# Jockey Club concludes landmark 10th anniversary of PBC with Gala Dinner featuring delegates from around the world to celebrate a decade of global dialogue

- Link: https://www.thailand-business-news.com/pr-news/jockey-club-concludes-landmark-10th-anniversary-of-pbc-with-gala-dinner-featuring-delegates-from-around-the-world-to-celebrate-a-decade-of-global-dialogue
- Published: 2026-09-08T22:40:00+07:00
- Author: PR Newswire

HONG KONG, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Hong Kong Jockey Club concluded the 
landmark 10th anniversary and fifth edition of its PBC forum at West Kowloon Cultural
District today (8 September). Convened over two days by the Club’s Charities Trust
in association with the Institute of Philanthropy (IoP), PBC 2026 featured more 
than 80 eminent speakers and over 2,000 delegates from around the world. Under the
central theme of "Leaping for Impact", the forum brought together leaders from the
philanthropic, sports, business, government, academic and social sectors.

Thematic discussions over the two days addressed pressing social issues including
health, the well-being of older adults, urban poverty alleviation, heritage conservation,
youth positive trajectory development, climate resilience and inclusive employment.
Interactive Impact Studios, Co-Learning Workshops and other extended programmes 
further bridged visionary ideas with practical implementation, examining how meaningful
social impact can be achieved on the ground.

To mark the forum’s conclusion and celebrate a decade of global dialogue, a PBC 
2026 Gala Dinner was held at the Hong Kong Palace Museum. It brought together delegates
from the Chinese Mainland and across the world including foundation leaders, government
officials, tertiary institution representatives and community leaders. Among the
distinguished attendees were Dr the Hon Starry Lee, Member of the Standing Committee
of the National People’s Congress and President of the Legislative Council of the
HKSAR; The Hon Mrs Regina Ip, Convenor of the Non-official Members of the Executive
Council of the HKSAR; Club Chairman The Hon Martin Liao; Club Deputy Chairman and
IoP Chairman Lester Huang; Club Stewards; Club CEO and IoP Director Winfried Engelbrecht-
Bresges; and other members of the Club’s Board of Management.

Dr the Hon Starry Lee, Member of the Standing Committee of the National People’s
Congress and President of the Legislative Council of the HKSAR, said at the Gala
Dinner that, over the past decade, the PBC forum had not only borne witness to the
development of philanthropy, but had also promoted exchange and collaboration among
the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong and the international community. Looking ahead to
the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan, she noted that philanthropic models that take
a long-term perspective and place greater emphasis on capacity building and talent
development would become increasingly important.

The Hon Mrs Regina Ip, Convenor of the Non-official Members of the Executive Council
of the HKSAR, said: "Meaningful achievement is built through clarity of purpose,
discipline, resilience, honest self-assessment, and an unyielding determination 
to improve. Those same qualities are becoming increasingly essential in philanthropy,
and The Hong Kong Jockey Club is especially well placed to lead this conversation
because it sits at the unique intersection of sport, public purpose and philanthropy
at scale."

Club Chairman The Hon Martin Liao expressed his profound gratitude to all speakers,
panellists, moderators and participants of PBC 2026 for bringing their remarkable
range of experience and perspectives to the forum. He praised the progress that 
PBC has made over the past decade in addressing prevailing social challenges and
inspiring cross-sector and cross-regional partnerships, to its position today as
one of the largest assemblies of the global philanthropic community worldwide.

Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, the Club’s CEO and IoP Director, delivered the forum’s
closing remarks, echoing insights from forum speakers and reflecting on the sector’s
evolving journey. "If there is one lesson that has emerged consistently over the
past two days, it is that meaningful impact does not happen by accident. It requires
vision, discipline and commitment. But above all, it requires collaboration." He
added: "No organisation, foundation, government or business can address today’s 
challenges alone. Partnerships are key, but equally important is finding the right
partners: those who bring complementary strengths, share our purpose are committed
to achieving meaningful outcomes together."

Earlier today, the opening keynote address was delivered by Hari Menon, President
of Global Growth & Opportunity at the Gates Foundation. Entitled "The New Growth
Agenda: Philanthropy’s Role in Expanding Opportunity for All", it examined the catalytic
role of philanthropy in enabling more people to contribute to and benefit from economic
growth.

As part of the Club’s ongoing efforts to promote education and development equity,
and following the adoption and adaptation of the CoolThink@JC curriculum in Cambodian
primary schools earlier this year, an MOU on early childhood education and development
was signed today. Witnessed by Club Steward Jackson Woo, the MOU was signed by Dr
Gabriel Leung, Club Executive Director, Charities and Community, and H.E. Dr Kim
Sethany, Permanent Secretary of State of Cambodia’s Ministry of Education, Youth
and Sport, reaffirming the shared commitment to strengthening development foundations
and better life trajectories for children.

The forum’s closing plenary featured an intergenerational dialogue between a sports
leader-turned-philanthropist and aspiring young athletes who want to drive change.
Moderated by Yao Ming, Founder and Chairman of the Yao Foundation, the session examined
how athletes can broaden their impact and how personal growth can translate into
leadership and community building. The speakers were Yvette Kong, Founder and Chief
Executive Officer of Arelyx and Olympic swimmer; Jacqueline Lai, Hong Kong, China
equestrian team rider and Asian Games medallist; and Cado Lee, two-time Asian Games
gold medallist and a Hong Kong, China Rugby Sevens player.

In line with this year’s theme, The Bridgespan Group unveiled a new report examining
what distinguishes family giving in Asia and how the world’s wealthiest families
approach philanthropy. Supported by IoP, The Rockefeller Foundation and the Gates
Foundation, the research explores the relationship between family, business and 
philanthropy across the region. Separately, Bridgespan’s latest corporate giving
research found that The Hong Kong Jockey Club and its Charities Trust remain the
leading corporate donor in Asia and the eighth largest globally, with an annual 
average of approved donations of US$774 million from 2020 to 2024.

Initiated in 2016, PBC has served as a flagship platform for global philanthropic
thought leadership and cross-sector collaboration, engaging some 10,000 participants
and more than 380 speakers from over 40 countries and regions throughout the past
decade.

The Club’s support for PBC 2026, like all of its charity and community initiatives,
is made possible by its unique value creation model through which racing and wagering
generate tax contributions, charity support and employment opportunities for the
community.

[⌊Photo 1: Dr the Hon Starry Lee, Member of the Standing Committee of the National
People’s Congress and President of the Legislative Council of the HKSAR (front row,
5th left); The Hon Mrs Regina Ip, Convenor of the Non-official Members, Executive
Council of the HKSAR (front row, 4th right); Club Chairman The Hon Martin Liao (
front row, 5th right); Club Deputy Chairman and IoP Chairman Lester Huang (front
row, 3rd right); Club Stewards; Club CEO and IoP Director Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges(
front row, 4th left); and other members of the Club’s Board of Management pose for
a photo at the PBC 2026 Gala Dinner.⌉⌊Photo 1: Dr the Hon Starry Lee, Member of 
the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and President of the Legislative
Council of the HKSAR (front row, 5th left); The Hon Mrs Regina Ip, Convenor of the
Non-official Members, Executive Council of the HKSAR (front row, 4th right); Club
Chairman The Hon Martin Liao (front row, 5th right); Club Deputy Chairman and IoP
Chairman Lester Huang (front row, 3rd right); Club Stewards; Club CEO and IoP Director
Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (front row, 4th left); and other members of the Club’s
Board of Management pose for a photo at the PBC 2026 Gala Dinner.⌉[
Photo 1: Dr 
the Hon Starry Lee, Member of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress
and President of the Legislative Council of the HKSAR (front row, 5th left); The
Hon Mrs Regina Ip, Convenor of the Non-official Members, Executive Council of the
HKSAR (front row, 4th right); Club Chairman The Hon Martin Liao (front row, 5th 
right); Club Deputy Chairman and IoP Chairman Lester Huang (front row, 3rd right);
Club Stewards; Club CEO and IoP Director Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (front row,
4th left); and other members of the Club’s Board of Management pose for a photo 
at the PBC 2026 Gala Dinner.

[⌊Photo 2: Dr the Hon Starry Lee, Member of the Standing Committee of the National
People’s Congress and President of the Legislative Council of the HKSAR, delivers
a speech at the PBC 2026 Gala Dinner.⌉⌊Photo 2: Dr the Hon Starry Lee, Member of
the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and President of the Legislative
Council of the HKSAR, delivers a speech at the PBC 2026 Gala Dinner.⌉[
Photo 2: Dr
the Hon Starry Lee, Member of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress
and President of the Legislative Council of the HKSAR, delivers a speech at the 
PBC 2026 Gala Dinner.

[⌊Photo 3: The Hon Mrs Regina Ip, Convenor of the Non-official Members, Executive
Council of the HKSAR, delivers a speech at the PBC 2026 Gala Dinner.⌉⌊Photo 3: The
Hon Mrs Regina Ip, Convenor of the Non-official Members, Executive Council of the
HKSAR, delivers a speech at the PBC 2026 Gala Dinner.⌉[
Photo 3: The Hon Mrs Regina
Ip, Convenor of the Non-official Members, Executive Council of the HKSAR, delivers
a speech at the PBC 2026 Gala Dinner.

[⌊Photo 4: Speaking at the Gala Dinner, Club Chairman The Hon Martin Liao expressed
his profound gratitude to all speakers, panellists, moderators and participants 
for bringing a remarkable range of experience and perspectives to PBC 2026.⌉⌊Photo
4: Speaking at the Gala Dinner, Club Chairman The Hon Martin Liao expressed his 
profound gratitude to all speakers, panellists, moderators and participants for 
bringing a remarkable range of experience and perspectives to PBC 2026.⌉[
Photo 4: Speaking
at the Gala Dinner, Club Chairman The Hon Martin Liao expressed his profound gratitude
to all speakers, panellists, moderators and participants for bringing a remarkable
range of experience and perspectives to PBC 2026.

[⌊Photo 5: Club Chief Executive Officer and Director of the Institute of Philanthropy,
Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, delivers closing remarks at PBC 2026.⌉⌊Photo 5: Club
Chief Executive Officer and Director of the Institute of Philanthropy, Winfried 
Engelbrecht-Bresges, delivers closing remarks at PBC 2026.⌉[
Photo 5: Club Chief
Executive Officer and Director of the Institute of Philanthropy, Winfried Engelbrecht-
Bresges, delivers closing remarks at PBC 2026.

[⌊Photo 6: Hari Menon, President of Global Growth & Opportunity at the Gates Foundation,
delivers the forum’s opening keynote address on day two in a session entitled “The
New Growth Agenda: Philanthropy’s Role in Expanding Opportunity for All”.⌉⌊Photo
6: Hari Menon, President of Global Growth & Opportunity at the Gates Foundation,
delivers the forum’s opening keynote address on day two in a session entitled “The
New Growth Agenda: Philanthropy’s Role in Expanding Opportunity for All”.⌉[
Photo 6: Hari
Menon, President of Global Growth & Opportunity at the Gates Foundation, delivers
the forum’s opening keynote address on day two in a session entitled “The New Growth
Agenda: Philanthropy’s Role in Expanding Opportunity for All”.

[⌊Photo 7: The Impact Studio session, “Bridging the Gap: Advancing Educational Equity
Through Computational Thinking”, explored strategies to achieve sustainable and 
impactful digital education. Speakers included Kim Sethany, Permanent Secretary 
of State, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, Cambodia (2nd right); Huang Ronghuai,
Co-Dean of the Smart Learning Institute at Beijing Normal University and Chairholder
of the UNESCO Chair on Artificial Intelligence in Education (2nd left); and Stephen
Cheung, President of Saint Francis University and Voting Member of The Hong Kong
Jockey Club (1st left). The panel was moderated by Kerry Lee, President and Chair
Professor of Child Development at Yew Chung College of Early Childhood Education(
1st right).⌉⌊Photo 7: The Impact Studio session, “Bridging the Gap: Advancing Educational
Equity Through Computational Thinking”, explored strategies to achieve sustainable
and impactful digital education. Speakers included Kim Sethany, Permanent Secretary
of State, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, Cambodia (2nd right); Huang Ronghuai,
Co-Dean of the Smart Learning Institute at Beijing Normal University and Chairholder
of the UNESCO Chair on Artificial Intelligence in Education (2nd left); and Stephen
Cheung, President of Saint Francis University and Voting Member of The Hong Kong
Jockey Club (1st left). The panel was moderated by Kerry Lee, President and Chair
Professor of Child Development at Yew Chung College of Early Childhood Education(
1st right).⌉[
Photo 7: The Impact Studio session, “Bridging the Gap: Advancing Educational
Equity Through Computational Thinking”, explored strategies to achieve sustainable
and impactful digital education. Speakers included Kim Sethany, Permanent Secretary
of State, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, Cambodia (2nd right); Huang Ronghuai,
Co-Dean of the Smart Learning Institute at Beijing Normal University and Chairholder
of the UNESCO Chair on Artificial Intelligence in Education (2nd left); and Stephen
Cheung, President of Saint Francis University and Voting Member of The Hong Kong
Jockey Club (1st left). The panel was moderated by Kerry Lee, President and Chair
Professor of Child Development at Yew Chung College of Early Childhood Education(
1st right).

[⌊Photo 8:  Witnessed by Club Steward Jackson Woo (left), an MOU on early childhood
education and development was signed today by Dr Gabriel Leung, Club Executive Director,
Charities and Community (right), and H.E. Dr Kim Sethany, Permanent Secretary of
State of Cambodia’s Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (centre), reaffirming
the shared commitment to strengthening development foundations and better life trajectories
for children.⌉⌊Photo 8:  Witnessed by Club Steward Jackson Woo (left), an MOU on
early childhood education and development was signed today by Dr Gabriel Leung, 
Club Executive Director, Charities and Community (right), and H.E. Dr Kim Sethany,
Permanent Secretary of State of Cambodia’s Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport(
centre), reaffirming the shared commitment to strengthening development foundations
and better life trajectories for children.⌉[
Photo 8: Witnessed by Club Steward 
Jackson Woo (left), an MOU on early childhood education and development was signed
today by Dr Gabriel Leung, Club Executive Director, Charities and Community (right),
and H.E. Dr Kim Sethany, Permanent Secretary of State of Cambodia’s Ministry of 
Education, Youth and Sport (centre), reaffirming the shared commitment to strengthening
development foundations and better life trajectories for children.

[⌊Photo 9: The Impact Studio session, “Evolving Philanthropy Landscape in China:
Corporate, Family, and Cross Border Giving in Practice”, explored how cross-border
platforms intersect with the charity policy environment in the Greater Bay Area 
to enable collaboration at greater scale. Speakers included Wang Zhenyao, Founding
Dean of the China Philanthropy Research Institute at Beijing Normal University (
2nd right); Wang Ming, Professor, School of Public Policy and Management and Founding
Dean of the Institute for Philanthropy at Tsinghua University (2nd left); and Jin
Jinping, Associate Professor at Peking University Law School (1st left). The panel
was moderated by Wang Xiangwei, former editor-in-chief, South China Morning Post,
and senior visiting scholar at Harvard Kennedy School (1st right).⌉⌊Photo 9: The
Impact Studio session, “Evolving Philanthropy Landscape in China: Corporate, Family,
and Cross Border Giving in Practice”, explored how cross-border platforms intersect
with the charity policy environment in the Greater Bay Area to enable collaboration
at greater scale. Speakers included Wang Zhenyao, Founding Dean of the China Philanthropy
Research Institute at Beijing Normal University (2nd right); Wang Ming, Professor,
School of Public Policy and Management and Founding Dean of the Institute for Philanthropy
at Tsinghua University (2nd left); and Jin Jinping, Associate Professor at Peking
University Law School (1st left). The panel was moderated by Wang Xiangwei, former
editor-in-chief, South China Morning Post, and senior visiting scholar at Harvard
Kennedy School (1st right).⌉[
Photo 9: The Impact Studio session, “Evolving Philanthropy
Landscape in China: Corporate, Family, and Cross Border Giving in Practice”, explored
how cross-border platforms intersect with the charity policy environment in the 
Greater Bay Area to enable collaboration at greater scale. Speakers included Wang
Zhenyao, Founding Dean of the China Philanthropy Research Institute at Beijing Normal
University (2nd right); Wang Ming, Professor, School of Public Policy and Management
and Founding Dean of the Institute for Philanthropy at Tsinghua University (2nd 
left); and Jin Jinping, Associate Professor at Peking University Law School (1st
left). The panel was moderated by Wang Xiangwei, former editor-in-chief, South China
Morning Post, and senior visiting scholar at Harvard Kennedy School (1st right).

[⌊Photo 10: The forum’s closing plenary featured an intergenerational dialogue between
a sport leader-turned-philanthropist and aspiring young athletes who want to drive
change. The speakers were Yvette Kong, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Arelyx
and Olympic swimmer (1st left); Jacqueline Lai, Hong Kong, China equestrian team
rider and Asian Games medallist (2nd left); and Cado Lee, two-time Asian Games gold
medallist and a Hong Kong, China Rugby Sevens player (2nd right). The panel was 
moderated by Yao Ming, Founder and Chairman of the Yao Foundation (1st right).⌉⌊
Photo 10: The forum’s closing plenary featured an intergenerational dialogue between
a sport leader-turned-philanthropist and aspiring young athletes who want to drive
change. The speakers were Yvette Kong, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Arelyx
and Olympic swimmer (1st left); Jacqueline Lai, Hong Kong, China equestrian team
rider and Asian Games medallist (2nd left); and Cado Lee, two-time Asian Games gold
medallist and a Hong Kong, China Rugby Sevens player (2nd right). The panel was 
moderated by Yao Ming, Founder and Chairman of the Yao Foundation (1st right).⌉[
Photo 10: 
The forum’s closing plenary featured an intergenerational dialogue between a sport
leader-turned-philanthropist and aspiring young athletes who want to drive change.
The speakers were Yvette Kong, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Arelyx and
Olympic swimmer (1st left); Jacqueline Lai, Hong Kong, China equestrian team rider
and Asian Games medallist (2nd left); and Cado Lee, two-time Asian Games gold medallist
and a Hong Kong, China Rugby Sevens player (2nd right). The panel was moderated 
by Yao Ming, Founder and Chairman of the Yao Foundation (1st right).

 

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_Photos can be downloaded from the website of The Hong Kong Jockey Club (_[_https://corporate.hkjc.com/en-us/news-and-publications/corporate-news)._](https://corporate.hkjc.com/en-us/news-and-publications/corporate-news)

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