About the congress
The Global Sustainable Development Congress (GSDC) brings together research, business, government and higher education to accelerate sustainable transformation. For the third consecutive year, City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) will act as the sole Green Innovation Partner at the 2026 GSDC in Jakarta. The university will also take a leading role as the Track Host for two focus areas, "Cities and Communities" and "Digital Innovation", highlighting its dedication to advancing urban resilience and technological progress.
Video source: https://www.gsdcongress.com/2026
During the event, CityUHK speakers will present a diverse range of insights focused on technology, social resilience, and the urgent realities of climate change. Discussions will specifically address navigating extreme weather events and designing coastal infrastructure that supports marine life. Furthermore, CityUHK experts will explore pioneering energy generation technologies in emerging economies, solar innovation, and EV battery circularity, while other sessions examine the use of AI for social cohesion and the preservation of cultural heritage. Together with the development of the next generation of sustainability professionals, these contributions are all aimed at building a carbon-neutral and sustainable global society.
CityUHK Sessions
- Date: 22 JUNE Time: 10:30 - 14:30 Jakarta Time / 11:30 - 15:30 Hong Kong Time
Turning green into growth: How sustainability builds bridges and boosts your brand
Speakers
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Shirley Chong
Chief Communications and Global Affairs Officer, CityUHK -
Rachael Burcher
Student Futures Director, Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge -
Lucie Burnett
Head of Campaigns, University of Exeter -
Sherine Farouk
Assistant Chancellor for Global Partnerships and Impact, Abu Dhabi University -
Dian Ekowati
Head, Strategic Planning and Development Board, Universitas Airlangga -
Ashley Mok
Vice-President APAC, Consultancy, Times Higher Education -
Mei Mei Lim
President, APAC, Times Higher Education
- Date: 22 JUNE Time: 12:15 - 12:30 Jakarta Time / 13:15 - 13:30 Hong Kong Time
Why Antarctica matters to Asia's climate and coastal future
Speakers
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Benjamin Horton
Dean, School of Energy and Environment, CityUHK
- Date: 22 JUNE Time: 14:00 - 14:15 Jakarta Time / 15:00 - 15:15 Hong Kong Time
Why multilingualism matters for prosperity and social cohesion
Speakers
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Niels Schiller
Chair Professor and Head, Department of Linguistics and Translation, CityUHK -
Adel Chaouch-Orozco
Assistant Professor, Department of Linguistics and Translation, CityUHK
- Date: 23 JUNE Time: 12:00 - 12:30 Jakarta Time / 13:00 - 13:30 Hong Kong Time
Emerging tech for good: Practices and explorations at City University of Hong Kong and the University of Cambridge
Speakers
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Shiqi Wang
Associate Dean (Internationalisation and Industry), College of Computing, CityUHK -
Chris Macdonald
Director and Founder, Immersive Technology Lab, University of Cambridge
- Date: 23 JUNE Time: 12:00 - 12:30 Jakarta Time / 13:00 - 13:30 Hong Kong Time
Harnessing new technology to accelerate energy generation and smarter management in emerging economies
Speakers
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Edwin Chi-Yan Tso
Associate Dean (Internationalisation and Outreach), School of Energy and Environment, CityUHK -
Poh Choo Kang
Teacher, Chinese High School
- Date: 23 JUNE Time: 13:05 - 13:35 Jakarta Time / 14:05 - 14:35 Hong Kong Time
AI-augmented talent: Building the next generation of sustainability professionals
Speakers
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Shauhrat Chopra
Associate Dean, School of Energy and Environment, CityUHK -
Sharul Dol
Director, Research Institute for Sustainable Futures, Abu Dhabi University
- Date: 23 JUNE Time: 14:25 - 15:00 Jakarta Time / 15:25 - 16:00 Hong Kong Time
Partnerships for impact: Scaling change through collaboration
Speakers
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Denvid Lau
Associate Director, CityUHK Academy of Innovation, CityUHK -
Abdullah Saqib
Global Director, Strategic Growth and Partnerships, NGI -
Lorenzo Boffi
Associate Director, Corporate Partnerships, Habitat for Humanity International, Asia-Pacific -
Etti Seppa
Head of Innovation, KONE -
Abu Hanifah
Seed Operation General Manager, East-West Seed Indonesia
- Date: 23 JUNE Time: 14:30 - 15:00 Jakarta Time / 15:30 - 16:00 Hong Kong Time
Driving circularity: How retired electric vehicle batteries power tomorrow's charging networks
Speakers
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Henry Shu-Hung Chung
Chair Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, CityUHK
- Date: 23 JUNE Time: 15:30 - 15:45 Jakarta Time / 16:30 - 16:45 Hong Kong Time
The chemistry of change: Building carbon-neutral cities with solar innovation
Speakers
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Fatwa Firdaus Abdi
Associate Professor, School of Energy and Environment, CityUHK
- Date: 24 JUNE Time: 11:30 - 12:30 Jakarta Time / 12:30 - 13:30 Hong Kong Time
The challenge of sustainable and resilient cultural heritage in the age of AI
Speakers
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Elke Reinhuber
Associate Professor, School of Creative Media, CityUHK -
RAY LC
Assistant Professor, School of Creative Media, CityUHK -
Tim Wong
ESG and Sustainability Hub Lead, AECOM Hong Kong -
Shuo Sue Hua
Associate Curator and Adjunct Lecturer, University Museum and Art Gallery and the Museum Studies Programme, Faculty of Arts, University of Hong Kong
- Date: 24 JUNE Time: 11:30 - 12:30 Jakarta Time / 12:30 - 13:30 Hong Kong Time
Sustainable cities in a changing climate: Navigating extreme weather and building resilience
Speakers
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Benjamin Horton (Moderator)
Dean, School of Energy and Environment, CityUHK -
Ping (Penny) Han
Associate Professor, School of Energy and Environment, CityUHK -
Jung-Eun Chu
Assistant Professor, School of Energy and Environment, CityUHK -
Peipei Chen
Assistant Professor, CityUHK -
Fadly Amran
Mayor of Padang, West Sumatra Province, Republic of Indonesia
- Date: 24 JUNE Time: 12:05 - 13:00 Jakarta Time / 13:05 - 14:00 Hong Kong Time
Creating inclusive pathways: Practical solutions for expanding access to sustainable careers
Speakers
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Kenneth Mei Yee Leung
Vice-President (Research) and Director of the State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Health, CityUHK -
Andreas Kristiawan
Sustainability Lead, Access to Energy and Corporate Citizenship, Schneider Electric -
Constantin Baltès
Account Manager, Sulitest -
Cheryl Peralta
Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, University of Santo Tomas -
Gaurang Pant
Student Representative, Galgotias University -
Yash Vardhan Raj
Student Representative, Galgotias University
- Date: 24 JUNE Time: 14:30 - 15:30 Jakarta Time / 15:30 - 16:30 Hong Kong Time
Design and policy solutions for cities to make coastal infrastructure more supportive of marine life
Speakers
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Kenneth Mei Yee Leung
Vice-President (Research) and Director of the State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Health, CityUHK -
Tanghua Li
Assistant Professor, Department of Data Science and the School of Energy and Environment, CityUHK -
Vriko Yu
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Archireef -
Thea Bradford
Director, afterNATURE
News
Date: 23 JUNE 2026
Green initiatives and social cohesion: CityUHK experts share at sustainability congress
At the Global Sustainable Development Congress (GSDC) 2026, sustainability experts from City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) shared views and ideas on urgent global topics such as climate change, emerging technologies that address green energy innovation, and the way forward on building a cohesive community.
Date: 22 JUNE 2026
CityUHK scholars outline a roadmap to a sustainable future at Global Sustainable Development Congress
For the third year in a row, City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) is proud to serve as the sole Green Innovation Partner at the Global Sustainable Development Congress (GSDC) 2026, Jakarta, affirming its dedication and commitment to striving towards a greener future.