Asia 21 Young Leaders Gather in San Francisco

Nearly 100 members of Asia Society’s prestigious Asia 21 Young Leaders network gathered in the San Francisco Bay Area over the weekend for a three-day summit consisting of panel discussions, cultural exchanges, and ideas sharing.

The class of 2019 — comprising 40 men and women from 30 countries and territories across the Asia Pacific — includes human rights advocates, journalists, social entrepreneurs, filmmakers, artists, and business leaders from a stunningly diverse range of backgrounds. During insightful panel talks and numerous breakout sessions, the young leaders considered topics such as the U.S.-China rivalry, the rise of artificial intelligence and new technology such as 5G, and challenges faced by women seeking to gain equality. Special guest participants included James Higa, a member of the original Macintosh team at Apple, UC Berkeley Dean of Engineering Tsu-Jae King Liu, Asia Society Northern California Honorary Chairman Jack Wadsworth, and Asia Society trustees Omar Ishrak and Ken Wilcox.

In addition to the new class in attendance, 55 alumni from Asia 21 classes dating back to 2006 traveled to Northern California for the summit. The Asia 21 Young Leaders network, which recognizes remarkable men and women aged 40 or younger at the time of induction, now consists of close to 1,000 members across 40 countries.

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PODCAST

Pico Iyer on Loss and Love in Japan

The celebrated travel writer Pico Iyer has recently published two books about, seemingly, the same subject: observations on life in Japan. However, the two works, Autumn Light: Season of Fire and Farewells and A Beginner’s Guide to Japan: Observations and Provocations, offer a wide field of view on how the Japanese handle life, loss, and everything in between. Where the former is a melancholy memoir that takes place in the wake of his father-in-law's death, the latter is a pithy guide to the eccentricities that make up Japanese life, piquing the interest of those who are not familiar with Japan, and reminding those who are of the complexities and surprises of the country.

In the latest episode of the Asia In-Depth podcast, Iyer engages in a long conversation about Japan with Tricycle editor James Shaheen. This episode was adapted from a program originally held at Asia Society New York.

Interested in listening to the world’s best conversations about Asia? Subscribe. Our next guest: Pakistani cricket star Sana Mir.

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POLICY

Kevin Rudd on Pod Save America

Asia Society Policy Institute President Kevin Rudd appeared on the Pod Save the World podcast for an in-depth conversation about China and other subjects with hosts Tommy Vietor and Ben Rhodes. Rudd’s part begins 46 minutes in and continues until the end of the episode.

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ET CETERA

Political Anniversaries in China, Myanmar's Evolution, A Designer's Life

Australian Sinologist Geremie Barmé delivered a lecture on how political anniversaries play out in China and then sat for a brief discussion with Orville Schell and Jing Tsu.
Thant Myint-U discussed recent changes in his native Myanmar, examining the causes of the country’s recent turmoil with Asia Society’s Tom Nagorski.
Designer, cultural historian, and teacher Kai-Yin Lo sat down with Asia Society’s Rachel Cooper to discuss her new memoir Designing a Life: A Cross-Cultural Journey.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Nov. 25: Asia Society Switzerland hosts a conversation on Malaysia’s political future with Clare Rewcastle Brown, Bridget Welsh, and Manfred Rist.
Dec. 2: Acclaimed ABC News foreign correspondent Martha Raddatz discusses her career covering the world’s biggest stories with Tom Nagorski at Asia Society New York.
Dec. 3: Asia Society Global Co-Chair Chan Heng Chee, an ambassador-at-large with Singapore’s foreign ministry, provides an assessment of current affairs in Asia at Asia Society Switzerland.

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