Like many youngsters in Hong Kong, Jason Yip grew up in public housing estates more interested in hanging out with friends than studying. With a late burst of effort from Form Six onwards, he was accepted by HKU, and upon graduation landed a job with an investment bank in New York providing financial security and achieving the “Hong Kong dream” of property ownership. However, four years later he made a life-changing decision that parents and friends thought insane. He changed career, moving into humanitarian aid. Jason Yip is the one of the very first Hong Kongers at the Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross to be hired as an on-the-ground delegate and has been dispatched to conflict zones including Palestine, Afghanistan, Jordan, Syria and Myanmar. There he upholds the ICRC mission - protecting civilians during fighting, helping locate those separated from families, and assisting in rebuilding a post-war infrastructure. Jason has been involved in numerous life-threatening scenarios including negotiating with the Taliban in Afghanistan for the release of 33 kidnapped schoolchildren and their teachers and delivering letters from prisoners in the mountains of Myanmar to their families. Join Jason Yip on how he went from being a lackadaisical, fun-loving kid to an adult filled with unswerving belief in the value of humanitarian work in a world full of tension, and why Hong Kongers should get more involved in international organizations.

Jason Yip is Regional Head of Market at the government affairs and donor relations division of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), based in Kuala Lumpur. During his time at the ICRC, Jason has worked at the Geneva headquarters to develop dialogue and mobilize resources with member states in accordance with the Geneva Convention, and has been stationed in Palestine, Afghanistan and Myanmar as an ICRC Delegate. Jason has been responsible for developing and implementing ICRC’s humanitarian initiatives in the battlefield and engaged in emergency relief. Born and raised in Hong Kong, he began his career as an analyst at Goldman Sachs, and speaks fluent English, Mandarin, French, Japanese and Cantonese. In 2018, Jason was awarded a Medal of Honour by the Hong Kong SAR Government and selected as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons by JCI HK. Jason received his BBA from the University of Hong Kong and his master’s degree in International Relations from Waseda University, Japan.     

Ronnie C. Chan is Chairman of Hang Lung Group Ltd. and its subsidiary Hang Lung Properties Ltd., both publicly listed in Hong Kong. The Group expanded into Mainland China in 1992, developing, owning and managing world-class commercial complexes in key tier one and tier two cities. He founded and chairs the China Heritage Fund, is Co-Founding Director of The Forbidden City Cultural Heritage Conservation Foundation, Beijing, and is former Vice President and former Advisor of the China Development Research Foundation in Beijing. Mr. Chan is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Chairman Emeritus of Asia Society and Chairman of the Asia Society Hong Kong Center, and Founding Chairman of the Centre for Asian Philanthropy and Society. He serves or has served on the governing or advisory bodies of several think tanks and universities, including Peterson Institute for International Economics, World Economic Forum, East-West Center, Pacific Council on International Policy, Eisenhower Fellowships, The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation, University of Southern California, Indian School of Business, Yale University, Tsinghua University and Fudan University. (Moderator)

Movers & Shakers
Organized by the Asia Society Hong Kong Center and sponsored by the Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation, Movers & Shakers is a 12-month program aimed at developing global competence and leadership skills among Hong Kong students. The goal is to inspire and instill an innovative and entrepreneurial mindset amongst students, and to strengthen their future competitive edge in Hong Kong and beyond.

Other Movers & Shakers Programs
To find out more about Movers & Shakers Programs and keep update with upcoming programs, join our community now on our dedicated Facebook Group @ASHKMoversShakers. Interesting and relevant content on our activities will be shared among the Group, and students will be encouraged to contribute and exchange thoughts.