HKU Jockey Club Enterprise Sustainability Global Research Institute
World-Class Hub for Sustainability
Event Highlight
2025 Inaugural ASU-HKU Interdisciplinary Conference
- January 16, 2025
An impactful and dynamic event with top experts discussing key topics on Stakeholder, Society, and Governance ๐ฑ๐ก
Two fruitful days featuring keynote presentation from Franklin Allen, welcome remarks from Hongbin Cai, Amy Hillman, Roni Michaely, great presentations from our speakers and panelists, plus a bonus session where we announce our Instituteโs best paper winners๐
A huge thank you to everyone involved โ the speakers, panelists, participants, and everyone who made this conference a true success! ๐
Day 1
The first day was filled with eye-opening presentations, networking, and discussions on key topics like:
- ๐ฉโ๐ผ Gender and the Workplace
- ๐ ESG Investment and Reporting
- ๐ Carbon Markets and Climate Finance
- ๐๏ธ Stakeholder Engagement and Corporate Governance
- ๐๏ธ Consumer Perspectives
Quote Highlights:
- ๐ฌ Roni Michaely: โThis conference bridges cultures between the East and West, fostering synergies across disciplines and enhancing our understanding of stakeholders, society, and governance.โ
- ๐ฌ Amy Hillman: โWhile ESG may have lost favor in some circles, its core principlesโenvironment, stakeholders, and governanceโremain vital for organizations, markets, and institutions.โ
- ๐ฌ Uta Schำงnberg: โWorkplaces are important social network that could drive cultural diffusion and cultural change.โ
A huge thank you to all the speakers for amazing sessions and everyone who was involved! ๐๐
Day 2
Today wrapped up with impactful discussions and engaging sessions,ย followed by announcements of our Institute’s Best Working Paperย and Honorable Mention Awards, plus a relaxing Happy Hour for continued networking and conversation.
Throughout the day, experts from various fields exploredย relevant issues:
- ๐ฑ Corporate ESG Practices and Policy in China
- ๐ ESG Index Development and Practitioner Insights
- ๐๏ธ Board Governance
As our Dean Hongbin Cai summed it up, “Sustainability is a global issue that requires global efforts. Not only the West, Asian societies also understand the urgency of sustainability. The challenge is how to achieve it while also growing the economy and improving living standards. Research from economists, finance and business professorsย on ESG will be very helpful in this regard.”
We are grateful to all the speakers, participants, and everyone involved for sharing many inspirations and makingย the conferenceย such a success!
Panel Discussion
Weโre excited to share the key insights from our panel discussion about ๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐ฝ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ผ๐ฑ๐ผ๐น๐ผ๐ด๐:
- ๐ฟ ESG indices and ratings continue to influence global financial markets.
- ๐ก They should not be considered a “cure-all.”
- ๐ Concerns over rating divergence and methodology “black-boxes” in ESG data.
- ๐ฐ Despite being quantitative, ESG indices are difficult to link to actual company valuation.
- ๐ ESG data quality has room for improvement, especially compared to financial data.
- ๐๏ธ Alternative data can provide new perspectives on critical ESG indicators.
- ๐ค Collaboration between academia and industry holds great potential.
๐ฅ Missed the session?ย Watch the highlights: https://lnkd.in/gavRG6zx
Special thanks to our incredible speakers and chairs: Guojun He, Michele Leung, Cheng BI, Yi Chen, Jeffrey Ng, Doug Almond. Your insights were key to making this event memorable and impactful.
