Eurasia

György H Matolcsy

Governor
Magyar Nemzeti Bank

Dr György Matolcsy is serving his second term as the governor of Magyar Nemzeti Bank, the central bank of Hungary. He was nominated to the position in 2013 and his tenure was renewed in 2019 for another 6 years. Since 2013 he is also a member of the Fiscal Council. Prior to his current position he was minister of national economy from 2010 to 2013. In 2007 he founded the Hungarian Economic Development Institute, which he headed for 3 years. Between 2000-2002 he was Hungary’s minister of economic affairs. Mr. Matolcsy is the author of the Széchenyi Plan, a comprehensive strategy aiming to promote economic growth in Hungary. He was director of the Institute for Growth (2002-2010) and its predecessor organisation, the Privatisation Research Institute from 1995 to 2000. Since the end of 1998 he has been a member of the economic advisory body of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Starting in 1991 he spent 3 years as a member of the Board of Governors at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) representing the Hungarian Government. In 1990 he joined the Office of the Prime Minister and served as the personal economic advisor to Prime Minister József Antall. Acknowledging his efforts in promoting economic development in Hungary, he was awarded the Barankovics Commemorative Coin in 2013. He graduated at Karl Marx University of Economics in 1977 and obtained his Doctorate degree in 1984.

Mr. Matolcsy is actively involved in educational activities. He is a frequent lecturer at top foreign and Hungarian universities. Since 2024, Mr. Matolcsy has been an honorary professor at Fudan University and John von Neumann University and an honorary citizen of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. In previous years, he has also received multiple distinctions, including honorary doctorates from the University of Debrecen and the University of Kaposvár, honorary membership of the Fudan Development Institute (FDDI) at Fudan University, and honorary membership on FDDI International Advisory Board of the Shanghai Forum.

Mr. Matolcsy is the author of numerous publications, articles, and books. His most recent publications include Hungarian Vision and Strategy, 2030/40 (2024) (Magyar jövőkép és stratégia, 2010-2030; 2023); Olvasó-Napló I.-II. (2023); Sustainable GDP - Global Discussion Paper (2024) published by the MNB; New Sustainable Economics – Global discussion paper (2022) published by the MNB, and the book titled On the Edge of Times (Az idő mintázatai; 2022) which collects his short thoughts written between 2019 and 2022 as feedbacks for articles of remarkable Western thinkers and journalists. His other books include Economic Balance and Growth (Egyensúly és Növekedés), for which the second edition was published in 2021 (first edition in 2015), The American Empire VS. The European Dream - The Failure of the Euro (Amerikai Birodalom vs. Európai Álom – Az euró kudarca; 2019), Bringing Up the Rear (Éllovasból sereghajtó; 2008), American Empire (Amerikai birodalom; 2004), and Our Living Memories (Élő emlékeink; 2003).

Hans Joachim SCHELLNHUBER

Director General
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)

Hans Joachim ('John') Schellnhuber currently serves as the twelfth IIASA Director General. Prior to joining IIASA he led the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) from 1992 to 2018 as their founding director. He also served as research director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research in Great Britain from 2001 to 2005.

Since 2019, Schellnhuber has been focusing his scientific work and communication skills on the transformation of the built environment, with a specific emphasis on the climate restoration potential of regenerative architecture. In this context, he established Bauhaus Earth as a not-for-profit company and became a member of the High-Level Roundtable of the New European Bauhaus initiative. In addition, he acted as a scientific advisor to a number of eminent public and religious leaders, institutions and government bodies and contributed in various ways to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.

Schellnhuber studied physics and mathematics at the University of Regensburg, where he also completed his doctorate in quantum physics. Following a postdoctoral position at the Institute for Theoretical Physics, Santa Barbara, he held full professorships at the Universities of Oldenburg and Potsdam, as well as at the University of East Anglia in Norwich. He has published some 300 scientific articles and books and is listed as a Highly Cited Researcher (Cross Field) by Clarivate.

Jie JIAO

Dean and Chair Professor of Management
PBC School of Finance Tsinghua University

Professor JIAO Jie is Chief Financial Officer at Tsinghua University, and dean, chair professor and doctoral supervisor at Tsinghua University PBC School of Finance. He studied at Tsinghua University School of Economic and Management for bachelor and master's degrees, and obtained his doctoral degree at George Washington University.

His main research fields include: strategic planning and investment, management innovation, state-owned asset management, industrial and regional development strategies.

Professor Jiao is also dean of Tsinghua University Institute for State-owned Assets Management, director of Research Center for China's Industrial Development at School of Economics and Management, chief economist and honorary chief editor of State Assets Management. He is Fellow of Chartered Global Management Accountant (CIMA), and holds the professional competence of Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CGMA) and Chinese Senior Management Accountant. He has been in charge of or participated in many research projects including projects sponsored by National Natural Science Foundation of China.

Professor Jiao has published over 50 research papers on top journals in the world and in China, as well as 16 business cases, and important policy research reports. He has won Excellent Teaching Award at Tsinghua University and First Prize in Teaching at Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management. His research was awarded Second Prize for Excellent Scientific Research Achievements in Higher Education by the Ministry of Education, and First Prize of Beijing Philosophy and Social Science Achievements.

Jochen BIEDERMANN

Managing Director
World Alliance of International Financial Centers

Since 2018, Jochen Biedermann has served as Managing Director of the World Alliance of International Financial Centers (WAIFC), an international non-profit association registered in Belgium, representing 30 leading international financial centers across five continents. WAIFC members are government agencies, associations, and similar institutions developing and promoting their financial centers. WAIFC facilitates cooperation between its members, exchanging best practices and communication with the general public.

Also, Jochen is the Managing Partner of FinTech Consult, a network of FinTech experts in Asia, Europe, and Africa supporting FinTechs in raising capital and expanding globally. He sits on the board of Eastnets, a world-leading provider of compliance, payment protection, and anti-fraud technologies. Jochen is also an expert at the Sino-German Center for Finance and Economics in Frankfurt, backed by the central banks, government institutions, and leading universities in China and Germany, a fellow of the Think Tank of the Asian Financial Cooperation Association (AFCA), based in Beijing, and a founding board member of the International Digital Economies Association (IDEA), based in Hong Kong. He is a long-standing advisor at Frankfurt Main Finance, the Frankfurt Financial Center initiative. Furthermore, he is a mentor at Cyberport in Hong Kong, OneEleven in Toronto, the Plug and Play Tech Center, the Accelerator Frankfurt, and 1000 Black Voices. Jochen sits on the board of several FinTech companies.

Finally, he is a working group member of Dubai's new DIFC Digital Economy Court. Jochen has a master's degree in mathematics & computer science from the University of Goettingen, and a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Cottbus, Germany. For over two decades, he has been a regular lecturer and external supervisor for the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management. He has given guest lectures at leading universities and business schools in Europe, America, and Asia.

Hui ZHANG

Vice President
NIO Europe

Hui Zhang is Vice President NIO Europe. He heads the European office (including UK) of the global electric car startup from Shanghai. After studying in Beijing, Pforzheim and Utah, Hui Zhang initially worked at VOITH AG in purchasing and supply chain management in China and Germany. Subsequent working for KIEKERT AG as Vice General Manager and Lotus as General Manager, he was responsible for Business Group Industry and Healthcare China at Leoni AG as Member of the China Board.

Due to his many years of intercultural experience, both in the German and Chinese markets, Hui Zhang has profound industry knowledge in the areas of company management, sales, purchasing and supply chain management. He now oversees NIO Europe with offices in Munich and Oxford where, in addition to design, the focus areas are Supply Chain Management and Advanced Engineering. In Addition, Hui Zhang is the Vice-President of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Germany.

Walter L. CHRISTMAN

Chairman and Founding Director
Global Challenges Forum Foundation

Dr. Walter L. Christman is a globally acclaimed advocate for fostering next-generation resilience through innovative international partnerships. As Chairman of the Global Challenges Forum Foundation in Geneva, he shapes global resilience strategies and publishes through Global Resilience Publishing in Cambridge, UK. He authored the forthcoming book, "Building Global Resilience: A Call to Action." Dr. Christman is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Northeastern University's Global Resilience Institute and has held academic positions at the US Naval Postgraduate School, Joint Special Operations University, and George Mason University. He was the principal architect of seven Secretary of Defense initiatives, three endorsed by two US Presidents.

His 30-year US government career included service in the Armed Forces, Congress, Pentagon, State Department, and the White House, with over a decade as a diplomat in Geneva. He directed strategic collaborations with the UN, NATO, and partner nations, earning the Secretary of Defense Meritorious Service Medal for establishing the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies. A former US Army Special Forces "Green Beret," he was awarded a medal for heroism and inducted into the Army ROTC Hall of Fame at Duke University. Dr. Christman’s leadership continues to shape global resilience and security initiatives, emphasizing social value investments in youth leadership for sustainable development. He resides in Geneva, Switzerland.

Ronit GHOSE

Managing Director and Global Head, Future of Finance
Citi Research

Ronit Ghose is the Global Head, Future of Finance, Citi’s think tank for the future of money and technology. Ronit’s current areas of focus include Digital Assets, the Metaverse, Web3, the applications of AI to Finance and other frontier topics. Previously, Ronit was Global Head of Banks and Fintech Research for Citi.

Ronit is an Advisor to various Governments, Universities, VC investors and tech firms in the UK, UAE and Africa. Prior to joining Citi, he worked at the British Bankers’ Association and was a research assistant in the UK Parliament for a former Prime Minister. He has an undergraduate degree from the University of Oxford & a postgraduate diploma from the University of London. Ronit is the author of the recently published FutureMoney book.

Ralf EMMERS

Professor in International Politics of East Asia Co-Chair of the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy (CISD)
University of London

Ralf Emmers is Professor in International Politics of East Asia and Co-Chair of the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy (CISD). His research interests cover security studies, international institutions in the Indo-Pacific, and the security and international politics of Southeast Asia. He was previously Dean of the Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) and President’s Chair in International Relations, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.

Ralf completed his MSc and PhD in the International Relations Department of the London School of Economics (LSE). His authored books include Cooperative Security and the Balance of Power in ASEAN and the ARF (RoutledgeCurzon, 2003), Geopolitics and Maritime Territorial Disputes in East Asia (Routledge, 2010), Resource Management and Contested Territories in East Asia (Palgrave Macmillan, 2013) and Security Strategies of Middle Powers in the Asia Pacific co-written with Sarah Teo (Melbourne University Press, 2018). He is also the co-editor of the Oxford Handbook on Peaceful Change in International Relations (Oxford University Press, 2022). Ralf has contributed numerous articles in peer-reviewed journals and chapters in edited volumes. His research has been funded by the MacArthur Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Sasakawa Foundation, and the European Union. He was a Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University, Griffith University and Warwick University.

Shi PIAO

Executive Director of the Digital Economy and Green Innovation Research Center
Ant Group Research Institute

Dr. Shi Piao serves as the Executive Director of the Digital Economy and Green Innovation Research Center at Ant Group Research Institute and leads the team to explore how digital advancements and green innovations transform businesses, economies, and societies.

With rich experience in digital inclusion, platform economies and green technology, etc., Dr. Piao collaborates with global institutions and industry partners to provide valuable insights to promote green innovation and sustainable business models.

Prior to joining Ant Group in 2016, Dr. Piao worked at the International Monetary Fund in Washington, DC. She holds a Ph.D. in Macroeconomics from Seoul National University.

Fabienne GOUX-BAUDIMENT

CEO, proGective
Associate, Yonders

Fabienne GOUX-BAUDIMENT is a world-renowned futurist, founding head of proGective, an independent research centre dedicated to foresight since 1995, advising large companies (Carrefour, Suez) as well as public authorities (Unesco, Royal Institute for Strategic Studies). Active member of the Futures Studies community, she chaired the World Futures Studies Federation (2005-2009) and was the founding president of the French Society for Foresight (2013-2016). Adjunct professor with a PhD in Social Sciences, she held the chair of Foresight, Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Intangible Capital at Polytech Angers, France (1995-2018).

As a member of the Scientific Council of the International University of the Sea (UIM) and a member of the Board of the Foundation 2100, she is particularly involved in ocean and long-term foresight.

As a researcher, author and international speaker, she is focusing - after the "Great Transition" (2004-2017) - on the "X.0 Development Model" (2018-2028), helping organisations to develop policies capable of tackling, or even helping to solve, the major challenges of tomorrow."

Varun MITTAL

Head of Innovation & Ecosystem, Singlife
Founder, Fintech Nation and Singapore FinTech Association

Varun leads Innovation and Ecosystem at homegrown financial services company, Singlife. He collaborates closely with both internal and external stakeholders to adopt transformative ideas as well as develop partnerships with key industry players. Prior to joining Singlife, Varun was responsible for FinTech business development in 130 emerging markets across the globe.

He has been involved in various technology companies throughout his career and he is co-founder of the Singapore FinTech Association and ASEAN FinTech Network. Varun is actively involved in the fintech scene, the Founder of “The Fintech Nation”, a project that seeks to support the FinTech ecosystem in Singapore, and other investment vehicles and funds, focused on early and growth stage investments in emerging markets. He holds a Master of Business Administration in Strategy and Organisation from National University of Singapore and a Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science Engineering from India.

Lorenzo TAVAZZI

Senior Partner, Head of Global Intelligence and Scenarios & Head of International Development
The European House Ambrosetti

Lorenzo Tavazzi is Senior Partner and Member of the Board of The European House - Ambrosetti (TEHA) Group. He is also Head of Intelligence and Scenarios and Head for the International Development for the Group.

He works on projects involving Top Management, Strategy and Internationalization for large and multinational companies. He manages international Think Thanks and Advisory Boards and high-standing working communities involved in the issues of growth and competitiveness, including: innovation and the digital economy, infrastructure and mobility, the public sector and regulation authorities, educational and training systems, cooperation for development and international relations, and tourism.

He has in-depth expertise in advisory and policymaking activities, advocacy and public affairs. Starting in 2006, he has been working with a number of African and ASEAN countries governments in drawing up industrial and economic development strategies.

He has overseen and authored over 150 publications and studies on themes involving macro-economics, strategy and sector development.

He graduated cum laude in Banking, Financial and Insurance Economics, specializing in the Economics of institutions and financial markets. He holds a Master in Business Strategy and Management, awarded cum laude.

Qingguo JIA

Director, Institute for Global Cooperation and Understanding (iGCU)
Former Dean, School of International Studies, Peking University

Jia Qingguo is professor and former Dean of the School of International Studies of Peking University. He is also Director of the Institute for Global Cooperation and Understanding and Director of Global Governance at Peking University.

He received his Ph.D. from Cornell University in 1988. He has taught in University of Vermont, Cornell University, University of California at San Diego, University of Sydney in Australia as well as Peking University. He was a research fellow at the Brookings Institution between 1985 and 1986, a visiting professor at the University of Vienna in 1997, a CNAPS fellow at the Brookings Institution between 2001 and 2002, and the Payne Distinguished Fellow for the 2022 fall quarter at Stanford.

He is a member of the Standing Committee of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (the CPPCC). He also served as a Standing Committee member of the 11th, 12th and 13th National Committee of the CPPCC. He is Vice President of the Chinese American Studies Association, Vice President of China International Relations Studies Association, and Vice President of Chinese Japanese Studies Association. He is serving on the editorial board of more than a dozen established domestic and international academic journals on international issues.

He has published extensively on U.S.-China relations, relations between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, Chinese foreign policy and Chinese politics.

Elena ROVENSKAYA

Program Director
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)

Elena Rovenskaya is Program Director of the Advancing Systems Analysis (ASA) program at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Laxenburg, Austria. She has background in applied mathematics. Her scientific interests lie in the fields of optimization, decision sciences and mathematical modelling of complex socio-environmental systems.

As the ASA Program Director, Rovenskaya is leading a team of more than a hundred scientists who work on new systems analytical methods, which enable higher levels of agility to support policy and societal decision making. Among many other projects and activities, Elena Rovenskaya led a project on Challenges and Opportunities of Economic Integration within a Wider European and Eurasian Space (2014-2020), which focused on plausible futures of economic cooperation in the Greater Eurasian space and interplay between different integration processes in the region. More recently, she co-led an expert panel that produced policy papers for India's G20 Presidency (2023), offering recommendations to strengthen multilateralism and multilateral institutions.

Yongwook RYU

Assistant Professor, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy
National University of Singapore

Dr. Yongwook RYU is a professor of international politics at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore. His areas of expertise cover the foreign policies of China, Japan, Korea and ASEAN as well as broad regional and global issues.

His current research projects examine the US-China tech competition, supply chains, maritime security, Sino-Japanese relations, and the concept of hedging in IR. A native of South Korea, Dr. Ryu grew up both in Korea and New Zealand, and speaks Korean, Japanese, and Chinese (Mandarin). Prior to joining the NUS, he taught at the Australian National University and Yonsei University. Dr. Ryu received his Ph.D. from the Department of Government, Harvard University, where he was a Frank Knox Memorial Fellow.

Zoltán CSÉFALVAY

Head of Centre for Next Technological Futures, School of Economics
Mathias Corvinus Collegium

Prof. Dr. Zoltán Cséfalvay is head of the Centre for Next Technological Futures at Mathias Corvinus Collegium, Budapest, where he gives lectures and conducts research on the economic, social and geopolitical impacts of digitalisation, robotisation and artificial intelligence in Europe.

Previously, he worked as senior researcher at the Joint Research Centre of European Commission in Seville (2019-2020), he served as ambassador of Hungary to the OECD and UNESCO in Paris (2014-2018) and as Minister of State for Economic Strategy in Hungary (2010-2014). He was a professor of economic geography at Andrássy University Budapest (2002-2010) and has been a professor at Kodolányi János University in Hungary for more than two decades. As a research fellow he worked in Budapest, Vienna, Munich, Heidelberg, and Cardiff. Recently he has published his latest book - TECHtonic Shifts - on the current industrial revolution.

David TOH

Chief Executive Officer
NTUitive

David Toh is Director and CEO of NTUitive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Nanyang Technological University of Singapore responsible for commercialising the university’s scientific research and incubating startups.

Before joining NTUitive in 2013, David spent 20 years in the finance industry at ING Barings, Lehman Brothers and DBS Asset Management as a top rated technology sector analyst and fund manager. In that capacity, David also advised listed and private technology companies in the Asia Pacific region on corporate strategy and fund raising in capital markets. After leaving investment banking, David worked as a fund manager at DBS Asset Management before setting up his own Asia Pacific focused equity investment fund.

Prior to the finance industry, David worked as a process engineer at Chartered Semiconductor, where he was responsible for fab wide yield enhancement activities. David is a member of the Singapore Stock Exchange Listings Advisory Committee, and is also an independent director of SGX-listed iFast Corp. David graduated with double degrees from Cornell University in 1991 with distinctions in B.Sc. in Materials Science & Engineering and a B.A. in Government and Asian Studies.

Yao WANG

Director General, International Institute of Green Finance
Deputy Secretary General, Green Finance Committee (GFC) of China Society for Finance and Banking

Prof. Yao Wang is the Director General of the International Institute of Green Finance at Central University of Finance and Economics. She serves as the Deputy Secretary-General of the Green Finance Committee, China Society for Finance & Banking, and an advisor to the Green Development Committee of the Securities Association of China.

Her research on the green economy and sustainable finance, is highly influential, encompassing over 300 published papers, leading more than 100 research projects, and authoring 34 monographs. Awarded the "Outstanding Contribution Award" in 2019 at the Annual China Excellent Green Finance Awards from "Asian Money".

Márton UGRÓSDY

Deputy State Secretary
Head of the Political Director's Office of the Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister, Hungary

Márton Ugrósdy, PhD has been serving in the Hungarian government since June 2022. In his current role, he is responsible for preparing analytical and background briefing materials pertaining to the most recent developments of geopolitics, the internal dynamics of the European Union, as well as the activities of various key players in foreign affairs.

Before joining public service, Márton was working at the Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hungary’s eminent foreign policy think tank from 2015 till 2022. He joined the Institute as a part time research fellow, covering transatlantic relations and Central Europe with a special focus on the Visegrád Four. In 2017, he was appointed as one of the deputy directors of IFAT, and in 2018 he assumed the post of director. In these roles, he appeared frequently in the Hungarian and foreign print and broadcast media, and spoke at various events from the United States to Japan on Hungarian foreign policy.

Prior to his assignments at IFAT, Márton was the editor-in-chief of Kitekintő.hu, Hungary’s number one foreign policy news portal for seven years. During his tenure from 2009 until 2016, he oversaw the daily operations of the site, editing, proofreading and on many occasions, writing articles on different topics. During his time at Kitekintő, he led the Central Europe and Americas columns as well. Márton is a graduate of Eötvös Loránd University, with a major in political science. In addition to have served as an elected student leader, he was awarded the Republican Scholarship for academic excellence twice during his studies. After graduation, he was awarded the Hungarian-American Enterprise Fellowship Fund’s grant to work with the Center for Strategic & International Studies in Washington, DC. Later on, Márton earned his PhD from Corvinus University of Budapest in political science, with a specialization in public management. He also lectured mostly international students at Corvinus for six years in the Public Administration and Management Masters program.

Levente HORVÁTH

Director of Eurasia Center
John von Neumann University

Levente Horváth is the founder and the Director of Eurasia Center of the John von Neumann University, Hungary. Levente Horváth is a China expert, has been dealing with China from 2005 onwards, he was doing his bachelor’s and master’s degree in tourism management in China, at the Fudan University in Shanghai, and graduated with rector’s award. From 2016 he is the Vice-President of the Fudan University Alumni.

Between 2017-2021, Levente Horváth was doing his PhD studies at the University of Pécs, his research field focused on the Chinese geopolitical thinking and on the One Belt, One Road initiative. Between 2015 and 2017, he was the Consul General of Hungary in Shanghai and in this position, he was responsible for deepening the Sino-Hungarian relations. In 2017-2019 he served as the Head of Educational Department in the Magyar Nemzeti Bank, the central bank of Hungary, from 2019 he became the Chief Advisor to the Governor of the central bank of Hungary. In 2021 he was given the Shanghai Silver Magnolia Award acknowledging his contribution to Shanghai’s development with respect to its economy, trade, finance, education, and culture.

László SZABÓ

Founder and Head
Hungarian Innovation Hub

Dr. László Szabó obtained his medical degree from the University of Debrecen in 1990 and subsequently worked as a transplant surgeon in Debrecen. He continued his career at the American pharmaceutical company, Eli Lilly and Company, where he engaged in sales, marketing, HR, research and development, and leadership across seven countries on four continents over 18 years.

Between 2010 and 2014, he served as the CEO of Teva Hungary in Budapest. For three years, he was Hungary's ambassador to the Unites States, preceded by three years as the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade. From 2020 to 2022, he held the position of CEO at Mediaworks Zrt. In his most recent role, as the founder and head of the Hungarian Innovation Hub, he is responsible for the development of a comprehensive ecosystem spanning multiple universities.