Events / Info /

Philanthropy Asia Summit 2026

18 – 20 May 2026 Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands Singapore

    Asian Innovation. Global Good.

    The sixth Philanthropy Asia Summit will spotlight Asian innovations with global potential, showcasing cross-cutting partnerships that translate intention into action. Through daily keynotes, panels, innovation showcases, and immersive impact journeys, PAS 2026 will explore how science, technology, innovative financing, and cross-sector collaboration can drive bold solutions in climate, health, and inclusive development.

     

    Attendance is by invitation only.

    Speakers

    Prof Bambang Brodjonegoro
    Dean and CEO, Asian Development Bank Institute
    Prof David M. Baker
    Director, The University of Hong Kong, Swire Institute of Marine Science
    Dominic Barton
    Chair, Rio Tinto
    Dr Ma Jun
    President, Institute of Finance and Sustainability
    Dr Marina Romanello
    Executive Director, Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, University College London
    Siddharth Sharma
    CEO, Tata Trusts
    Tracy Wong Harris
    Executive Vice President, Hong Kong Green Finance Association
    Wilson White
    Vice President, Government Affairs & Public Policy, Google
    Dr Ya-Qin Zhang
    Dean & Chair Professor, Tsinghua University
    Dr Zishuai Bill Zhang
    Assistant Professor, Peking University
    View speaker list

    Prof Bambang Brodjonegoro

    Dean and CEO, Asian Development Bank Institute

    Bambang Brodjonegoro, an Indonesian national, is the Dean and CEO of the Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI). Before joining ADBI in April 2025 he was Special Advisor to the President of the Republic of Indonesia for Economic Affairs and National Development. He served the Government of Indonesia in several senior leadership roles from 2011. He was Indonesia’s Minister of Finance (2014–2016), Minister of National Development Planning (2016–2019), and Minister of Research and Technology (2019-2021). Besides government and academic, he also served as Director General of Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) (2009-2010).

     

    Dean Brodjonegoro holds a doctorate and master's degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a bachelor's degree in economics from the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Indonesia, where he was full Professor and serving as Dean during 2005-2009.

    Prof David M. Baker

    Director, The University of Hong Kong, Swire Institute of Marine Science
    David M. Baker is a Professor at the University of Hong Kong's School of Biological Sciences and Interim Director of the Swire Institute of Marine Science. He received his Ph.D. in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology from Cornell University and joined HKU in 2013 after a postdoc with the Smithsonian and Carnegie Institutions. With over 100 publications, Dr. Baker's research combines biogeochemistry and molecular ecology to study ecological and evolutionary questions, with a focus on coral reef ecology and restoration. 

    In addition to his academic pursuits, Dr. Baker is passionate about ecological entrepreneurship. He co-founded Archireef, Ltd., a student-led startup resulting from a collaborative research project with architects and government managers. He also advises student-led companies like isoFoodTrace, Ltd., Regenerative Solutions, Ltd., Biochrom, Ltd., and Common Farms, Ltd. Furthermore, he serves as the founding Director of MarineGEO-Hong Kong, a grassroots partnership with the Smithsonian's Global Earth Observatories. 

    Dominic Barton

    Chair, Rio Tinto

    Dominic is Chair of Rio Tinto; Chair of LeapFrog Investments, an impact-investment firm focused on emerging markets; and the Chair of Asia House, a leading think tank and advisory firm in London. He is also a senior advisor and partner at Radical Ventures, a leading AI investment firm; and a senior counselor at Eurasia Group, a global political risk consultancy.

    Previously, Dominic was a Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company and served as Global Managing Partner for three terms from 2009 to 2018. Dominic completed his role as the Ambassador of Canada to the People’s Republic of China from 2019 to 2021.He served as Chairman of Teck Resources and Non-Executive Director at the Singtel Group (Singapore) and Investor AB (Sweden). He brings a wealth of global business experience, as well as a deep insight of geopolitics, corporate sustainability, and governance.

    Dr Ma Jun

    President, Institute of Finance and Sustainability
    Dr. Ma Jun is the Founder and President of Institute of Finance and Sustainability, Chairman of China Green Finance Committee, Chairman of Hong Kong Green Finance Association, Co-Chair of the Steering Committee of the Green Investment Principles for the Belt & Road, Chairman of the Capacity-building Alliance of Sustainable Investment (CASI), and Co-Chair of IPSF Taxonomy Working Group. In the past years, Dr. Ma served as Co-Chair of G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group (SFWG), and chairs of two workstreams of the Central Banks and Supervisors’ Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS).

    Between 2018 and 2020, Dr. Ma was the Director of Center for Green Finance Development at Tsinghua University. During 2014-17, Dr. Ma served as the Chief Economist at the PBOC’s Research Bureau. Between 2018-21, he was a member of the PBOC’s Monetary Policy Committee. Before joining the PBOC, he worked for 13 years at Deutsche Bank, where he was Managing Director/Chief Economist/Investment Strategist for Greater China. During 1992-2000, he worked as a senior economist and economist at the World Bank and the IMF.

    Dr Marina Romanello

    Executive Director, Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, University College London

    Marina is Associate Professor at University College London, and the Executive Director of the Lancet Countdown: Tracking Progress on Health and Climate Change. The Lancet Countdown is an independent and multi-disciplinary research collaboration between over 100 academic centres and UN organisations from around the world, in strategic partnership with WHO, and headquartered at University College London’s Institute for Global Health.

     

    She is also a member of the UK's Climate Change Adaptation Committee, and is one of the seven global experts selected to refine the Global Goal on Adaptation indicators for health under the Paris Agreement. In 2025 she was appointed honorary member of the UK Faculty of Public Health.

     

    Marina trained as a clinical biochemist in the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and holds a PhD in biomedical sciences from the University of Cambridge. Her research background spans from toxicology through to environmental health and climate change, and before joining the Lancet Countdown she carried out her research in the Instituto Tecnologico de Buenos Aires, the University of Cambridge, and the Francis Crick Institute in London, UK.

    Siddharth Sharma

    CEO, Tata Trusts

    Mr. Siddharth Sharma is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Tata Trusts, one of Asia’s oldest and largest philanthropies, which are committed to making a positive and irreversible impact on millions of lives through their interventions in areas such as health, education, nutrition, livelihood, sustainability, urban habitat, sanitation and hygiene. Apart from providing administrative leadership to the Trusts, he also sits on the Boards of various not-for-profit organizations and Section 8 Companies.

     

    Prior to his appointment as the CEO of Tata Trusts, Mr. Sharma was the Group Chief Sustainability Officer at Tata Sons, where he spearheaded the Tata Group’s sustainability agenda, including crafting the Group’s ambitious ‘Net Zero by 2045’ agenda. He was, in that capacity, also the Chair of the Tata Group Sustainability Council, the apex sustainability body of the Tata Group.

     

    He started his career in October 1992 as a civil servant and spent more than two and half decades in key Ministries and Departments of Government of India, including as the Financial Advisor to the 13th and 14th Presidents of India before transitioning to the Tata Group in February 2019.

    Tracy Wong Harris

    Executive Vice President, Hong Kong Green Finance Association
    Tracy Wong Harris appointed as the Strategy Advisor at Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) focusing on development of a private capital mobilisation strategy and the Executive Vice President of the Hong Kong Green Finance 

    Association. 

     

    Tracy previously served as Managing Director and Head of Sustainable Finance Asia, at Standard Chartered, and earlier held fixed income and structured products roles at JPMorgan, Mizuho International, Barclays Capital, and BNP Paribas in London and Hong Kong.  

     

    Tracy serves on the Policy Research Committee of the Hong Kong Financial Services Development Council (FSDC), is a Board Member of Sprinkles (HK) Charity Foundation (s88), and Senior Advisor to the HK2050isNow Green Building Project. Former appointed member of the Securities & Future Commission of Hong Kong (SFC) Climate Change Technical Expert Group, Board Member of AIDS Concern, Board Member of the Hong Kong LGBT+ Interbank Network, and founder of JPM PRIDE HK. 

     

    Tracy holds an MSc and a BA in International Finance and Capital Markets from the UK, completed the Social Finance program at Oxford Saïd Business School, and certified Hong Kong Institution of Bankers (HKIB) Green and Finance Professional level. 

    Wilson White

    Vice President, Government Affairs & Public Policy, Google

    Wilson L. White is Vice President, Government Affairs & Public Policy at Google, where he is the global head of government affairs and public policy for Google’s Platforms & Devices business unit as well as Google’s government affairs operations across the Asia Pacific region.

     

    With 20+ years of experience as an engineer and technology attorney, Wilson has used his multidisciplinary background and expertise to provide a lawmakers, regulators and other key opinion formers across the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia with thought leadership on the rapidly growing and changing technology landscape and the societal implications of emerging technologies.

     

    Wilson earned his Bachelor of Science degree, summa cum laude, in Computer Engineering from NC State University. He earned a Juris Doctor degree with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law, where he served on the Editorial Board of the North Carolina Law Review.

    Dr Ya-Qin Zhang

    Dean & Chair Professor, Tsinghua University
    Dr. Ya-Qin Zhang is Chair Professor of AI Science at Tsinghua University, and Dean of Institute for AI Industry Research of Tsinghua University (AIR). He was the President of Baidu Inc. from 2014 to 2019. Prior to Baidu, Dr. Zhang was a Microsoft executive for 16 years with different key positions, including Managing Director of Microsoft Research Asia, Chairman of Microsoft China, and Corporate Vice President and Chairman of Microsoft Asia R&D. 

    Dr. Zhang was elected to the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (AAA&S), the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE), the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), and the Euro-Asia Academy of Sciences. He is a Fellow of IEEE and CAAI. He is one of the top scientists and technologists in digital video and AI, with over 500 papers, 60 granted US patents, and 11 books. His original research has become the basis for start-up ventures, new products, and international standards in digital video, cloud computing, and autonomous driving. He was awarded the China Friendship Award in 2023.

    Dr Zishuai Bill Zhang

    Assistant Professor, Peking University
    Zishuai Zhang is an Assistant Professor at Peking University’s College of Environmental Science & Engineering. His work focuses on electrochemical carbon management and ocean-based carbon removal, with an emphasis on scalable systems that couple carbon capture, mineralization, and durable storage. He leads a multidisciplinary team developing “artificial coral” and related electro-mineralisation platforms designed to turn dissolved inorganic carbon into stable carbonate solids while enabling practical monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) for real-world deployment.

    Zhang’s research spans interface engineering, reactor design, and pilot-scale translation, bridging fundamental electrochemistry with engineering pathways for climate impact. He collaborates with academic and industry partners to accelerate scale-up and commercialisation of carbon removal technologies, and his work has been published in leading journals. At PAS 2026, he will share perspectives on how innovation in electrochemical systems can unlock new, verifiable, and economically viable approaches to permanent carbon removal.

    Highlights from PAS 2025

    Global Attendees 1000+
    Speakers 100+
    Partner Events 23
    Impact Showcases 5
    View all Media & Resources

    Agenda

    Session details to be announced.

    09:00 - 16:00
    09:00 - 16:00
    Plenary

    16:00 – 18:00
    Networking Reception

    11:00 - 17:00
    11:00 - 17:00
    Partner Sessions & Keynotes

    11:00 - 17:00
    11:00 - 17:00
    Partner Sessions, Keynotes & Closing Ceremony

    TBC
    TBC
    Impact Journeys (Site Visits)

    Venue Information

    Venue:
    How to get there:
    • By MRT:
      • Marina Bay Sands is located at Bayfront MRT station (CE1/DT16). The station connects to the Circle and Downtown Line of Singapore's Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) train system. MRT services to/from Bayfront MRT station operate daily from approximately 6am to 12am midnight.
      • Take Exit C, D or E to get to Sands Expo and Convention Centre.
    • By Bus:
      • Bus services:
        • Daily: 97 / 106 / 518 / 133 / 502
        • Daily except Sat, Sun & public holidays: 97E / 502A / 518A
      • Alight at bus stop 03511 for Marina Bay Sands MICE (outside Sands Expo & Convention Centre, opposite Hotel Tower 1), or 03519 – Opp. Marina Bay Sands MICE (opposite Sands Expo & Convention Centre, adjacent to Hotel Tower 1)
    • By Car / Taxi:
      • Pick-up/drop-off points:
        • Sheares Link outside Hotel Tower 1
        • Bayfront Avenue outside Hotel Tower 3
        • Outside Sands Expo & Convention Centre
        • Outside The Shoppes
      • Driving directions:
        • Via East Coast Parkway (ECP) expressway: Approximately 20-minute drive, leads directly into Sheares Avenue across the Benjamin Sheares Bridge
        • Via Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE), Central Expressway (CTE), Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE): Connect at the Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE) which links directly to Marina Boulevard and Central Boulevard, and from there to Bayfront Avenue and Sheares Avenue
    For more information, please visit Directions to Marina Bay Sands

    Past Summits

    Philanthropy Asia Summit 2025
    The 2025 Summit theme, “Priming Asia for Good”, spotlighted solutions, innovations, and actions in Asia to address global challenges across the interconnected areas of climate, education, and health.
    Philanthropy Asia Summit 2025
    The 2025 Summit theme, “Priming Asia for Good”, spotlighted solutions, innovations, and actions in Asia to address global challenges across the interconnected areas of climate, education, and health.
    Philanthropy Asia Summit 2024
    Themed "Partnerships for Action", PAS 2024 commenced on 15 April 2024. Partner Events centred on the intersections of Climate & Nature, Holistic & Inclusive Education, and Global & Public Health took place from 16 to 17 April 2024. The Summit wrapped up on 18 April 2024 with the launch of our ‘Impact Journeys’.
    Philanthropy Asia Summit 2024
    Themed "Partnerships for Action", PAS 2024 commenced on 15 April 2024. Partner Events centred on the intersections of Climate & Nature, Holistic & Inclusive Education, and Global & Public Health took place from 16 to 17 April 2024. The Summit wrapped up on 18 April 2024 with the launch of our ‘Impact Journeys’.
    Philanthropy Asia Summit 2023
    PAS 2023 featured Showcase Calls to Action that aim to address issues centred around three mandates – Climate & Nature, Holistic & Inclusive Education, and Global & Public Health.
    Philanthropy Asia Summit 2023
    PAS 2023 featured Showcase Calls to Action that aim to address issues centred around three mandates – Climate & Nature, Holistic & Inclusive Education, and Global & Public Health.
    Philanthropy Asia Summit 2022
    PAS 2022 featured Calls to Action that aim to address issues centred around three focus areas – Climate Action & Sustainable Communities, Inclusive Education and Resilient Healthcare.
    Philanthropy Asia Summit 2022
    PAS 2022 featured Calls to Action that aim to address issues centred around three focus areas – Climate Action & Sustainable Communities, Inclusive Education and Resilient Healthcare.
    Philanthropy Asia Summit 2021
    In 2021, the inaugural Philanthropy Asia Summit convened about 200 global and regional philanthropists for its inaugural event. Themed “Advancing Human Security and Community Resilience”, the Summit featured three focus areas of Climate Action & Sustainable Communities, Inclusive Education, and Pandemic Security.
    Philanthropy Asia Summit 2021
    In 2021, the inaugural Philanthropy Asia Summit convened about 200 global and regional philanthropists for its inaugural event. Themed “Advancing Human Security and Community Resilience”, the Summit featured three focus areas of Climate Action & Sustainable Communities, Inclusive Education, and Pandemic Security.