has obtained the qualification of Senior Engineer in Guangdong Province.

14:30-15:45 | Theme 3: Insights from Asian Leaders: Sustainability, Emerging Industries, and Transformation in Education and Business Models for the Asian Century

• Panellists:

1. • Mr Davie Quach | CEO and Founder, W.ELL Fabric & Greenyarn (Bao Lan Textile Co., Ltd.)
     Davie Quach is a pioneering leader in the sustainable textiles industry, with a family legacy in textiles that dates back to the 1980s. Born and raised in Chợ Lớn, Saigon’s vibrant fabric market, Davie witnessed the triumphs and challenges of his parents’ traditional textile business. Inspired by their journey and motivated by a deep love for nature, he set out to carve a unique and sustainable path in the industry.
     After spending several transformative years studying and working in New Zealand, renowned for its pristine environment, Davie established Bao Lan Textiles. His vision was clear: to create a company that not only contributes to the local textile industry but also maintains ecological balance. This ambition was not without its challenges, as focusing on sustainable practices diverged from his parents’ traditional business model.As the first sustainable textiles company in Vietnam with 100% local capital, Bao Lan faced significant hurdles in its early days. The demand for “green” yarns was low, and production costs were high. In 2012, the company pivoted and rebranded as Greenyarn, specialising in sourcing eco-friendly yarns for the Vietnamese market.

     Over the past decade, Greenyarn has continuously innovated, developing a wide range of eco-friendly yarns and fabrics. In 2019, Davie launched W.ELL Fabric, an eco-friendly fabric brand designed to make sustainable materials accessible to all. W.ELL Fabric offers an impressive array of products, including Coffee fabric, Bamboo fabric with UV protection (UPF 50+), insect-repellent fabrics, anti-odour fabrics, hydrophobic fabrics, and cool-touch fabrics.

     As a passionate advocate for sustainable fashion, Davie has positioned his company on the global stage, promoting eco-friendly practices and engaging in dialogue with researchers and educational institutions to explore sustainable business initiatives. His commitment to innovation and sustainability continues to drive the textile industry toward a more responsible and eco-conscious future.

2. • Ms Makiko Sugiyama | President, Nikkei Business Lab Asia Ltd.
     Makiko began her career at Nikkei Inc. in Tokyo, where she was responsible for producing a wide range of events. Her work included organising major international conferences such as the Future of Asia, which welcomes world leaders, and the Nikkei Global Management Forum, featuring top business executives.
     In 2014, Makiko moved to Singapore with the launch of Nikkei’s Asia-Pacific headquarters, where she focused on new business development. As Nikkei expanded globally, she recognised a unique opportunity in business education. She led numerous initiatives to support the globalisation of Japanese companies, including business tours designed to help Japanese executives learn from the innovation ecosystems in China and Southeast Asia.
     In 2017, she relocated to Bangkok to support the launch of Nikkei’s local subsidiary in Thailand. Two years later, in 2019, she became President of Nikkei Business Lab Asia, based in Bangkok. Today, she leads a regional team across Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines, operating Nikkei BizRuptors—a case study platform for business schools and corporate training programs around the world.

     Nikkei BizRuptors draws on the trusted reporting of the Nikkei Group, including Nikkei Asia, and focuses on uncovering untold yet compelling stories of legacy companies and startups across Asia. To date, Makiko and her team have developed over 200 case studies in collaboration with more than 100 business educators in 50 countries, primarily in the Asia-Pacific region.

Alumni Town Hall

16:00-16:20 | Welcome Keynote

• Mr Armstrong Lee (MBA 1995) | Managing Director, Worldwide Consulting; Founding Member, CUHK MBA Alumni Association

   

16:20-17:10 | Panel Discussion Session: Navigating Your MBA Journey: Inspirations from My Alumni Stories

• Panellists:

1. • Dr Lawrence Pang (MBA 1975) | Founding President, The Society of Chinese Wisdom & Management
2. • Ir John Tse Si-yin (MBA 1985) | Hon Secretary, Hong Kong Former Senior Civil Servants Association; Hon Adviser of Society for the Aid & Rehabilitation of Drug Abusers; Chairman, Hong Kong Crimson China Cultural Exchange Foundation Ltd.; retired Assistant Director of ITSD, Hong Kong Government; Former Deputy Director & CIO, Hong Kong Hospital Authority; Past President & Distinguished Fellow, Hong Kong Computer Society
3. • Mr Armstrong Lee (MBA 1995) | Managing Director, Worldwide Consulting; Former President, CUHK MBA Alumni Association
4. • Ms Anita Ngai (MBA 2005) | Regional Head, Compliance Regulations Management Director, Citi
5. • Dr Su Yang (MBA 2015) | Head of Strategic Client, CGS International Financial Holdings Limited

17:10-17:20 | CUMBA Alumni Association Introduction

• Mr Peter Yeung (MBA 2014) | Senior Project Manager, Hong Kong Monetary Authority; Chairman, CUHK MBA Alumni Association

   

17:20-17:30 | CUHK MBA Greater Bay Area Alumni Chapter

• Mr Adrian Chan (MBA 2020) | Managing Director, Asia Pacific and Emerging Markets, Hong Kong Yun Express Logistics Limited; President, CUHK MBA Greater Bay Area Alumni Chapter

   

#Kindly note that the current agenda is subject to change depending on the availability of speakers.

Registration and Inquiries:

Fee: Free of charge, prior registration is required.

For inquiries and registration, please contact the Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Team, CUHK MBA Programmes.

• Email: mba-cse@cuhk.edu.hk

Walk-ins are not accepted. A confirmation email will be sent to successful registrants.

Don’t miss your chance to be part of this signature event. Register now and join the ACS for insights and impacts.