Building bridges

Photo / Asia Society Hong Kong Center

"I read (philanthropist JD) Rockefeller's diary and his original vision for the Asia Society. He traveled throughout Asia and loved it, but was disturbed by the suffering and wars that he witnessed. There were no ties between Asia and the US, and he made it his life's work to build those bridges. It was a modern vision. I believe that if the Asia Society didn't exist today, we would have to create it."

John D. Rockefeller III founded the Asia Society in 1956 as a nonpartisan organization to promote mutual understanding and strengthen relationships between Asian countries and the US. It is based on three pillars to achieve its mandate: art and culture; education; and policy.

Currently, the Asia Society has its headquarters in New York City, with permanent centers in Houston and Hong Kong.

Its global network includes centers in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington DC, Manila, Mumbai, Seoul, Shanghai and Sydney. The Tod Williams- and Billie Tsien-designed building and revitalized Hong Kong Jockey Club Former Explosives Magazine in Hong Kong serve as its Asia hub.

Sheeran continues to build upon the network established by her predecessors. She acknowledges that the differences within Asia's myriad of cultures are profound, and compares those differences to the ones present between big US cities and its heartland.