Developing digital infrastructure with a focus on AI-driven growth, sustainability, and strengthening regional connectivity and trust emerged as a key theme at the sixth edition of the Philanthropy Asia Summit, which concluded in Singapore on May 20.

Leaders from the corporate sector, grassroots organisations, and multilateral bodies highlighted both the challenges and opportunities for philanthropy in Asia. Discussions centred on the readiness of philanthropic institutions to address regional issues such as climate change, healthcare, education, green energy, gender equality, and inclusive growth.

Speakers from the start-up ecosystem, finance, and philanthropy sectors stressed on the need for stronger support systems and collaborative platforms to ensure that strategic investments translate into meaningful cross-border impact.

Delegates from India, China, and Southeast Asian countries underlined the urgent need to build robust digital infrastructure to improve efficiency, enhance transparency, and maximise the impact of projects implemented across Asia.

The three-day summit, themed ‘Asian Innovation, Global Good’, brought together experts and organisations from diverse fields to discuss common regional challenges, strengthen partnerships, and explore ways to improve funding mobilisation, co-ordination, and project implementation.

Shaun Seow, CEO of the Philanthropy Asia Alliance, a Temasek Trust initiative, emphasised the need to move beyond traditional/family and charity-based philanthropy towards more institutional and collaborative models for tackling common problems faced by Asian nations. He said greater cooperation among Asian countries was necessary to identify shared challenges and ensure sustainable and inclusive development.

Highlighting the importance of financial inclusion, Shalini Jalan, Head of Collaboration and Partnership at Temasek Trust, said AI-based governance should be adopted to maximise public good and ensure accountability in philanthropic initiatives. Anna Koivuniemi, who leads the Google DeepMind Impact Accelerator, highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence in areas such as weather forecasting and the management of communicable diseases.

Some speakers observed that while funding was available, identifying strategic and impactful projects remained a major challenge.

Young entrepreneurs involved in philanthropy said technology should be used to remove cultural barriers to cross-border collaboration and networking. Delegates from India and China pointed to the lack of data transparency, which they said hindered the sharing of best practices and efficient use of philanthropic resources.

During the session titled ‘Regional Spotlight: China’, speakers discussed the growth of philanthropy in China since the 1980s, and highlighted collaboration among government, industry, and donors for resource mobilisation.

While success stories from India, China, and several Southeast Asian countries dominated discussions throughout the summit, there was comparatively very limited representation from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal.

On the concluding day, Mr. Seow reflected on the growing importance of philanthropic collaboration in an increasingly polarised world. He announced a new partnership between the Philanthropy Asia Alliance and Tsinghua University, China, to advance knowledge exchange, research, and innovation.

Singapore’s President Tharman Shanmugaratnam attended the concluding session of the summit.