Speaker Categories: Impact Architects

Jun Zhang

Professor, China Center for Economic Studies, Fudan University

Jun Zhang is a leading Chinese economist. He is Professor at the China Center for Economic Studies, Fudan University, and also serves as Dean of the School of Economics and Director of the Fudan–Ping An Institute for Macroeconomic Research at Fudan University.

His research focuses on China’s economic development and transformation. He has published widely in international academic journals such as China Economic Review, Economic Systems, and Journal of Asian Economics, and has authored several books on China’s economic reform and growth. His work has received major academic honors, including the China Economics Innovation Award, the Jiang Xuemo Economics Prize, and the Bergson Prize from the American Association for Comparative Economic Studies.

Jeffrey D. Sachs Video Remarks

University Professor, President, Columbia University, UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network

Jeffrey D. Sachs is University Professor and Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, where he directed the Earth Institute from 2002 until 2016. He is President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Co-Chair of the Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition, Commissioner of the UN Broadband Commission for Development, academician of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences at the Vatican, and Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah Honorary Distinguished Professor at Sunway University. He has been Special Advisor to three United Nations Secretaries-General, and currently serves as an SDG Advocate under Secretary General António Guterres. He spent over twenty years as a professor at Harvard University, where he received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees. Sachs has received 42 honorary doctorates, and his recent awards include the 2022 Tang Prize in Sustainable Development, the Legion of Honor by decree of the President of the Republic of France, and the Order of the Cross from the President of Estonia. His most recent books are The Ages of Globalization: Geography, Technology, and Institutions (2020) and Ethics in Action for Sustainable Development (2022).

Kirsten Dunlop

Chief Executive Officer, Climate KIC

Dr. Kirsten Dunlop is Chief Executive Officer at Climate KIC, Europe’s leading climate innovation agency. Climate KIC has over 16 years of expertise in driving systemic change across 70 countries globally with an approach that goes beyond traditional solutions, addressing climate challenges holistically with a focus on long-term transformation. This includes venture support programs, impact-driven investment, innovation ecosystems, education and learning in systems innovation and place-based Deep Demonstrations. Kirsten brings to her role a deep conviction in our capacity to learn and evolve into a climate-resilient society, and her over 35 years of experience catalyzing systemic transformations in a career spanning academia, consulting, banking, and the insurance industry, across three continents. Kirsten serves on various Advisory Boards including the EAT Advisory Board, Daughters for Earth, the Global Citizens’ Assembly and the High-level External Advisory Panel for the OECD Horizontal Project on Climate and Economic Resilience. She is a member of the Club of Rome, of Women Transforming Global Security, an Advisor to the Systemic Investing Initiative and a Director of Responsible.us.