September-October2012

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Asia House

Programme September-October 2012


Cover Image by Sara Haq

Welcome to Asia House Asia House will be recognising excellence with the annual Asian Business Leaders Award, our gala dinner on 22 October. This year we are honouring Lubna Olayan, the CEO of Olayan Financing Company, who joins previous honourands Ratan Tata, Lord Green, Jack Ma and Vikram Mehta Singh. The Business and Policy programme offers insight into recent developments in the financial sector through two briefings from two very experienced Chairmen, Sir Win Bishcoff and Sir Andrew Cahn, and our next Signature Conference on financial regulation in Asia on 19 September. Our September-October programme gives you the chance to get creative as the seasons change. September will see students return to school and you too can enrol in a series of courses run in association with Birkbeck University of London. The classes aim to enrich your understanding of Asian art and allow you the creative time to produce some beautiful pieces of your own. Get inspiration for your autumn reading list with a selection of events on South Asian literature and a controversial discussion on the poetry of the Taliban. Be sure to check out the details of the Asia House Yan Kit So Memorial Award for Asian Food Writers (page 12), you could be travelling to Asia to research your own cookery book. Enjoy the autumn, enjoy Asia House!

Lubna Olayan, CEO, Olayan Financing Company

Lesley Downer

Hong Ling’s landscape painting

Business & Policy Asian Business Leaders Award Dinner 2012 p4

Arts & Culture The Geisha and the Modern World p8

Exhibition Contemporary Chinese Landscape p13

Asian Art Courses p10-11 2


Business and Policy Date Chairman’s Circle Briefing: Sir Win Bischoff 13 Sep Financial Regulation Conference 19 Sep Chairman’s Circle Briefing: Sir Andrew Cahn 18 Oct Asia Business Leaders Award Dinner 2012 22 Oct

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Arts and Culture The Chinese Landscape: Walking Tour of Royal Botanic Gardens 7 Sep 12 Kishwar Desai and Anjali Joseph in conversation with Arifa Akbar 25 Sep 6 London’s Radical South Asian Writers – Retro Style 3 Oct 7 Inside the Mind of the Taliban 8 Oct 7 Lesley Downer - The Geisha and the Modern World 11 Oct 8 Victoria Glendinnig – Raffles and the Golden Opporunity 1 Nov 9 The Firework Maker’s Daughter 6 Nov 9 Courses In Association With Birkbeck, University of London Beauty and Magnificence: The Imperial Arts of the Ottoman Court Chinese Brush Painting for Beginners Iznik Tiles: Floral Motifs in Dynamic Arrangements

25 Sep - 4 Dec 2012 27 Sep - 6 Dec 2012 10 Jan - 20 Mar 2013

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Exhibition Contemporary Chinese Landscape

30 Oct - 9 Nov

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Calendar Asia House

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Asian Business Leaders Award Dinner 2012 The Annual Asia House Gala Evening

Monday 22 October

Banqueting House, Westminster Asia House invites you to join our annual Asian Business Leaders Gala Awards dinner. The evening provides an opportunity for our supporters to join us in celebrating the vital work of Asia House as well as helping to deliver our mission to build dynamic links with Asia. This award highlights the links between economic success, professional excellence, moral leadership, and service to society. In 2012, Asia House is delighted to honour Ms Lubna Olayan, CEO, Olayan Financing Company. 4

Contact Su-lin.allen@asiahouse.co.uk for more details

Ms Lubna Olayan


Business and Policy Financial Regulation in Asia

Wednesday 19 September, 09.00 – 12.00

Signature Conference

Our autumn Signature Conference will gather experts at Asia House to share their perspectives on financial regulation in Asia. Two panels consider the effects of regulation in the ASEAN region and the impact of regulation on more developed economies, such as India, China, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Join us for discussions on macroeconomic policy, the impact of both domestic and international regulation, structural and institutional innovations, and regional integration. With confirmed speakers from International Centre for Financial Regulation; Allen & Overy; Linklaters, HSBC. Members £20 Non-Members £40

Chairman’s Circle Briefings

Sir Win Bischoff, Chairman, Lloyds Banking Group

Sir Andrew Cahn, Vice Chairman, Nomura

Sir Win Bischoff has been Chairman of Lloyds Banking Group September 2009. His Asia experience includes his appointment as Managing Director in 1971 of Schroders Asia Limited, Hong Kong, followed by his position as Chairman of Schroders plc in May 1995. Sir Win will share his perspectives on the changing environment for financial institutions both in the West and in Asia, the impact of regulatory reform

This briefing will explore and compare two corporate cultures in Asia: Japanese and Chinese. With China’s leadership in transition and an economic slowdown a possibility, what are the risks when dealing with a Chinese company? With political uncertainty and a struggling economy in Japan, is Japanese corporate culture in a place where it can exploit opportunities abroad? After a distinguished career in British Government and the European Union, Sir Andrew has taken up senior roles at Nomura, the Tokyo-headquartered global investment banking; and Huawei, the Chinese global information and communication techonology leader.

Thursday 13 September 08.00 for 08.30 – 09.30

in the financial services industry.

5 Sir Win Bischoff

Wednesday 18 October 08.00 for 08.30 – 09.30

Corporate Partners £30 Corporate Members £40 Chairman’s Circle FREE Contact: Priya.Shah@asiahouse.co.uk Tel: +44(0)20 7307 5442

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h Wasafiri, the winners of the fourth Wasafiri New Writing Prize will be announced as part of this e Asia House

Culture Kishwar Desai and Anjali Joseph in conversation with Arifa Akbar New Indian Writing Tuesday 25 September 18.45 – 20.00

Kishwar Desai

Two award-winning authors discuss their second books, the strong Indian women at the heart of each, and the reasons they are driven to write about controversial subjects. Kishwar Desai’s first novel, Witness the Night, won the Costa Award in 2010 and is currently being made into a major motion picture. Her latest novel, Origins of Love, uncovers the multi million dollar surrogacy industry in India and the exploitation of the women and children who are caught up in it.

Saraswati Park, Anjali Joseph’s debut,

Anjali Joseph Photo by Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi

won the Betty Trask, Desmond Elliott and Vodafone Crossword Prizes. In her latest book, Another Country, Joseph captures the emotions and surroundings of Paris, London and Bombay.

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Arifa Akbar is the deputy literary editor of The Independent.


Inside the Mind of the Taliban

Poetry of the Taliban

Daljit Nagra

Monday 8 October 18.45 – 20.00

London’s Radical South Asian Writers – Retro Style Daljit Nagra / Shyama Perera / Bidisha With Susheila Nasta Wednesday 3 October 18.45 – 20.00 A story detailing a terrorist’s mindset; anti-racist poetry; fiction about women’s oppression — what do all of these have in common? The fact that they were written by South Asian writers living in London in the interwar period of the twentieth century. Join our panel as they read from some of the revolutionary work produced by these pioneers and discuss how their own writing follows in this radical – and little-known – tradition.

The Taliban are synonymous with the war in Afghanistan. While much has been written about their military tactics, media strategy and harsh treatment of women, the cultural and sometimes less overtly political representation of their identity, the Taliban’s other face, is often overlooked. Criticised by many as mere propaganda, Poetry of the Taliban offers an unfettered insight into the wider worldview of the Afghan Taliban, one that can tell us more about Afghanistan than news reports. The contrast between the severity of their ideology and the Taliban’s long-standing poetic tradition is nothing short of remarkable. Join Poetry of the Taliban editor, Alex Strick van Linschoten and others for a glimpse into the mysterious world of the Taliban.

Tickets for all events: Tickets £8

Produced in partnership with Wasafiri, the winners of the fourth Wasafiri New Writing Prize will be announced as part of this event. 7

Concession £7 Asia House Friends £5 7


Asia House

Culture

Lesley Downer - The Geisha and the Modern World Thursday 11 October 18.45 – 20.00 Lesley Downer is one of the very few westerners ever to have broken into the closed and mysterious world of the geisha. To research her latest book, Across a Bridge of Dreams, she returned to Japan to find out what has become of them and their world in the 21st century. Are the geisha becoming extinct, as people claim? If not, how and why do they survive in the modern world? How have the economic downturn, the internet and the 2011 earthquake affected the geisha?

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Lesley Downer’s books on Japan include her best-selling Geisha: The Secret History of a Vanishing World, Sadayakko: The Geisha who Seduced the West, and two best-selling novels, The Last Concubine and The Courtesan and the Samurai.

Lesley Downer

Tickets £10 Concession £8 Asia House Friends £6


November Upcoming Events Victoria Glendinnig - Raffles and the Golden Opportunity 1 November 18.45 – 20.00 Raffles, the charismatic founder of Singapore and the Governor of Java, remains a controversial figure. In the first biography for over forty years, Victoria Glendinning charts his prodigious rise within the social and historical contexts of his world. As a young man with few prospects, he went on to carve what is now a world city from a ‘wretchedly unpromising’ island with no advantages other than talent and obsessive drive. Award winning biographer, Glendinning is Vice-President of English PEN, a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and the author of five biographies.

The Firework Maker’s Daughter Exclusive Preview Performance 6 November 18.00 – 20.00 An exclusive preview of a brand new operatic adaptation of Philip Pullman’s vivid children’s fairytale, The FireworkMaker’s Daughter. With music and production inspired by Indonesia’s shadow puppet tradition, this evocative childhood adventure follows Lila as she embarks on her quest to master the secrets of fire. The evening will feature live music from the opera and an opportunity to meet the creative team, who will discuss how the production will be brought to life ahead of its premiere in March 2013.

‘Two of the toughest nuts – children’s theatre and contemporary opera – had just been well and truly cracked.’ The Guardian Family Ticket £25 Asia House Friends £15 (2 Adult + 2 Children)

Tickets £10 Concession £8 Asia House Friends £6 9

Tickets £10 Concession £8 Asia House Friends £6

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Asia House

Study Asian Art Courses In association with Birkbeck

University of London, Asia House presents three courses for the autumn and winter months to expand your skills and knowledge of Asian art. Taught at Asia House, the classes will cover practical techniques and the history and theory behind them.

Suitable for beginners

In association with

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Beauty and Magnificence: The Imperial Arts of the Ottoman Court 25 September – 4 December 2012 11.00 – 13.00 For seven centuries (1281–1924), Ottoman Sultans ruled a vast empire, which stretched from Europe and the Maghreb to Central Asia. They were great patrons of the arts and their capital, Constantinople, was a focal point for displays of royal splendour. During this course, we will study outstanding examples of Ottoman art from the fields of architecture, calligraphy, Qur’antic illumination, textiles and ceramics. All courses are £325 each BOOK ONLINE

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Chinese Brush Painting for Beginners 27 September – 6 December 2012 11.00 – 13.00 Chinese brush painting has been practised and admired for more than 2000 years. This course will help you develop basic skills, such as ink preparation, mastering the brush with ink and colour composition. We will also study many examples of Chinese painting – from the beginning to the present day – and discuss some theory.

Iznik Tiles: Floral Motifs in Dynamic Arrangements 10 January – 20 March 2013 11.00 – 13.00 The naturalistic motifs that characterise the Iznik style of ceramic decoration flourished during the Ottoman Turks era. In this practical course, we will recreate a traditional tile design, and you will have the opportunity to develop your own compositions. The painting of a chosen design onto bisqueware that will be fired is optional; an additional cost will apply.

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The Chinese Landscape

Walking Tour of Royal Botanic Gardens

Friday 7 September 10.00 – 12.00 Please join us for a fascinating walking tour of the Royal Botanic Gardens, lead by horticultural expert Ray Townsend, Kew’s Arboretum and Woody Collections Manager. Ray will share his three decades of experience while he explains how part of Kew’s historic landscape is heavily influenced by China. Some of the most spectacular trees in the gardens originate from the Middle Kingdom, and the Chinese Pagoda is one of its most iconic structures. Confucius was said to have given his teaching while sitting under a ginkgo tree which is one of the reasons the species is revered in Chinese tradition and the handkerchief tree, once considered to be the Holy Grail of exotic flora, was discovered by legendary botanist Ernest Wilson who sent the seeds back to England.

Patron and Young Leader Event 12

Asia House Patrons and Young Leaders are invited to join this exclusive tour and then enjoy a light lunch.

Ticket £25

If you would like to become a Patron or a Young Leader, please contact: Mia.Gulati@asiahouse.co.uk


30 October – 9 November Open Monday – Saturday 10.00 – 18.00 Admission FREE

Hong Ling

An Exhibition of

Contemporary Chinese Landscape A selection of the renowned Chinese master painter Hong Ling’s recent work presented at Asia House.

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As a contemporary Chinese artist, Hong’s work is in the spirit and atmosphere of traditional Chinese landscape painting – a true reflection of the Chinese humanism, combined with the exquisite Western oil painting techniques. Based in the magnificent Yellow Mountain in southern China, Hong has devoted over 30 years of his artistic career to capturing the unique Chinese landscape on canvas.

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Join Us!

Corporate Membership We offer our Corporate Members outstanding business intelligence through our exclusive events and private meetings arranged by Asia House. Contact Priya Shah Business and Policy Programme priya.shah@asiahouse.co.uk

Friends

Patrons from £500

from £250

Become a friend and support Asia House’s mission to build dynamic links with Asia. Enjoy a variety of special discounts and become part of a vibrant community celebrating the arts, culture and current affairs of Asia.

Patrons have access to an exclusive programme of events encompassing the Asian business, culture and policy sectors. With events including ambassadorial dinners, private meetings with leading experts on key Asian topics, and private viewings of leading museum and gallery collections.

For indiviuals who are dynamic, motivated and successful in their chosen field; and who wish to connect with other future leaders who will take forward the relationship between Europe and Asia. Young Leaders, in addition to receiving Patron level benefits, will profit from specially tailored networking and programmed events, with the opportunity to widen professional networks.

from £50

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Contact Mia Gulati Individual Memberships and Patrons Mia.Gulati@asiahouse.co.uk

Young Leaders

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Serving a selection of teas, coffees, hot drinks and a varied Asian menu in a delightful Georgian setting Monday to Friday

09:00 – 18:00

Asia House

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Mackwood’s Tea Room


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Hire

our

beautiful 18th century

premises

Conferences, Private Meetings, Celebrations, Weddings, Dinners and Parties Contact

Philip Woodford-Smith 18

philip.woodford-smith@asiahouse.co.uk

Tel +44(0)20 7307 5443


Our work is made possible through the generous support of companies and individuals. Asia House is particularly grateful for the support of:

Founding Stakeholders

Champion Supporters

We would like to thank our new and renewed corporate members, Patrons and Young Leaders: McKinsey & Company Diageo Balli Group Telstra Global De La Rue University College London Mr Karim Arsalan Mr Tahir Wahid Ms Nadira Murray Mr Frederick Blackford

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Asia House Asia House, the leading pan-Asian organisation in the UK, exists to build dynamic links with Asia, important now more than ever. By providing unique insights into culture, policy, business and education, Asia House promotes informed understanding and the mutual exchange of ideas, building stronger relationships between the diverse communities of Europe and Asia. Asia House is a non-profit, non-political organisation. Join us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter: @asiahouseuk

Asia House 63 New Cavendish Street London W1G 7LP +44(0)20 7307 5454 enquiries@asiahouse.co.uk www.asiahouse.org

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