Past Forums

Webinar: Accelerating Progress on Sustainability and Climate change with DeepTech Innovations Convened under the auspices of the Philanthropy for Better Cities

Webinar Highlight

Webinar: The Post-COVID-19 Equilibrium: Philanthropy’s Role in Shaping a ‘New Normal’

Webinar Highlight

Webinar: Philanthropic Leadership in the COVID-19 Crisis Convened under the auspices of the Philanthropy for Better Cities

Webinar Highlight

Forum 2018

At the 2018 Forum, Professor James J. Heckman from the University of Chicago and Professor Michael J. Sandel from Harvard University joined us as keynote speakers.

Education has always been one of the key areas shaping civilised societies, especially in metropolitan cities. As an expert in the economics of human development, Professor Heckman proposed in his Day 1 keynote speech that philanthropists focused on helping children should shift their efforts to what happens before school. He helped the audience identify the most important paths towards impact that philanthropists and other stakeholders can support when looking to scale up Early Childhood Development (ECD) solutions.

On Day 2, Professor Sandel took forward the discussions on “Creating Shared Value” from the inaugural forum and offered an alternative perspective by discussing the moral limits of markets and market mechanisms. He explored with his audience the ethical dilemmas regarding what are the right things to do for addressing metropolitan social challenges.

In addition, the following five thematic areas were covered in the 2018 Forum: (i) Leveraging the Market; (ii) Sustainable Development; (iii) Maximizing Impact; (iv) Youth & Creativity; and (v) Health & Well-being.

Forum Highlight

Day 1

Opening Ceremony

Keynote Address by Professor James J. HECKMAN:

'The Economic Case for Investing in Early Childhood Development'

First Plenary:

Use of Finance for Social Good: 'How best can we harness markets for social good?'

Second Plenary:

Cities and Foundations: 'How can foundations plug gaps in government efforts to build sustainable cities?'

Track Sessions I

A. Age-friendly Cities: 'How can urban planning respond to the needs of older people?'

Track Sessions I

B. The Continuum of Capital Approach to Giving: 'How and why Asian philanthropy should use diverse financial instruments to maximise their social impact?'

Track Sessions I

C. Arts, Culture and Heritage for Social Causes: 'How can we increase the contribution of the arts to social inclusion and empowerment?'

Track Sessions II

D. Mental Wellness: 'Are cities doing enough to tackle the rise of mental health challenges?'

Track Sessions II

E. Philanthropic Impacts through Business: 'How can firms go beyond corporate social responsibility?'

Track Sessions II

F. Collaboration:' How can we unleash the potential of greater collaboration in tackling metropolitan social issues?'

Day 1 Closing Dialogue with Nobel Laureates:

'Where is the next source of hidden value?'

Day 2

Keynote Address by Professor Michael J. SANDEL

The Ethics of Market-based Social Impact Work: 'What are the limits of markets to deliver social good?'

Third Plenary

China’s Philanthropy: 'Will a new paradigm for philanthropy emerge?'

Fourth Plenary

Risk taking in Philanthropy: 'Should philanthropists be taking bigger risks?’

Track Sessions III

G. Attaining Sustainable Development Goals in Cities: 'Is urbanisation helping their progress?'

Track Sessions III

H. Technology’s Impact on Philanthropy: 'What can non-profit organisations learn from the technology sector?'

Track Sessions III

I. Youth as New Forces for Social Good: 'How can we bring youth to the forefront of building sustainable cities?'

Track Sessions IV

J. The Environment: 'Are we afraid of fighting climate change?'

Track Sessions IV

K. Community Philanthropy: 'How can we strengthen the involvement of local communities?'

Closing Plenary

Sports and Cities: 'How can we use sports to improve well-being and achieve social good in cities?'

Forum Closing Remarks

Forum 2016

The first PBC forum in 2016 gathered over 50 distinguished speakers and 1,000 delegates from across the globe to discuss some of the most pressing metropolitan social issues including keynote discussion on creating ‘Shared Value’. At the 2016 Forum, Professor Michael Porter from Harvard Business School, joined us as keynote speakers.

Many believe that business success comes at the cost of social well-being. The concept of shared value, on the contrary, suggests that the two can be created together by addressing social issues with a business proposition. As the father of modern business strategy, Professor Porter is an expert in competitive strategy for both the corporate world and the social field. In his Day 1 keynote speech, Professor Porter proposed that as the role of business evolves, business is no longer about meeting conventional needs with conventional products and services. Tapping into the resources in business to scale solutions for social problems are opportunities for business to generate greater value. He also examined the link between shared value and philranthropy in the context of the city’s competitiveness and social progress.

On Day 2, Mr Pony Ma and Mr Rip Rapson continued with an in-depth keynote dialogue on philanthropy in which they shared their journeys towards philanthropy, which is uniquely shaped by socio-cultural context. They also exchanged their views on the evolution of the philanthropic landscapes in the East and West.

In addition, there were also in-depth plenary and track discussions across five themes including (i) ageing & health, (ii) youth & education, (iii) innovation & technology, (iv) environment and sustainability, and (v) public-private partnerships.

Forum Highlight