Center for Asia Leadership

Another key highlight was the participation of three esteemed women leaders: Rt. Hon. Jenny Shipley, former Prime Minister of New Zealand; Ms. Delphine O, Dr. Kim's personal friend and former classmate at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and former French Ambassador; and Ms. Laurel Miller, President and CEO of the Asia Foundation. They discussed the role of women's political leadership in an increasingly uncertain world and what they can do to help create a world where people can live in safety, freedom, justice, and sustainable prosperity.


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Speakers had an incredible time building friendships, brainstorming collaboration opportunities, sharing insights, and supporting each other in their sessions. A highlight for us was bringing together over 200 speakers and 3,000 attendees for our Asian version of the Davos Forum, the Asian Leadership Conference.


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"Discovery: AI, Space & the Future of Human Exploration" examined how artificial intelligence is reshaping space exploration. Moderated by Nitin Kalé, Professor at the Viterbi School of Engineering at the University of Southern California, the discussion featured Issa Antoine Nesnas, Principal Robotics Technologist at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The session highlighted that AI is becoming an active component of deep-space missions. Nesnas explained that future planetary exploration will increasingly rely on autonomous robotic systems capable of navigating dangerous environments without constant direction from Earth. Communication delays make real-time human control impractical, so intelligent robots must independently assess terrain, avoid hazards, and adapt to changing conditions.

The discussion also explored how machine learning is accelerating scientific discovery by analyzing vast volumes of cosmic data to uncover patterns that human researchers might overlook. The speakers emphasized that AI is expanding humanity's ability to explore regions beyond direct human reach, transforming curiosity into concrete exploration strategies for the future of space discovery.


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One of the highlights of the conference was the session featuring the former First Lady of Japan, Ms. Akie Abe, alongside two renowned journalists from Korea and Japan, Mr. Hochul Sung and Mr. Shizuya Fukuoka. They provided valuable insights on how Korea and Japan can develop a grand vision to foster a sustainable and robust relationship between the two countries. Many actionable insights were shared on how they can create a formidable future together.


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Another key highlight was the VIP tea time with keynote speakers, public leaders, corporate leaders, and diplomatic representatives. We were delighted to convene over 60 global leaders who are making an impact on the world in various ways and on different scales at the Asian Leadership Conference held in Seoul, Korea on May 20-21, 2026.


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During last week's Asian Leadership Conference, we were thrilled to see numerous leaders, speakers, staff, interns, and attendees building networks and creating opportunities that contribute to safer, freer, more just, and sustainably prosperous societies. We hope these new collaborations and partnerships will have a lasting impact on the various challenges our communities face today.


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We were grateful to have The Rt. Hon. Dame Jenny Shipley as one of our keynote speakers at the two-day conference that wrapped up last week in Seoul, Korea. As the first woman to serve as Prime Minister of New Zealand, she led the nation to a period of growth and increased international stature. At our event, one of the key highlights was an exclusive dialogue where she generously shared valuable lessons from her experiences as a leader in both the public and private sectors to a small group of 20 other speakers.


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Two additional sessions that attracted large crowds focused on the geoeconomic landscape and the implications of the changing US presence in the Korean Peninsula and the Indo-Pacific, as well as the optimal utilization of artificial general intelligence. We were honored and grateful to have these four renowned experts present at our conference last week in Seoul, Korea.


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Behind the scenes at the recent Asian Leadership Conference, speakers—moderators and panelists alike—invested considerable effort in preparing for their respective sessions. Thanks to their collective expertise, experience, preparation, and professionalism, we are proud to have delivered high-quality discussions, insightful content, and meaningful human connections, consistent with our year-round commitment to excellence.


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Our Center was delighted to host the nine fellows from the Asia New Zealand Foundation at our recent Asian Leadership Conference. We hope that what our event shared with them has empowered them to advance the well-being of various communities in New Zealand, Asia, and beyond. We hope to see you again next year. Thank you for choosing Seoul and ALC as your destination.


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