Event Overview

The Integral Institute concluded the three‑day 2026 Integral Conversation on October 31 in Guilin, China. The conference, held under the theme “Water Connects, We Thrive,” convened nearly 300 participants representing business, academia, research, ecological conservation, arts and culture. The venue was Integral, the sustainable‑development garden of Esquel Group in Guilin.

Key Partnership

During the event Integral Institute and The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore collaborative models across the arts, education and sustainability. The MOU outlines potential initiatives such as artist residencies, cultural exchanges, sustainability‑focused workshops, and projects involving natural dyeing and sustainable costume design.

Notable Speakers and Themes

  • Edgar Tung, Council Member of Integral Institute, opened with remarks linking environmental, economic, technological and social issues and stressing the value of cross‑disciplinary dialogue.
  • Sir Gordon Wu, Founder and Chairman of Hopewell Holdings Limited, participated in a fireside chat, drawing parallels between water connectivity and large‑scale infrastructure development, and underscoring long‑term planning and regional collaboration.
  • Teresa Yang, Council Member of Integral Institute, highlighted the need for systems thinking and collective action to address interconnected water challenges.
  • Jason Goodwin, writer and historian, presented “Water and Heritage” by tracing the tea trade’s reliance on water.
  • Su Ning (painter and writer) and Silvia Vásquez‑Lavado (mountaineer, author, humanitarian) explored water’s relationship with humanity and nature in the “Water and Humanity” session.
  • Scott Vaughan, Senior Fellow at the International Institute for Sustainable Development and International Chief Advisor to the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development, delivered a keynote on global water governance, citing China’s basin‑wide planning and sponge‑city initiatives as models for climate resilience.
  • Wu Xiaogang, Vice Mayor of Guilin Municipal Government, praised Integral’s contributions to green‑technology innovation and aligned the conference theme with Guilin’s ambition to become a world‑class tourism city.
  • A panel on “Water and Intelligence” featured Susan Hu (World Economic Forum), Sabrina Peng (Ant Group), and Debra Tan (CWR). Hu called for financial innovation to channel capital to climate‑resilient projects, Peng showcased Ant Group’s green computing and digital water‑management platforms, and Tan warned that accumulating water‑related pressures could generate systemic financial risks.
  • Pan Yue (Vice Chairperson, Pan Wenshi Institute of Biodiversity Research) and Professor Ma Hongbo (Chief Expert, Qinghai‑Tibet Plateau Research Center) discussed conservation work ranging from protecting Chinese white dolphins in Guangxi to safeguarding the Sanjiangyuan “Water Tower of Asia,” emphasizing top‑down and bottom‑up stewardship.
  • In the Knowledge Plenary, Pierre Venter (Vice‑Chancellor, Massey University) and Yang Bin (Vice‑Chancellor, Tsinghua University) examined how academia can break disciplinary boundaries and translate sustainability research into social governance and industrial upgrading.
  • The CEO Plenary included Christine Ip (Senior Business Advisor, Group Private Banking, former Vice Chairman Greater China, United Overseas Bank), Evan Guo (Chairman and CEO, Zhaopin Limited), and the Director of HKAPA. They discussed the role of arts, finance and talent development in fostering resilience, with Ip urging sustained financial institution investment in the arts and Ip and Guo highlighting the need to balance AI‑driven productivity with human vitality.

Sectoral Insights

Speakers repeatedly stressed that water connects regions, ecosystems and economies, offering a lens to rethink global challenges. Discussions covered water‑risk identification, resource‑efficiency improvements, and the balance between economic development and ecological protection. The conference highlighted China’s basin‑wide planning, sponge‑city concepts, and digital tools from Ant Group as practical pathways to enhance climate resilience and mitigate systemic financial exposure.

Historical Context and Outlook

Since its inception in 2014, Integral Conversation has convened over 3,000 representatives from more than 100 industries worldwide. Council Chair Hau Lee closed the event by urging deeper collaboration among policymakers, academics, business leaders and artists to move beyond consensus‑building toward actionable networks that enable humanity and nature to thrive together. The Institute signaled its intention to continue hosting cross‑disciplinary dialogues that translate ideas into concrete sustainability actions.