Sessions Review

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.