Commonwealth of World Chinatowns (CWC) Conference 2025 serve as gateways to global conversations on scientific, cultural, and cosmic endeavours
By Sebastian Lim
PENANG is set to host the inaugural Commonwealth of World Chinatowns (CWC) Conference from Sept 3 to 8, 2025 at the JEN Penang Georgetown by Shangri-La — an ambitious convergence of art, science, history, and culture that propels the legacy of global diasporic Chinatown communities into the future.
The guest of honour for the opening event on Sept 5, 2025, at 8.30am will be Mr Chow Kon Yeow, Chief Minister of Penang. He will also be attending the gala dinner at the Grand Ballroom of JEN Penang on Sept 6, 2025. The dinner will feature Stella Kon's Dinner with Emily show (click here). Dinner tables are open for bookings (click here).
Gathering of insight and innovation
Institutions such as the 1421 Research Education and Exploration Foundation will play pivotal roles in shaping the conference narrative. Led by President Ian Hudson, the foundation spearheads research and exhibitions exploring early Chinese exploration and diaspora networks while bridging East and West — from Zheng He to Leonardo da Vinci (click here).
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CONFERENCE
Prof Gerald Pollack – Exploring the frontiers of water science
On Wednesday, Sept 3, the Public Session features Prof Gerald Pollack (picture above) who will be delivering an illuminating talk titled “Forbidden knowledge? Water science at the frontiers of human knowledge”. He will explore topics such as fourth-phase water, mangrove desalination, and the AI hypothesis of life itself — threading science with visionary insights. (Click here)
“Zheng He–Da Vinci Juxtapose” exhibition
Highlighting the transcultural exchange of knowledge, the evening of Friday, Sept 5 sees an art launch at the Courtyard at Beach Street, Georgetown, titled Zheng He–Da Vinci Juxtapose (click here). This exhibition, curated with support from the 1421 Foundation, examines how exploration and creativity shaped both East and West. It forms part of a broader exhibition on Zheng He’s voyages and the Renaissance, inviting contemplation on cultural synthesis.
Sundaland & Southeast Asia’s megalithic civilisations
On Sept 3 (public session) and again on Sept 5 (official opening day), Prof Danny Hilman Natawidjaja from Indonesia presents on Sundaland pyramids and Southeast Asia’s megalithic civilisations. His talks unveil archaeological and geological findings with implications for understanding ancient regional complexity and civilisation development (click here).
International Space Academy & Young Cosmonaut School
The conference bridges to the cosmos with a suite of space-education programmes.
Sept 3 launches the "Voyages: Ancient Maritime Silk Road to the Cosmos" student session. Highlights include a screening of The Challenge — the first feature film shot in space — followed by talks on China’s aerospace journey, eVTOL air-taxis, and the Malaysian space economy by Tan Sri Dr Mazlan Othman.
The session culminates with presentations on the Young Cosmonaut School and Penang International Space Academy (click here).
On Sept 5, during the International Space Academy Plenary, there’s a tightly curated agenda featuring:
* Tan Sri Mazlan Othman offering an overview of the academy (click here).
* Ms Wu Xiaoxi discussing Chinese space education.
* Timofey Egorov delving into Russian Cosmism and ethics in space (click here).
* A culminating panel with Othman, Egorov, and Xiaoxi on pathways toward an International Youth Space Camp, spaceports, and asteroid mining.
Behind the scenes, the International Youth Space Academy (IYSA) is being developed through a collaboration between the Nonee Ashirin Foundation (NAF) and CWC Enterprise Pte Ltd, anchored in Penang as a flagship space-education centre for youth (click here). The IYSA brings together partners like Russia’s Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre, Shanghai Science & Technology Museum, Tech Dome Penang, and national space figures including Tan Sri Mazlan Othman.
There are many more interesting events lined up for the five-day CWC Conference. Check below for the link to the Conference programme.
The CWC Conference in Penang stands at the vibrant intersection of scientific frontiers, cultural heritage, and youth education. From Prof Pollack’s visionary exploration of water, to archaeological journeys across Sundaland, the evocative synthesis of East-West influences in the Zheng He–Da Vinci exhibition, and the launch of a pioneering space-education academy — this event promises to ignite connections across time, place, and imagination.
It’s a bold statement of how the histories rooted in Penang’s vibrant Chinatown can serve as gateways to global conversations — scientific, cultural, and cosmic alike. So watch this space for more new updates.
For more on CWC and the programme of the CWC Conference, click here and to register and get an early bird deal, click here.
