BXAI

(Hong Kong, September 19, 2025) In collaboration with the Hitotsubashi University Business School, School of International Corporate Strategy (Hitotsubashi ICS), the BXAI Summer Program 2025 (the “Summer Program”) successfully fulfilled immersive cross-cultural education, interpersonal development, and leadership training for Bai Xian Scholars over two weeks from 6^th August to 19^th August, in Tokyo, Japan.  The Summer Program fostered meaningful relationships and equipped Bai Xian Scholars with insights for both personal and professional growth.

Under the banner of the “Aging in Society” theme, this year’s program explored Japan’s demographic shifts and related broader implications across East and Southeast Asia in its academic sessions.  “The quality is superb and very informative,” according to one scholar, while another appreciated the help he got for him to “plan strategically” for his future, as aging became relevant to almost all fields of study.

Beyond academic sessions, through a series of panel discussions, workshops, excursions, and community activities, participants had many precious opportunities to hear and interact with leaders and experts from various fields around the globe.  The Summer Program enabled students to be more self-aware as they develop their soft skills while building meaningful connections and lifelong friendships with peers from diverse cultures and backgrounds, as well as learning the history, culture, and beauty of Japan.

Throughout the Summer Program, Bai Xian Scholars were encouraged to delve deeper into current issues and global challenges, from both individual and collective perspectives.

A Warm Welcome

The program kicked off on August 6 with a busy first day, which included an orientation, a welcome lunch, team building activities, and a campus tour.  Prof. Emi Osono (Dean of Hitotsubashi ICS) and Prof. Katsuichi Uchida (President of BXAI) welcomed the 2024 cohort of Bai Xian Scholars in person with opening remarks that introduced this year’s theme, whilst Ms. Ronna Chao (CEO of BXAI) encouraged students to stay open-minded and curious throughout the two weeks’ journey.

Then, after lunch, scholars took part in a fast-paced, hands-on game that helped break ice, facilitated the formation of new friendships and enabled collaboration in a fun and relaxed setting.  Many enjoyed the team building exercise and found the structured environment conducive to interaction.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

Scholars embarked on a three-day, two-night trip to Nikko, a city in the mountains north of Tokyo, where they explored important cultural landmarks, including the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Rinnoji Temple and the controversial Ashio Copper Mine, engaged in hands-on activities such as a woodcarving workshop, and visited popular attractions like Edo Wonderland.

Following the excursion, scholars participated in a city tour activity titled, “BX Tokyo-lights,” which required them to produce short videos on different facets of Tokyo’s history and culture.  Together with their groupmates, scholars were tasked with the making of a short travel transition video based on an assigned theme, for the chance to win a special prize.

Another separate outing that took place during the second week was a visit to the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, where scholars spent their Friday morning walking through the museum’s 30th anniversary exhibit: “Nine Profiles: 1935→2025.”  The refreshing break from their academic sessions and workshops offered scholars a glimpse into the darkest days in history as well as the evolution of modern and contemporary arts in Japan.

Expanding Horizons

On August 11, 2025, scholars moved into the classrooms of Hitotsubashi ICS for the academic portion of the Summer Program.  Two inspirational academic sessions, conducted by ICS professors and a guest speaker, invited young scholars to consider the realities, challenges, and opportunities around this year’s theme, “Aging in Society,” and led them to think critically about long-term societal shifts and potential solutions.  The panel discussions on “The Present and Future State of East Asia” saw experts speaking about a wide range of issues facing East Asia and scholars envisaging the roles they might play as aspiring future leaders.

“I really appreciate how the Summer Program encouraged us to step outside our own fields,” said one scholar.  “Coming from an international relations background, I found it fascinating to learn about the issue of population aging from experts in the field, and to see it through a business lens.”

Personal Growth and Development

As always, the Summer Program provided scholars with ample opportunities to focus on their own personal growth and hone important 21st-century skills.  Interactive and engaging, a series of workshops covering self-awareness, leadership, public speaking, and self-branding equipped students with a host of vital skills that will undoubtedly serve them well in their academic life and future careers.

“The public speaking and self-branding workshops stood out for me: super practical, hands-on, and immediately useful for framing ideas and telling stories with impact,” one scholar reflected.  “I came away more self-aware, more confident working across cultures, and more intentional about building bridges in my work and relationships.”

Community Building and Collaboration

Building meaningful connections and fostering collaboration have always been, and continue to be, key aspects of the BXAI Summer Program.  Towards the end of the program, an alumni evening was held, where participants and returning scholars from previous cohorts enjoyed an opportunity to engage with each other through trivia games, shared stories, and a delicious meal together.  In addition, three days were dedicated to final presentations, the culmination of two weeks of cross-cultural learnings and experiences, with scholars working in teams to showcase their innovative ideas, critical thinking, and teamwork through presentations addressing the themes of “Aging in Society” and “Climate Change Impact.”  “Collaborating with a diverse group of individuals was transformative,” said one scholar.  “This cross-cultural interaction underscored the vastness of our world and broadened my perspective in ways that traditional academic study alone could not.”

Another highlight was the “Coffee & Chat” session, where members of BXAI’s leadership reflected on life transitions, career decisions, and personal challenges.  Scholars resonated with the panelists’ stories and enjoyed the opportunity to share their own thoughts and takeaways at the mingling session afterward.

Ending on a High Note

The final day of the Summer Program featured BXAI’s signature events, including the Conducting Leadership Workshop, a closing ceremony, and a gala dinner.  Returning speaker, Mr. Jason Lai, led the leadership workshop, using the art of conducting an orchestra as a powerful metaphor for facilitating teamwork in practice.  Experiencing the collaborative dynamics of a live orchestra, scholars considered the identity of a leader and gained insights into how leaders can harmonize diverse talents and harness collective strengths.  The 2025 closing ceremony took place in the afternoon, which featured remarks from Hitotsubashi ICS’s Prof. Emi Osono and BXAI’s Ms. Laura Cozijnsen, a core member of our Communication and Development Committee.  The keynote speech was delivered by Mr. Chang Sun, founder of Blacksoil Group and Senior Advisor at TPG Global.  Mr. Sun shared with us his personal journey about seizing opportunities and making the “right” choices that might have significant impact on one’s life and career. 

“There are no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ choices, but only choices that are suitable for you or not,” said Mr. Sun.  “When facing difficult choices, take the long view and trust your instincts.” 

This was followed by an award ceremony for the Best Presentation Award, the Audience Choice Award, and Summer Program certificates, as well as a graduation speech given by Ms. Danying Zhang on behalf of Bai Xian Scholars from the 2024 cohort. 

Reflecting on her own study abroad journey, she said, “For someone who once measured success only by individual achievement, I now know that the most valuable outcome of any journey is the people who walk alongside you—and the possibilities you create together.” 

Ms. Ronna Chao, CEO of BXAI, then gave her closing remarks, encouraging scholars to stay curious, be intentional, and lead with empathy.  “You are now part of a family – a network of changemakers committed to repairing this world, one connection at a time,” she said. “The world needs your voice.  Go build bridges across cultures and make your mark, together.  Try.  If you don’t try, you will never know.”

The Summer Program ended with the handover ceremony, where Prof. Emi Osono passed the BXAI calligraphy book to Prof. Anthony T. C. Chan, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, to symbolize the passing of the baton to the host of next year’s Summer Program.

In the BXAI tradition, the gala dinner held at the Josuikaikan Hall in Tokyo served as a memorable celebration of the successful completion of the 10th BXAI Summer Program.  The evening featured three captivating student performances: a heartfelt duet between two young women; an energetic medley showcasing Japanese dance, K-pop, and Malaysian dance; and an uplifting musical number performed by five scholars and one BXAI staff.  Adding to the excitement were award presentations for the Social Media Campaign Award and the “Tokyo-lights” award, the latter of which went to three winning teams for their hard work and creativity in storytelling and editing.  The gala dinner served as a meaningful close to two transformative weeks, as the evening was filled with laughter, conversations and countless selfie opportunities, pouring out different shades of multiple colors onto a beautiful canvas that embodies BXAI’s ever-growing community and mission to foster lifelong friendships, interdisciplinary learnings, and cross-cultural connections.

About the Summer Program

The BXAI Summer Program is an important component of the Asian Future Leaders Scholarship Program (AFLSP).  Designed to extend learning beyond the classroom, the summer program aims to provide scholars with a unique opportunity to explore important topics, build community, and develop 21st-century skills in an immersive and engaging setting.  Through exchanges with influential global leaders, panel presentations, debates, and skill-building workshops, scholars are encouraged to broaden their perspectives, develop a greater understanding of important issues that relate to Asia, and explore the various leadership roles in the changing global landscape.  In addition, field trips, workshops, and special tours allow scholars to experience the local culture and customs of the host country, whereas experiential activities provide opportunities for scholars to form friendships and memories that will last a lifetime.

More about BXAI, check out www.bxai.org

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