Asia Society 2009 - A Look Back

The year 2009 saw Asia Society hosting a dynamic array of world leaders and major figures in politics, the arts, and business, both in New York City and in 10 Centers located around the world. Other highlights of the year included a groundbreaking Museum exhibition of new art from Pakistan; a 10-day festival showcasing the depth and breadth of Muslim cultural expression; comprehensive multimedia coverage of the global climate change crisis; and a relaunched AsiaSociety.org to help the organization better fulfill its mission in the 21st century.

Listed in chronological order, the following are just some of the highlights of Asia Society's activities in the past 12 months. Click on the title of each feature to learn more.

Anoushka Shankar and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
Sitar star, her legendary father, unorthodox ensemble all cross musical boundaries together.

Asia Society Task Forces
A new series of Asia Society Task Force reports propose innovative solutions for issues of vital concern to Asians and Americans, from climate change and water security to stabilizing Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Hillary Rodham Clinton: We Are Ready to Listen
The new U.S. Secretary of State says US seeks "rigorous, persistent engagement" on key issues.

Jack Ma: Economic Downturn is 'Growing Pain of Globalization'
Jack Ma, known as the "grandfather of the Internet in China," argues for the recession as a moment of opportunity.

Indra Nooyi: A New Era of Business
PepsiCo's CEO discusses paradigm shifts in the 21st-century marketplace.

Slideshow: Mumbai in Pictures
From the India Centre: glimpses of daily life in the "City of Dreams."

Muslim Voices: Arts & Ideas
A 10-day, city-wide festival celebrating the cultural diversity of the Muslim world through performances, films, exhibitions, talks, and other events.

Between Faith and Modernity with Reza Aslan
Iranian American author on Islam's history, faith, ideology, and culture.

Steven Chu: 'This Is Now a Common Foe'
The U.S. Secretary of Energy offers remarks on climate change at the Asia Society Washington Center's 2009 Awards Dinner.

Kobe Bryant at the Asia Society Southern California Annual Dinner
NBA star recognized for his commitment to fostering ties between the US and China.

Introducing: The New AsiaSociety.org!
Launched in Summer 2009, Asia Society's new website uses video and multimedia to reach a worldwide audience much more effectively.

Hanging Fire
The first major US museum exhibition to focus on contemporary art from Pakistan, Hanging Fire features nearly 50 works by 15 artists, including video, photography, painting, and sculpture.

Nassim Nicholas Taleb in Hong Kong
The maverick scholar dresses down financial elites at the Hong Kong Center's Annual Dinner.

John Woo: 'I Feel Like A General!'
Hong Kong's action master goes behind the scenes of his new film Red Cliff.

On Thinner Ice
Global climate change has dramatically reduced the huge ice fields of the Tibetan Plateau, where Asia's major river systems begin. Asia Society's multimedia project On Thinner Ice helps explain this critical issue.

Iranian Sounds of Peace
Acclaimed Iranian father and son present an East/West "musical dialogue" at Carnegie Hall.

Young Americans Are Learning Chinese
The hot new trend among school-age children is studying the Chinese language.