Reflections and Horizons
The China Fellowship convened for a powerful reunion – reflecting on the past and imagining a future that continues to bridge China and the world.
From November 14-16, the China Fellowship Program brought together 55 Fellows across all eight classes for a powerful weekend reunion in the UNESCO World Heritage Town, Penang, Malaysia. Under the contemplative theme “Reflections and Horizons: At the Crossroads of Time — A Gathering of Renewal, Connection, and Imagination,” the convening aimed to invite both introspection and imagination, encouraging Fellows to reconnect with our shared roots while envisioning how we will engage with a rapidly changing world.
Journeying Across Continents
Launched in 2013, the China Fellowship Program consists of 159 Fellows holding executive-level positions in the private sector, across 13 wide-ranging sectors in the Greater China region. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other developments, many of the Fellows have not seen one another in nearly eight years, making this inaugural reunion the first of its kind in terms of class representation and participation. These 55 China Fellows across all eight classes traveled significant distances — flying in from North America, Australia, China, Korea and Singapore — to gather and be present with the community, highlighting the deep desire for reconnection. Because when leaders meet in person, they tap into something powerful: shared wisdom, courage, and creativity, and the relationships that turn individual efforts into lasting change.
Place as a Lens for Reflection
Penang: A Global Crossroads
Penang, Malaysia—once a pivotal hub of trade during the first era of globalization—was deliberately chosen for its profound cultural and historical resonance. With deep-rooted Chinese cultural ties woven into the local Peranakan heritage, Penang offered a rich backdrop for China Fellows to explore compelling narratives of trade, globalization, and intercultural exchange through peaceful coexistence.
Strategically located along the historic maritime trade routes of the Straits of Malacca, the city stands as a powerful symbol of multiculturalism. Its capital, George Town, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, celebrated for its distinctive architectural and cultural landscape that reflects centuries of confluence between Eastern and Western civilizations.
As part of a thoughtfully curated “Amazing Race” through George Town, Fellows from across different classes were grouped and challenged to visit and explore a variety of cultural and historical landmarks. At the Sun Yat Sen Museum, they discovered Penang’s critical role as a fundraising hub among Chinese emigrants and local supporters, who mobilized significant resources for the Second Guangzhou Uprising—an event that served as a key catalyst in the founding of the Republic of China.
Furthermore, the island hosts a UNESCO Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve, which is home to a vast number of species (over 2,000 flora and 500 fauna) and boasts unique terrestrial, coastal, and marine ecosystems. Walking through one of Southeast Asia’s oldest rainforests, Fellows appreciated the critical balance between nature, heritage, and human development–themes central to the Aspen spirit.Strategically located along the historic maritime trade routes of the Straits of Malacca, the city stands as a powerful symbol of multiculturalism. Its capital, George Town, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, celebrated for its distinctive architectural and cultural landscape that reflects centuries of confluence between Eastern and Western civilizations.
Program Highlights
In addition to the “Amazing Race”, the reunion featured a dynamic program format, including intimate small-group dialogues where Fellows were assigned to venture affinity groups to present and discuss their impact journey ideas. Fellows relished the opportunity to bond with Fellows from other classes, learn more about their impact projects, and explore how they could collaborate.
A significant highlight was the special session with renowned architect and polymath, Dato’ Lim Chong Keat on Penang Hill. Dato Lim shared his long-standing connection to esteemed inventor and futurist Buckminster Fuller, “Bucky” who would regularly stay on the hill where he and Dato’ Lim co-hosted annual Campuan meetings. Both were frequent speakers at the Aspen Institute and shared the common pursuit: “to understand humanity’s place in the larger system and design wisely for its future.”
Lasting Impact and Gratitude
The overall impact of the reunion on the Fellowship was palpable, marking it a true renewal of our collective purpose. A panel discussion on China Fellowship’s founding vision and its evolution throughout the years – featuring Shane Tedjarati (Henry Crown Fellowship), Founder of the China Fellowship Program and Brian A. Wong, Managing Director of the China Fellowship Program and Class 4 Fellow moderated by Christina Zhu, Class 1 Fellow– reaffirmed the need for continued connection and long-term sustainability.
This reunion strengthened the bonds within our China Fellowship community, calling us to act as effective catalysts into bridging China and the world.
About the Aspen Global Leadership Network
The Aspen Global Leadership Network (AGLN) is a dynamic, worldwide community of nearly 4,000 entrepreneurial leaders from over 60 countries. Spanning business, government, and the nonprofit sector, these leaders share a commitment to enlightened leadership and the drive to tackle the most pressing challenges of our times. Through transformative Fellowship programs and gatherings like the Resnick Aspen Action Forum, AGLN Fellows have the unique opportunity to connect, collaborate, and challenge each other to grow and commit to a lifelong journey of impact.
The Aspen China Fellowship Program energizes private sector business leaders of the Greater China region to step up to the greatest challenges in the region in today’s global context. Each Fellow has been selected because they have achieved real success in their careers and, yet, are at a point in their lives where they’d like to have a broader impact.
The program is designed to guide them through a personal journey of reflection, insight and action in an area where they’d like to make that impact. As such, they will become more effective, enlightened leaders and will move “from success to significance.” The Aspen China Fellowship Program is completely non-political in nature. This reunion was made possible by the Aspen Institute and the John P. and Anne Welsh McNulty Foundation.For more information on the China Fellowship visit aspeninstitute.org/programs/china-fellowship-program/.