2018 Social Enterprise Summit theme “Innovating for a Happier Society”
Over 20 programmes and 40 social entrepreneurship leaders gather in Hong Kong
(Hong Kong, September 5 2018) Co-organised by the Hong Kong Social Entrepreneurship Forum and 19 institutions, the 11th Social Enterprise Summit (SES 2018) will be held from 2o 26 November. The 2018 theme is announced today as Innovating for a Happier Society, SES 2018 brings together four major sectors - the civic society, the businesses, the academia and the Government and will feature a Saturday interactive symposium including a first SES Academic Forum.
Sponsored by the Home Affairs Bureau and with the support of around 40 partners and supporting organisations, SES 2018 offers over 20 diverse programmes. Highlight of the year is an international symposium to be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre between 22 and 24 November. This is the flagship event on social innovation and social entrepreneurship in the Asia Pacific region, expecting over 3,000 audiences.
Rebecca Yung, Chair of Organising Committee of Social Enterprise Summit, remarked, “The ultimate goal of social innovation happiness for all. We serve as a platform for people from different sectors to explore and discuss under four main tracks- businesses and investments; art innovation and social design; sustainable development, and; social empowerment. We look forward to proactive participations from different sectors. Together, let us build a happier society.”
International symposium brings over 40 global and local speakers
At the SES 2018 International Symposium, some 40 social entrepreneurs from over locations including the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore will explore the future directions and trends of social innovation and social entrepreneurship development with case studies around the world. Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, Chief Secretary for Administration of HKSAR Government will be the officiating guest at the Grand Opening.Mark Cheng, Managing Director, Ashoka Europe and Paula DiPerna, Special Adviser, CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) are keynote speakers. They will share insights and discuss key trends includingthe bottlenecks and breakthroughs at the core of social entrepreneurship as well as how empowering everyone can create a Happier Society.
Four main tracks - subthemes
The international symposium is divided into four main tracks, the sub-themes are:
- Harvest Good Business, speakers will conduct in-depth discussions regarding examples of business for social good and two new investment models – social impact investment and Pay for Success (PFS), aka Social Impact Bonds;
- Aspire for the Art of Design Innovation, topics include the application of design thinking, social design and art innovation in society through overseas and local case studies;
- Pursue Sustainable Goals, aiming at inspiring participants to think about how sustainable development can be pursued through innovation, and;
- Promote Empowerment in Society, this sub-theme investigates how people are empowered through employment, education and inclusive participation.
Debut of SES academic forum (24 November)
Research - What’s Next in Social Entrepreneurship, is selected as topic for the first SES Academic Forum. This forum will gather 7 international scholars and academics from local universities and tertiary institutions to discuss the state-of-the-art and future research directions in social entrepreneurship and social innovation. The seven international scholars are well established in the fields and hold important editorial positions in prestigious journals of social entrepreneurship.
Workshops and Interactive Concluding sessions on a Saturday (24 November)
Participants at this year’s SES 2018 will have the opportunities to join workshops:
- Ignite the City through Inclusive Sport: to experience first-hand how playing a team game sitting on a wheelchair will require strategic planning, team communication and body coordination skills while developing a new perspective to face challenges.
- Echo Housing Demands through Social Design: to adopt design thinking to understand the needs of co-living residents and boost creativity and problem-solving skills that can be put into practice in real life.
Kiran Bir Sethi, Founder, Design for Change is the concluding keynote. Kiran will highlight how the younger generation can make the most of their potential. She will also lead an open space while selected local social innovators will share their valuable experiences in a creative and interactive space.
Outreach activities to explore social innovation in communities (25 and 26)
Besides the international symposium, SES 2018 continues to engage the community by hosting a series of outreach activities in Central and Western District, Sham Shui Po, Kwun Tong, Southern District, Wong Tai Sin and Yuen Long from April through November, with the objectives to promote social enterpreneurship and the idea of social innovation. These Community Activities includesSE Labs, Social Enterprise Bazaars, social entrepreneurship programme, school talks, workshops, visits and a community Carnival.
Social Enterprise Summit Launch Ceremony Today
The SES 2018 kick-off ceremony, isofficiated by Rebecca Yung, Chair of Organising Committee of Social Enterprise Summit; Bernard Chan, Convenor of Executive Council of Hong Kong SAR; Jack Chan, Under Secretary for Home Affairs; Hillary Yip, the 13-year-old Founder and CEO of MinorMynas(a foreign language learning mobile application); and the SES organising committee members. At the ceremony, Bernard Chan and Hillary Yip share their experience and thoughts under the topic of Youth Entrepreneurship and Social Impact; guests participation at a Hopscotch Jump, round to uncover the theme “Innovating for a Happy Society.
Details on Public Registration
SES 2018 is now open for public registration. For more information, please refer to: http://bit.ly/2MtsK17.
International Symposium (22 – 24 November)
* Early-bird offer is available between 5th September and 15th October.
3-day pass
Public
Senior (aged 65 years old or above with Senior Citizen Card) or Full-time Students
5th September – 15th October
HK$400
HK$150
16th October – 18th November
HK$500
HK$200
Community Tours and Social Innovation (SI) Visits (25 – 26 November)
Public: HK$100
Senior (aged 65 years old or above with Senior Citizen Card) or Full-time Students: HK$50
Photos with captions
(For High-resolution photos: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1HRFNfu4x3H-tP9lkFM2Q3ireBg4V6mAW?usp=sharing )
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About Social Enterprise Summit
The Social Enterprise Summit is a non-profit event organised by Hong Kong Social Entrepreneurship Forum, co-organised by Home Affairs Bureau of the HKSAR Government together with 19 civic groups. The Summit is an annual event since 2008, attracting some 3,000 visitors every year from the Asian region and Greater China. It shows that social innovation and social entrepreneurship is attracting increasing attention and support in the region. The Summit has become a major cross-sector platform among the civic society, the businesses, the academia and the Government in the region in promoting innovative entrepreneurship for social change. (Official Website: http://www.ses.org.hk )