Asia Economics of Mutuality Forum 24-25 April 2024

Next Impact Forum:
A New Mutual Value Creation Paradigm for Business and Investing

Korean and global leaders in business, academia, government, and civil society will gather at Hanyang University in Seoul, South Korea, to launch the inaugural Economics of Mutuality Foundation and Hanyang University’s Global Forum on the role of business and investing in society. The event will take place from April 24 to 25, 2024. The two-day event will include addresses by Professor Colin Mayer, former Dean of Oxford University’s Said Business School; Chairman Moon Kook Hyun, President of the New Paradigm Institute and former CEO of Yuhan-Kimberly, and Dr. Jay Jakub, the Executive Director of the Economics of Mutuality Foundation, and co-author of the book, “Completing Capitalism.” The event will highlight the roles of academia, corporations, investors, family offices and entrepreneurs in creating an ecosystem of mutual value co-creation by how companies deploy their capital in society.

“There is a widespread view that corporations have failed. Failures of systems such as financial systems, environmental degradation, (and) excessive pay…There is a wide understanding within the corporate world that reform is needed,” according to Professor Colin Mayer, the former Dean of Oxford University’s Said Business School, who was the co-founder of the Economics of Mutuality Lab at Oxford University’s Said Business School and co-host of seven annual Oxford Economics of Mutuality forums.

This public event will also facilitate actionable ideas on the role of business in addressing so-called “wicked problems” that require skillful multi-stakeholder coordination to arrive at solutions. This includes ecosystem orchestration to address national problems such as declining demographics in Korea and throughout much of the developed world.

“South Korea has the world’s lowest fertility rate of 0.72, implying that its population of 51 million will be reduced by half by the end of 21^st century. For the past 20 years, South Korea spent over $270 billion, but it failed to resolve this problem,” according to Professor Hyun Shin, Vice President of Global Social Innovation Foundation at Hanyang University. “We will explore how purposeful business and investing can address this national challenge at the forum.”

This public forum will facilitate the conversations, the collaboration and the ongoing learnings that will not only be impactful but provide the impetus for how organizations can collaborate to create common good for society and nature while building strong resilient companies and profitable investments. The agenda will highlight the opportunities for integration among different business systems, including the role of academia (Day 1) as well as business, investment, and policy practitioners (Day 2). Some of the confirmed speakers and facilitators include:

Dr. Il Houng Lee, former Member of the Monetary Policy Board, Bank of Korea, and former Deputy Director at the International Monetary Fund, who will present on the global macroeconomic context of declining demographics.

Mr. Jinho Chung, Chairman & CEO, The Wells Investment, based in Seoul, one of Korea’s leading pioneers in impact investment.

Mr. Gavin Long, Managing Partner, Mutual Value Investments (an Economics of Mutuality Alliance Partner), based in Washington DC area, who is leading a groundbreaking initiative to transform investments by scaling capital and impact.

Dr. Yong-Geun Kim, Head of Corporate Citizenship Strategy Group, POSCO, based in Seoul, one of Korea’s leading figures in Corporate Social Responsibility.

Dr. Sung Hoon Park, Head of Planning Department, Center for Social Value, Enhancement Studies (affiliated with SK Group), based in Seoul, a leading figure in ESG and social value metrics in Korea.

Ms. Audrey Selian, Director of Rianta Capital and Artha Networks, based in Geneva, Switzerland, founder of Impact for Breakfast Global, a network of impact investors and family offices in 37 cities around the world.

Mr. Robert Kim, Managing Director, JLIN, representing the family office of the U.S. basketball player, Jeremy Lin.

Mr. Jeongtae Kim, CEO of Merry Year Social Company, based in Seoul. MYSC is one of the leading figures in impact investing and social innovation in Korea.  

Mr. Alastair Colin-Jones, Senior Director for Business Transformation & Learning, Mutual Value Labs (an Economics of Mutuality Alliance partner), based in Geneva, who will present on the role of mutual value to address demographic challenges in Singapore.

About Hanyang University

Founded in 1939, Hanyang University in South Korea is guided by the institutional mission of “Love in Action.” Hanyang leads with a strong focus on impactful innovation. To equip future-makers with social, technological, and business skills, Hanyang offers educational programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels including BA in social innovation, MA/PhD in global social economy, and MBA in ESG, to name a few. Hanyang is located close to ‘Sungsu Valley’, a symbol of social innovation in South Korea, where over 3,000 young social entrepreneurs are working together for the society. In the years to come, Hanyang aspires to support the ideas and actions coming out from the Valley and further cultivate the region as a hub of social innovation in Asia and beyond.