Asia Society Announces 2016 Asia Game Changers

Architect I.M. Pei to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award; Awardees Will Be Honored at Asia Game Changer Awards Dinner and Celebration at the U.N. on October 27, 2016

NEW YORK, September 13, 2016 — Asia Society today announced the 2016 Asia Game Changers, recognizing those making a transformative and positive difference for the future of Asia and the world.

This year’s nine honorees include a doctor who has restored sight to thousands of patients, a young activist who is bringing education to her fellow Syrian refugees, a pioneer in social impact investment in Asia, and two musicians who are using art to heal their war-torn nations. Iconic architect I.M. Pei, a mentor to scores of American and Chinese architects alike, will receive the first Asia Game Changer Lifetime Achievement Award.

“Six decades ago, John D. Rockefeller 3rd founded Asia Society as an institution that would build bridges between the U.S. and Asia,” said Asia Society President Josette Sheeran. "This year's Game Changers could not be more different from one another – they include a 99-year architect and an 18-year old refugee, a Nepali doctor and an Australian robotics entrepreneur – but they continue Rockefeller’s legacy as bridge builders in their own right.”

Honorees are nominated and selected by members of the Asia Society’s global network.

The 2016 awardees are:

Asia Game Changer Lifetime Achievement Award: I.M. Pei (United States/China)
Global architecture icon
For changing the world, one building at a time

Muzoon Almellehan (Syria)
Champion for girls’ education
For bringing education and hope to young girls, amid the trauma of war

Marita Cheng (Australia)
Entrepreneur and advocate for women in technology
For engineering a better world, and ensuring that more of its engineers are women

Soo-Man Lee (South Korea)
Founder and producer of S.M. Entertainment and “K-Pop” pioneer
For turning one nation’s pop culture into a global phenomenon

Sanduk Ruit (Nepal)
Eye surgeon and co-founder of the Himalayan Cataract Project
For bringing the gifts of sight, and productive life, to those most in need

Ahmad Sarmast (Afghanistan/Australia)
Founder and director of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music
For restoring music — and empowering children — in a war-ravaged nation

Durreen Shahnaz (Bangladesh)
Founder of Impact Investment Exchange Asia
For “social-impact” investing that has changed the game for millions

Karim Wasfi (Iraq)
Renowned cellist and conductor of the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra
For using music to heal, in the aftermath of terror

Zhang Yimou (China)
Acclaimed film director
For changing the landscape of film in China

The honorees will attend the Asia Game Changer Awards Dinner and Celebration at the United Nations on October 27, 2016.

Among the Asia Society trustees presenting the awards will be Citi Global Consumer Banking CEO Stephen Bird; PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Indra K. Nooyi; Composite Apps Head of Partnerships Charles Rockefeller; former Australian Prime Minister and President of the Asia Society Policy Institute Kevin Rudd; and Asia Society Co-Chairs Ronnie C. Chan and Henrietta H. Fore. Also presenting awards will be Princess Beatrice of York and ABC's 'Nightline' co-anchor Juju Chang. The evening will also feature a video message from 2014 Asia Game Changer Malala Yousafzai and special performances by Asia Game Changer Karim Wasfi and 13-year-old Indonesian jazz piano prodigy Joey Alexander.

Previous Asia Game Changers include architect Shigeru Ban; MOBY Group chairman Saad Mohseni; ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochhar; Alibaba founder Jack Ma; comedian and activist Aasif Mandvi; Acumen CEO Jacqueline Novogratz; Xiaomi founder and CEO Lei Jun; and award-winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, among others.

Asia Society is pleased to have Citi as the underwriting partner for the 2016 Asia Game Changer Awards and Dinner. Asia Society is also pleased to have the Lotte New York Palace as the 2016 Asia Game Changers hotel partner.

“Citi is proud to once again partner with Asia Society to recognize leaders who tackle intractable problems with courage, creativity and daring to enable progress in completely new ways,” said Citi’s Stephen Bird. “We look forward to honoring the Game Changers’ inspiring stories of human potential.”

More information about the 2016 and past awardees, including bios, and the October 27 event is available at AsiaSociety.org/GameChangers. Members of the media should email [email protected] for details.

About Asia Society

Asia Society is the leading educational organization dedicated to promoting mutual understanding and strengthening partnerships among peoples, leaders and institutions of Asia and the United States in a global context. Across the fields of arts, business, culture, education, and policy, the Society provides insight, generates ideas, and promotes collaboration to address present challenges and create a shared future.

Founded in 1956 by John D. Rockefeller 3rd, Asia Society is a nonpartisan, nonprofit institution with centers in Hong Kon, Houston, and New York, and offices in Los Angeles, Manila, Mumbai, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney, Washington, DC, and Zurich.

About Citi

Citi, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management.