The New Asia

A new class of innovators and builders will redefine not only how Asia is perceived in the eyes of the world, but also how we see ourselves, by breaking borders, promoting connectivity and rewriting social codes. In these challenging times, their examples of leadership and originality strike a collective note of optimism for a brighter tomorrow. Welcome to the New Asia

When I think about what the New Asia means to me, I think about the power of creativity, culture, innovation and sustainability. Adding to this, the word “community” is going to be interesting in the future because, until now, we talked about Asia as individual countries. We talked about Thailand or Singapore or Indonesia, but now we are beginning to think of Asia as one community where everyone, young innovators and the older generation alike, comes together to exchange ideas and create new initiatives together. That collective force should be a part of the New Asia, too.

Look at how we talk about sustainability. It’s a very broad concept. Some people are not facing reality, or some people, I think, just don’t understand. But the younger generation, who have been taught about climate change since elementary school, are very aware and they are much more knowledgeable. And now they need empowerment.

When I was younger, I didn’t see bushfires like what’s happening in Australia. I didn’t see temperatures so hot in Hong Kong that they set a record high this winter. It’s just so strange to see this disparity. But they’re seeing all this when they’re young, so they feel more urgency to discover why this is happening and they’re hoping to provide a solution. But there’s still some gap of understanding between generations, so first we need to create a bridge between them.