Asia Society France's Global Launch

CONVERSATIONS FRANCE-ASIE 2022: "To act in troubled times/Agir en des temps troublés: New perspectives from France, Asia, Africa, and the world"

We, Asia Society France, are delighted to have inaugurated our signature “Conversations France-Asie” on October 13th this year at Paris’ historic Collège des Bernardins to celebrate Asia Society France’s global launch and the newest addition to the network of Asia Society centers. To kick off this momentous day, we had the pleasure of hosting the President of Ghana, HE Nana Addo Dankwa Afuko-Addo, who also made opening keynote remarks, the Honorable Kevin Rudd, President & CEO of Asia Society, President of the Asia Society Policy Institute, and Serge Dumont, Chairman, Asia Society France with Jamil Anderlini, Editor in Chief, POLITICO Europe as our master of ceremony and moderator of the plenary session. Gathered for this special occasion were people from all corners of the world, encompassing Asia Society trustees, members, supporters, ambassadors, CEOs, academics, civil society members, students, and more. We had an entire day of unforgettable thought-provoking encounters, conversations, and networking with high-level speakers and moderators from across the globe including New Zealand, India, Japan, Hong Kong, Ghana, Korea, Australia, Italy and more. For those of you who couldn't make it with us in Paris or on Zoom, you may find every session summary and video recordings below on this page. We thank you all for your support and we are looking forward to seeing you in October 2024 in Paris!  

Inaugural session 

• HE Nana Addo Dankwa Afuko-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana
• Serge Dumont, Chairman, Asia Society FranceChairman, Asia Society France
• Hon. Kevin Rudd, President & CEO of Asia Society, President of the Asia Society Policy Institute
• Master of Ceremony: Jamil Anderlini, Editor in Chief of POLITICO Europe

The inaugural session centered on the current global geopolitical and economic climate amidst a Second Cold War. Alongside this, Asia continues to occupy an increasingly important position on the world stage, as we see the effects of the tension stemming from the rise of China reverberating throughout the world. Overall, the current situation we are witnessing traces the inter-lateral framework which has been present since colonization and feeds off domination and force.

Plenary Session: (Un)avoidable wars: Myth or Reality? Is the 'Thucydides trap' inevitable? What's next for the 'international liberal order'?

• Dr. Mohit Anand, Associate Professor in International Business and Strategy at emlyon business school
• Philippe Le Corre, Senior Fellow, Harvard Kennedy School, Visiting Professor, ESSEC Business School
• Hon. Kevin Rudd, President & CEO, Asia Society, President, Asia Society Policy Institute
• Laurent Vigier, Chairman, Five Capital Executive Committee, Chairman, "Friends of the Global Fund Europe", Former Chairman, Board of the Institutional Investors Roundtable
• Moderator: Jamil Anderlini, Editor in Chief, POLITICO Europe

In this discussion, our speakers considered Sino-American relationships in a period where China seeks to establish itself as the top global economic power, with war posing a threat to the grammar of international relations. Yet, war can also act as a binding force to bring countries closer together to prevent catastrophe.

Sustainability: Are stakeholders walking the talk? Going beyond words and promises

• Ashok Adicéam, French Government Counsellor One Planet Summit for the Ocean / UN Ocean Conference 2025
• Bertrand Badré, Managing Director and Founder, Blue like an Orange Sustainable Capital, Former CFO,  the World Bank group
• Nathalie Bastianelli, Founder, WeBelongToChange, Former head, HAVAS China, Author
• Geneviève Férone, Author, Pioneer of Socially Responsible Investment, CEO Casabee, Co-Founder Prophil, Vice-President, The Shift Project
• Sel Kofiga, Multifaceted Artist - the Slum Studio (fashion-waste up-cycling)
• Reina Maruyama, Chief Sustainability Officer, Workstudio-Paneco (fashion-waste up-cycling)
• Moderator: Dr. Mohit Anand, Associate Professor in International Business and Strategy, emlyon business school

In this session, our speakers discussed how we can come together as a global community to actively become more sustainable. Although this may only have recently become a trendy topic, we can also look back to the past to inspire our next steps. For instance, if we analyze the history and culture of Japan, we can see that the country has a perfectly sustainable system, from which we can extract many green ideas.

Globalization vs Fragmentation. Where do we place value? 

• Andrea Goldstein, Economist, Head of India/Indonesia/Tunisia Desk at OECD Economics Department
• Jean-François Huchet, President of Inalco (University of Oriental Languages and Civilizations), Professor of Economics of China and Asia at Inalco
• Sandra Poncet, Professor at Paris School of Economics, Head of the Masters in International Economy and Environment and of the thematic group "Globalization, Political Economy and Migration".
• Laurent Vigier, Chairman of the Five Capital Executive Committee, Chairman of "Friends of the Global Fund Europe", Former Chairman of the Board of the Institutional Investors Roundtable
• Moderator: Sandrine Zerbib, China business & e-commerce expert, Co-Author of the book "Dragon Tactics", Founder & Chairwoman at Full Jet

Our speakers discussed the collapse of the international order we inherited from WWII in the form of key institutions unable to reform themselves, such as the UN. The paradoxical nature of this is that this breakdown is happening at a moment of acute global challenges, such as climate change, that should increase global cooperation.

From Globalization to 'Global-is-Asian': Are Asian philosophies more relevant than the West's in today's and tomorrow's world? 

• Dr. Mohit Anand, Associate Professor in International Business and Strategy at emlyon business school
• Stéphane Arguillère, Professor of Tibetan and religious studies at Inalco
• Véronique Cheynet-Cluzel, Vice-president of Association Ricci - Grand Ricci Dictionary of the Chinese language, President of Presence & Accomplitude
• John Lagerwey, Director, Ricci Institute France
• Jacques Scheuer, Professor (emer.) of Asian philosophies and religions at the Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
• Moderator: Sebastien de Courtois, Historian, journalist, author, specialist of Turkey and Christians of the Orient, Attaché de coopération et d'action culturelle (ACAC) at the French Embassy in Cyprus

Our speakers discussed how Western ideology sometimes does not encompass patterns across rising powers in the East. The assimilation of spiritualism into society was also discussed, including in multireligious countries in Asia but also the adoption of Asian religions in the West.

Cyberspace and Outerspace: Will it be a frontier for cooperation or confrontation? 

• Aliette de Bodard, Computer engineer, speculative fiction writer
• Massimo Claudio Comparini, Deputy CEO Executive Senior Vice President Observation Exploration Navigation at Thales Alenia Space
• Nicolas Gaume, Entrepreneur, Space fanboy, Co-Founder and CEO of Space Cargo Unlimited
• Admiral Édouard Guillaud, Former Chief of Defense Staff, Former Military National Security Advisor
• Nowmay Opalinski, Ph.D. Candidate, Data Specialist, Geopolitics of the Datasphere (GEODE)
• Moderator: Duncan Clark, Chairman, BDA, Global Trustee, Asia Society

This session provided an opportunity for our panelists to discuss the accessibility of Cyberspace in comparison with Outerspace which is more reserved for the more powerful countries. It also touched on how humanity must choose between cooperation and confrontation and should work towards collaboration to promote the common good.

Make the Youth dream again: Tech with purpose? 

• Eve Ben-Haim, Inspirational Content Advisor, Ubisoft
• Jean Denerolle, Fashion, NFTs, entrepreneur on building organic growth in Asia for SMEs, former Managing Director Asia Pacific at Lanificio F.lli Cerruti 1881
• Thibaud Dumas, Neuroscientist, Investor, Author
• Edouard Fillias, Co-Founder & CEO, JIN
• Yukari Hara, CEO of SKYAH Co., Ltd - Proudly from Africa, Changemaker
• Yvonne Kim, Executive Director of Asia Society Korea
• Hadrien de Montferrand, Founder and partner of Beijing and London based HdM Gallery
• Alice Wang, Portfolio Manager, Quaero Capital
• Moderator: Marine Mallinson, French seasoned tech entrepreneur

Our panelists discussed the metaverse and how it can be a threat with people locking themselves up in virtual worlds. Yet, how it can also be a real opportunity by enabling us to develop knowledge and make it more accessible.

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