At the opening of the event, Professor Alain Chong, Vice Provost for Global Engagement and Partnerships of University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC), and Professor Kok Wei Khong, Dean of Nottingham University Business School China, delivered their welcome addresses respectively, expressing their sincere gratitude to Ms Lynn Chen and all the distinguished guests in attendance. They emphasized that the sustainability vision upheld by UNNC and the Business School aims to consistently advance ESG practices and foster responsible innovation, connecting more sustainable education resources through the active operations of RCE Ningbo.
During the keynote speech, Ms Lynn Chen drew upon a decade of practical experience from the Zijiang Foundation to explore the theme “The Power of Innovation: How Public Welfare Drives a Sustainable Future”. She explained that as a corporate-backed foundation, Zijiang consistently acts as a “connector”, dedicated to building bridges for cross-sector collaboration. This approach ensures resources align with needs and ideas translate into tangible outcomes. Ms Lynn illustrated this approach through two pivotal case studies: the TED x Zizhu Park project, now in its eighth year, has mobilised over 500 volunteers and 91 speakers to create a community learning organisation reaching 4,000 live attendees and generating over 2 million social media impressions, fostering sustainable thinking through intellectual exchange and cross-sector dialogue; The Lanxiang Lake Forum Series evolved from corporate social responsibility (CSR) exchanges into a sustainable development platform addressing diverse topics including AI, green finance, and public health. In 2025, this forum has attracted over 231,000 online viewers, fostering a robust ecosystem for in-depth dialogue between academia and industry.
Ms Lynn emphasised that the core of philanthropic innovation lies in long-termism, systematic operations, and partnership building. She noted that the Zijiang Foundation's practices consistently align with the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). From quality education and gender equality to sustainable cities and communities, the foundation employs diverse initiatives—including educational empowerment, youth development, and ecological co-creation—to make philanthropy a vital engine driving both social and environmental sustainability.
During the Q&A session following the keynote speech, participants engaged in lively discussions on challenges such as the limited adoption of sustainable product packaging, the feasibility of promoting public welfare education in primary and secondary schools, and barriers to ESG implementation across different regions and demographics. Ms Lynn responded with patience and detail, emphasising that corporate sustainability practices must advance in tandem with policy environments and market demands. She further noted that public welfare education should respect the characteristics of different age groups, cultivating awareness progressively through contextualised experiences and participatory activities.
During the interactive session, the audience enthusiastically proposed ideas on connecting public welfare innovation with the SDGs in daily life. They also actively contributed concepts for initiating public welfare projects and fostering cross-industry and multi-stakeholder collaborations. Suggestions included creating inclusive environments for persons with disabilities, addressing marine plastic waste degradation, and promoting corporate water resource recycling, demonstrating the event's success in igniting enthusiasm for sustainable development thinking and practice.
Besides, during the donation session, Ms Julie Zhao, Partner at Shanghai Pumeng Asset Management Co., Ltd., made a personal donation of RMB 250,000 through the UNNC Education Foundation. This dedicated funding is a great support to CRBI's work. Ms Lei He, Director of Development and Alumni Relations, presented a donation certificate on behalf of UNNC. Later, Ms Julie expressed recognition for the CRBI’s leadership in the ESG group standard project, the launch and operation of RCE Ningbo, and related deepening practices in sustainability field. She also emphasised that sustainability has become a critical factor in investment decision-making, and that in future, sustainable principles will be more deeply integrated into investing, helping to mitigate risks and steer capital towards areas of social value.
In the closing speech of Professor Jing Dai, Director of CRBI & RCE Ningbo, she remarked that this tenth event represented a successful culmination of the "Let'S talk!” Event Series, demonstrating the powerful force of “connection”. It is this very connection—bringing together resources from government, industry, academia, and research while breaking down boundaries between sectors—that translates cutting-edge ideas into actionable practices and coalesces fragmented thoughts into a consensus for driving change. She also expressed her hope that attendees would translate today’s inspiration into concrete actions. Whether through deepening engagement with sustainability in academic research, practicing socially responsible innovation in business operations, or promoting green values in daily life, we can all, with love and responsibility, nurture our 'fragile planet' and collectively advance sustainability from vision to reality.
The successful hosting of the "Let'S talk!” Event Series X has established a platform for dialogue on social innovation and sustainable development across sectors, facilitating both the sharing of replicable practical experiences and the consolidation of consensus for cross-boundary collaboration. Moving forward, CRBI & RCE Ningbo will continue to leverage diverse activities such as knowledge exchange forums and corporate collaboration visits to connect more innovative forces, injecting a continuous flow of intellectual impetus and practical energy into regional sustainable development.
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