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Delegates in the field of philanthropy from around the world gathered in Hong Kong at the Philanthropy for Better Cities Forum, convened by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust on 22 and 23 September, to debate key social issues confronting the world’s urban populations.

The two-day forum was the first in the Asia-Pacific region to focus on metropolitan social issues. It featured some 60 prominent speakers from around the world, who shared their views with 1,300 thought leaders and delegates from NGOs, government agencies and philanthropic organisations. The Club’s aims in convening the forum were to build connections within the philanthropic community, facilitate knowledge exchange, and create a dialogue on the needs of the 21st century Asian city.

The Philanthropy for Better Cities Forum also formed the opening event of the 2016 Hong Kong International Philanthropy and Social Enterprise Week. It comprised two keynote addresses, four plenaries and twelve track sessions, providing a platform for speakers to share their views on a wide range of metropolitan social issues. The sessions were divided into five main themes: Ageing and Health, Youth and Education, Environment and Sustainability, Innovation and Technology, and Public-Private Partnerships.

Key speakers addressing the forum included Professor Michael Porter of Harvard Business School, who has been described as ‘the father of modern business strategy’. He is best known for his concept of Creating Shared Value, showing how social and economic value can be created together by addressing social issues with a business proposition. Professor Porter congratulated the Club for convening the forum and for the success of its strategic philanthropic role, saying it had become “a leader not only in Hong Kong but around the world”. 

Taking part in the second day keynote dialogue, which looked at the similarities and differences between philanthropic developments in the East and West, were Chairman and CEO of Tencent, Pony Ma; President and CEO of The Kresge Foundation, Rip Rapson; and the Club’s Executive Director, Charities and Community, Leong Cheung.

Other leading speakers addressing the forum included Helen Cadbury, Chair of Barrow Cadbury Trust; Robert Rosen and Alexander Ng of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Laurence Lien, CEO of Asia Philanthropy Circle; Wang Zhenyao, Dean of Beijing Normal University China Philanthropy Research Institute; and Wang Ming, Dean of Institute for Philanthropy of Tsinghua University.

For more details, please visit the forum website: //citiesphilanthropy.com/.