Davos Lab Hong Kong Dialogues

Join the Global Shapers Hong Kong hub from April 12 to 23, 2021 to discuss responses to Hong Kong’s crises on sustainability, diversity & inclusion, and the future workforce.

This event page consists of the full dialogue lineup, and is for information only. Please register for each individual session in the respective links provided below. All virtual sessions will be conducted through Zoom, and the registration links are via Zoom.

(Please note that registering for a ticket on Eventbrite will NOT count as registration for any individual session!)

The full Davos Lab Hong Kong lineup (in chronological order):

April 12 (Monday) @ 7 pm

Conscious Consumerism: Why We Don’t Make Eco-Friendly Purchases

This conversation gathers a group of everyday socially-minded consumers and starts from ground zero to understand some daily struggles in practicing sustainable consumption in everyday settings, be it in grocery shopping or fashion. In unpacking the social guilt and dilemma from within, this conversation will also gather thoughts on some new metrics/ transparency needed aside from the current reporting standard (e.g. carbon footprint, labor standards, packaging materials etc.) which may help further inform consumers and support them to make small, but important ethical purchasing decisions.

From the perspective of everyday consumers, this conversation will also explore further ways how civil societies and government can come together to create a supportive sustainable consumer environment and harness consumers’ collective power to create more influence in the economy and society at large.

REGISTER HERE: Zoom registration link

April 14 (Wednesday) @ 7 pm

Debunking Health Myths Around Alternative Proteins

In the first part of SUSTAINHK’s miniseries on alternative proteins, we will be bringing together local experts to discuss the health myths (and truths) of the many innovative plant-based and lab-grown proteins on the market.

With all the different alternative meats hitting the market, from Impossible Burgers to Omnipork Luncheon Meat, consumers are left with conflicting information on how “healthy” these products truly are. Are alternative proteins better than real meat? Is plant-based meat more nutritious than lab-made meat? Is a “sustainable diet” truly a more nutritious one?

Alternative proteins’ swift entrance into restaurants, supermarkets, and fast food chains, has left little time for consumers to fully understand the varied ingredients and technologies behind them, and their impact on health.

Join us as we host an virtual, interactive session between audience members and our key experts to discuss if and how alternative proteins are “healthy” and what we can do as consumers to ensure we best understand the products before us.

REGISTER HERE: Zoom registration link

April 16 (Friday) @ 7 pm

Employment in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Machine Learning and Me

Hong Kong’s artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem has been steadily picking up steam in the past several years. Vast amounts of resources have been earmarked by the Government or made available by investors and research institutes to R&D and talent development in this space. Yet, little attention has been paid to the social and ethical dimensions of AI development. Unlike other advanced economies, the government in Hong Kong has so far adopted no AI-specific strategy or codes of conduct. The rare occasion when AI ethics are discussed, the focus is placed on issues of safety and privacy.

Against this backdrop, we will be exploring the impact of AI algorithms on employment and work in the 21st century. Discussing areas ranging from recruitment practices, to upskilling, to employer/employee expectations, and what this all means for you.

REGISTER HERE: Zoom registration link

April 20 (Tuesday) @ 7 pm

Debunking Environmental Myths Around Alternative Proteins

Lab-grown meats and plant-based alternatives are all the rage these days, capturing the imagination of consumers, creating hype in the venture capital scene – and generating discussion from climate activists.

In the second part of SUSTAINHK’s miniseries on alternative proteins, we will focus on the impact they have on the environment, and explore the more complex truths behind how sustainable they really are, by discussing topics ranging from animal rearing and agriculture to research and development and international logistics.

Join us and a host of expert guests in what promises to be a riveting and illuminating conversation, to debunk environmental myths around alternative proteins.

REGISTER HERE: Zoom registration link

April 21 (Wednesday) @ 7 pm

How the Private Sector can Prioritize Value-based Decision Making

The session will discuss:

• What are the most pressing social or environmental issues faced by the nonprofit sector and vulnerable communities in Hong Kong, and how can the private sector collaborate to meaningfully impact these issues?
• What are local case studies of businesses mainstreaming impact into their work?
• What are the key challenges faced by the private sector in prioritizing social value while pursuing profit and business sustainability? In order to overcome these challenges, what policies, mechanisms, or consumer-led initiatives are needed in Hong Kong?
• What are the current opportunities for cross-sectoral collaboration on this issue, especially in a post-COVID context? What are the concrete steps needed to build a “purpose-driven agenda that is responsible, transparent and inclusive, [that] is an opportunity for renewed economic growth driven by new technologies and elevated ethical standards”?

REGISTER HERE: Zoom registration link

Looking forward to having you join us to #ShapeYourHK!

A few FAQs below:

1. What is Davos Lab Hong Kong?

Davos Lab Hong Kong is a series of dialogues, curated and hosted by the Global Shapers Hong Kong hub, with the wider Hong Kong community that aims to shape the responses needed to address Hong Kong’s converging crises on sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and the future workplace.

Please see above for the full lineup.

2. What is the Davos Lab?

The Davos Lab is a Global Shapers Community initiative to inspire, empower and connect young people to shape the unprecedented and grassroots global response needed to address the coronavirus pandemic and the world’s other converging crises. Aggregating the insights, ideas and concerns of citizens and stakeholders in more than 150 countries worldwide, The Davos Lab will culminate in a youth-driven recovery plan featuring tangible actions to create a better future.

The youth-driven recovery plan (crowdsourced though a ten-week campaign of global dialogues and surveys held around the world) will be launched on International Youth Day 2021 and will focus on ten big recovery efforts to reset economic, social and environment systems. It will also outline a new vision for youth activism and collective action for the current decade and beyond.

3. When will Davos Lab Hong Kong happen?

All dialogues part of Davos Lab Hong Kong will take place virtually between April 12 and 23, 2021.

4. Who can participate in the Davos Lab Dialogues?

We welcome everyone, whether you are a Global Shaper or an interested individual, organization or partner, to participate in our dialogues.

5. What will happen after the dialogues?

We will collate insights from each dialogue and share them with the wider Global Shapers Community. We will also consolidate learnings from each dialogue and share them with the public.

6. What is the Global Shapers Hong Kong hub?

With 10 different nationalities represented, the Hong Kong hub is diverse and comprised of 37 young leaders passionate about making both local and regional impact.

Current hub projects include:

• Learning Together, which supports asylum seekers and refugees with education and scholarship opportunities;
• Purpose Exchange, which enables youth to foster purposeful business for sustainable development through training workshops and social media;
• SUSTAINHK, which drives climate action through climate science awareness and corporate-level sustainability best practice sharing; and
• Shaping Minds, which promotes mental well-being in corporates and the wider community.

Through various hub supporting projects, the Hong Kong hub also contributes to initiatives on entrepreneurship, smart cities, mental health and more in the capacity of mentors, speakers and organizers. We are proud to have hosted the first Greater China Retreat for hubs in the region, promoting collaboration and exchange across hubs on governance, projects and impact.

7. What is the Global Shapers Community?

An initiative of the World Economic Forum, the Global Shapers Community is a network of young people driving dialogue, action and change.

With more than 10,000 members, the Global Shapers Community spans 450 city-based hubs in 150 countries. In each city, teams of Shapers self-organize to create projects that address the needs of their community.