Christina  Yan Zhang Profile Picture

Keynote SpeakerChristina Yan Zhang

UN ITU Vice Chairman of Metaverse Working Group- an energetic, humorous and extremely knowledgeable thought leader on all topics relating to frontier technologies

Dr Christina Yan Zhang is an award-winning leader with 18 years of experience turning forward-thinking ideas into successful businesses. She has extensive experience working with UN leaders, governments ministers, universities presidents, and Fortune 500 CEOs on innovation strategies. Christina is a metaverse pioneer since 2006 and completed a PhD using... Read More

Biography

Dr Christina Yan Zhang is an award-winning leader with 18 years of experience turning forward-thinking ideas into successful businesses. She has extensive experience working with UN leaders, governments ministers, universities presidents, and Fortune 500 CEOs on innovation strategies. Christina is a metaverse pioneer since 2006 and completed a PhD using digital twin in the metaverse to augment the construction industry.

Between 2013 and 2020, she was China Director for QS World University Ranking and grew the UK-headquartered firm’s success in China. In 2016, China’s Vice Premier highlighted the use of QS rankings in a speech, with the rankings impacting £750bn- 5 years funding allocations to 3005 universities with 48 million students.

Between 2012 and 2013, she worked in the UK Parliament developing policies for the Shadow Business Secretary’ team.

Christina was the first Chinese elected to the national executive of the UK National Union of Students (NUS) since 1922, and represented the interests of one million international students studying at 600 UK higher and further education institutions who contribute £60bn annually.

She has sat on 20+ advisory committees for UNESCO, World Bank, Commonwealth, EU, and UK Governments. She is the UN International Telecommunication Union(ITU)’s Vice Chair on Metaverse Working Group on Sustainability, Accessibility & Inclusion and Co-chair of Task Group on Pre-standardization for the CitiVerse with the mandate to set up the first UN roadmap using emerging technologies to develop citizen-centred future smart cities, leading to international standards.

Alongside the 73rd President of the UN General Assembly, she is one of six leaders appointed to the advisory council of Centre for Science Futures at International Science Council, the world’s largest science body with a membership of 230 national and international academies of sciences, to advise on the impact of frontier technologies.

For two years, Christina contributed to the BBC as a campus journalist. She has seven years’ experience as a TV presenter for People’s Daily, interviewing heads of states and the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies.

She regularly meets with top leaders, is a frequent keynote speaker at high level events, and is interviewed by media.

She recently chaired the opening panel for The World Intellectual Property Organization’s summit on IP and Metaverse, addressed UNESCO on the future of education, and the UN High Level Political Forum on future cities, UN Science Technology Innovation Forum on Sustainable Development Goals, ICAO on future aviation, UN Tourism on Innovation.

“Dr Yan Zhang is an energetic, humorous and extremely knowledgeable thought leader on all topics relating to frontier technologies. As a speaker at HFS events, her insights on GenAI – especially when it comes to the legal and environmental issues is particularly topical as enterprises continue to experiment and look to scale and future proof their operations”. Leader of the OneCouncil (Enterprise Advisory Board), HfS Research
“It is with great admiration and appreciation that we recognize Dr Christina Yan Zhang, CEO of The Metaverse Institute, for her invaluable contribution to the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies(DCDT). Dr Yan Zhang graciously accepted our invitation to address the DCDT as a keynote speaker at a metaverse webinar. Her presentation was extremely well received and resonated deeply with our audience, paving the way for further discussion within the department on the development of a comprehensive roadmap for the implementation of the metaverse in the South Africa context. Dr Yan Zhang’s profound understanding of the Metaverse, significantly enriched our discussion and provided clear direction in a complex and rapidly evolving field. Her contribution has laid a strong foundation for our ongoing efforts, and we look forward to continuing our collaborations with Dr Yan Zhang and The Metaverse Institute as we explore the vast potential of the Metaverse for our nation”. Director for Innovation, Department of Communications and Digital Technologies, South Africa
“Thanks to Dr Zhang once more for her professionalism, openness and interpersonal intelligence. We only hope that she will agree to further cooperate together in the future.” Head of the Foreign Relations, Tourism and Events Office, Brasov Municipality, Romania
“Dr. Christina is, without a doubt, a force of inspiration and change.” Founding Partner - Athena FundX

Popular Talks by Christina Yan Zhang

  • Shattering The Glass Ceiling: Women Leading In The Digital Future Of 2040
    Learn about the latest digital innovations and their impact on gender equality and leadership. Witness how women are using technology to create a more equitable world and empower yourself to be a part of this transformation. Join a dynamic exploration of how women are leading the charge in a people-powered...
  • The Rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Future of Work and Skills
    Artificial Intelligence, once science fiction, is now coming into our workplaces. But fear not, for this evolution presents an opportunity – a chance to redefine the human-machine partnership. By training employees to get the best out of AI tools, we can enhance their productivity. Session Key Takeaways: Worldwide, there is...
  • Welcome to the ‘CitiVerse’ - a tech-enabled, citizen-centred future city
    Dive into the CitiVerse, where cutting-edge technologies like AI, digital twins, and quantum computing converge to create an urban living environment that truly responds to citzens’ needs and aspirations. Learn how cities around the world are already harnessing technology to make everyday life smarter, greener, and more connected, and shaping...
  • AI and Frontier Technologies - A Global Industrial Revolution
    Get ready for a seismic shift in how we work, create, and connect! This session gives an overview of how AI and other cutting-edge technologies are shaping the future of industries worldwide, with a keen focus on practical examples. AI as the Mastermind: how AI algorithms are optimizing production lines,...