Schedule

Thursday, October 10, 2024
6 p.m. Drinks-Only Reception
7 p.m. Discussion

In April 2024, Dr. Kyung-wha Kang became the ninth President and CEO of Asia Society Global. Dr. Kang is an accomplished diplomat who made history when she became the first woman to serve as the Republic of Korea's Minister of Foreign Affairs. She previously held key leadership roles at the United Nations and was appointed to senior positions including Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights under Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs under Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and Senior Advisor on Policy to Secretary-General António Guterres.

Asia Society Texas is pleased to welcome Dr. Kang to Houston for a conversation centering her personal journey through domestic and international public institutions, her thoughts on U.S.–Asia relations, security and climate change concerns in Asia, and the roles international multilateral organizations can play in promoting peace and prosperity. Dr. Kang will be joined in conversation by Asia Society Global Trustee and Asia Society Texas Board Treasurer Eddie Allen, Ph.D. 

About the Speaker

Dr. Kyung-wha Kang, Asia Society Global President and Chief Executive Officer, is an accomplished diplomat who served as South Korea’s 38th Minister of Foreign Affairs (2017 to 2021) — the first woman appointed to this post in the nation’s history, endeavoring to garner global support for South Korea’s initiative to engage with North Korea towards lasting peace and complete denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula. She previously held key leadership roles at the United Nations, including as Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator and Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, and Senior Advisor on Policy to Secretary-General António Guterres. Before joining the United Nations, Dr. Kang held various positions in South Korea’s Foreign Ministry, specializing in multilateral affairs and intergovernmental organizations. Among others, she served as Minister at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations, during which she chaired the 48th and 49th sessions of the UN Commission on the Status of Women. Furthermore, she spearheaded efforts to highlight women with disabilities in the drafting of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Dr. Kang graduated from Yonsei University in Korea with a BA degree in political science and diplomacy and holds MA and PhD degrees from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in the United States. Her doctorate work was in the field of international and intercultural communication. Dr. Kang served as Distinguished Professor Emeritus from Ewha Womans University and is currently Distinguished Professor at the Institute for Global Engagement & Empowerment, Yonsei University

About the Moderator

Edward “Eddie” R. Allen, Ph.D. is a co-founder and Senior Partner of Eagle Global Advisors, an investment advisory firm based in Houston, Texas. He serves on the management committee and all investment committees of the firm. In addition to serving as a co-manager of the Eagle MLP Strategy Fund, he is a portfolio manager for a variety of institutional and high net worth clients. Eddie is a co-creator of many of the portfolio strategies and proprietary investment management tools of the firm. Eddie received a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Chicago and a B.S.E. in Engineering from Princeton University. Eddie holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and is also a member the CFA Society of Houston. Before entering the investment advisory business, Eddie served as an Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of Houston. Eddie currently serves as Chairman of the Asia Society Texas Center and is on the board of the Asia Society Global organization. He also currently serves on the boards of The Menil Collection and The Chinquapin School. He is a past board member of St. John’s School and past Chair and President of the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston

Asia Society hosts today's leading voices, providing commentary on events in news, society, and culture. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect Asia Society views.

Asia Society Texas Business & Policy Programs are endowed by the Huffington Foundation.

Business and Policy programs at Asia Society Texas are presented by Bank of America, Muffet Blake, and ExxonMobil. Major support comes from Nancy C. Allen, Chinhui Juhn and Eddie Allen, The Brown Foundation, Inc., and Houston Endowment Inc. Generous funding provided by bp America, Inc, Anne and Albert Chao, ConocoPhillips, Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas), Regions Bank, and Stephanie and Frank Tsuru. Additional support is provided by the Friends of Asia Society, a dedicated group of individuals and organizations committed to bringing the best in public programming.

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About Asia Society Texas

Asia Society Texas believes in the strength and beauty of diverse perspectives and people. As an educational institution, we advance cultural exchange by celebrating the vibrant diversity of Asia, inspiring empathy, and fostering a better understanding of our interconnected world. Spanning the fields of arts, business, culture, education, and policy, our programming is rooted in the educational and cultural development of our community — trusting in the power of art, dialogue, and ideas to combat bias and build a more inclusive society.

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