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Jointly hosted by The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and Tsinghua University, the 6th World Philanthropy Forum was held at CUHK on 5 September 2023, with the theme of Creating a Better World; Creating a Better Future. It covered various subjects, including the contribution everyone can make to charity in their own small ways, the role of women in philanthropy, youth charities as a representation of the future and hope, Chinese philanthropy that contributes and influences worldwide, and the special role of charity in confronting disasters. Speakers at the forum advocated for the importance of attention, support and dedication from all sectors of society in order to shape a better future.

Professor Rocky S. Tuan, Vice-Chancellor and President of CUHK, and Professor Yang Bin, Vice President of Tsinghua University, delivered the opening addresses. Keynote speeches were then delivered by Mr Birger Stamperdahl, President and Chief Executive Officer of Give2Asia; Revd Canon Hon Peter Douglas Koon Ho-ming, member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong; Professor Carlo Lo Wing-hung, Chairperson of CUHK’s Department of Government and Public Administration; Mr Sun Lijun, President of Alibaba Foundation; and Professor Peng Kaiping, Dean of the School of Social Sciences at Tsinghua University. The forum gathered more than 200 guests from China’s mainland, Hong Kong and Macao, North America, Europe and Southeast Asia, representing business, academia, the social welfare sector, the World Health Organization and others. The event was held in hybrid mode, with both online and offline sessions; more than 500,000 viewers tuned in to the live stream.

In Professor Tuan’s speech, he said that the World Philanthropy Forum being held in Hong Kong was very meaningful, coinciding with the 60th anniversary of CUHK. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the world is facing new challenges and opportunities, and philanthropy is one of the important indicators of human moral progress and social development. As the Hong Kong Secretariat of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), CUHK is committed to promoting sustainable development solutions and cultivating students who actively fulfil their social responsibilities. The forum will serve as a platform to establish global networks and partnerships, develop more effective strategies and plans, achieve greater impact, and contribute to the world’s development, with the goal of ensuring that philanthropy benefits every individual worldwide.

Professor Yang pointed out that the philanthropic sector has entered a new era, while new characteristics have emerged in social welfare and charity. Tsinghua University is adhering to its longstanding tradition of philanthropy, emphasising the cultivation of students’ philanthropic spirit and sense of social responsibility, and guiding them to engage in socially beneficial practices. He also remarked on the role of the forum as a bridge that can help people reach consensus, host in-depth discussions to generate systematic and innovative outcomes, and share China’s experiences in the philanthropic sector with the rest of Asia and the world, with the aim of promoting philanthropic development globally.

During the opening ceremony of the forum, the newly elected Chair and Vice Chair of its Academic Committee were presented with appointment certificates. The forum’s guest speakers included Mr Nicholas Chan Hiu-fung, CUHK Council Member, Delegate to the 14th National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China and board member of Give2Asia; Mr Zhao Guanjun, President of China Philanthropy Times; Ms Sun Xuemei, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of iFeng.com; and Professor Emily Chan Ying-yang, Chief Executive Officer of GX Foundation; as well as representatives from various companies, including Ant Group, Tencent Charity, Mingxi Charity, YeePay, Pingan Bank, Yihai Group, Waterdrop Inc, Qingsong Group and EF Education First.

The inaugural World Philanthropy Forum was held at Tsinghua University on September 5, 2016. Over the past eight years, the forum has become an important platform for sharing global philanthropy and social service experiences, academic exchange and policy advocacy, as well as implementation and promotion. The forum gathers people from all over the world, strengthens connections between different societies, and promotes the development of philanthropic services globally. It has spurred global cooperation in philanthropy and social work.