Singapore, 20 November 2025 — The academic conference “Technology for Good: Driving Social Impact” on 19 November 2025 brought together 100 academics, industry leaders and policymakers to explore how technology can advance inclusion, equity, and social progress across Asia and beyond. The conference was co-organised by Tencent and the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School’s Centre for Governance and Sustainability (CGS), and supported by the China Association for NGO Cooperation (CANGO).
Held at NUS Business School, the conference marked a key milestone in the partnership among the three parties. Following the first Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in 2024, the partners launched a global research call in April 2025 to encourage studies on AI inclusion, ethics, and corporate responsibility.
The initiative attracted 134 research proposals from Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania, reflecting strong global interest in the “Technology for Good” agenda. From these, 60 shortlisted proposals were developed into full research papers, commentaries, or videos, and were showcased at the Singapore conference to compete for nine awards and cash prizes.
Through this initiative, participants also conducted field visits and exchanged knowledge with leading technology companies.
Among the awards, the Best Paper Award went to Yukun Zhang and Tianyang Zhang from The Chinese University of Hong Kong and University of Macau. The research presents a comprehensive economic model addressing information pollution resulting from the rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence (AI).
The Best Commentary Award was clinched by Zhaoxuan Yuan, Siyi Liu, Mika-Erik Moeser and Marielle Düh from the Hertie School, University College London, and Berlin Social Science Centre. The commentary compares the fundamentally different approaches to regulating AI in China and the European Union, examining how these regulations shape the concept of a “good AI society”.
Please refer to the Annex for the full list of winners.
Expanding collaboration for social good
Building on the success of this inaugural collaboration, NUS Business School and Tencent signed a new MOU at the conference to extend their partnership into 2026. The collaboration will also entail a research call for participation and an ensuing conference related to Technology for Good. More details will be announced in 2026.
Professor Lawrence Loh, Director of the Centre for Governance and Sustainability at NUS Business School, said, “Technology has immense potential to be a catalyst for good when guided by ethical leadership and inclusive intent. Our renewed partnership with Tencent reflects our shared commitment to advancing research and collaboration on technology’s role in shaping a better society.”
Xiao Liming, Vice President of Tencent Sustainable Social Value, noted that Tencent continues to champion technology for social good, bringing it to life through meaningful applications in daily life. By supporting and participating in the global open research programme, and as high-quality research outcomes continue to emerge, Tencent is able to learn from and engage with outstanding international best practices, further improving its internet products and user services, and continuously creating social value.
“As technology reshapes the landscape of social governance, civil society must not only stay connected but co-create solutions that ensure inclusive and sustainable development,” said Xu Xiaoxiao, Deputy Secretary-General, China Association for NGO Cooperation (CANGO). “CANGO is committed to building cross-sector partnerships that harness ‘Tech for Good’ to empower communities, amplify marginalised voices, and turn digital innovation into collective impact.”
For media enquiries, please contact:
Natalie LAW Assistant Manager, Corporate Communications NUS Business School National University of Singapore Tel: +65 6601-1206 Email: natalielaw@nus.edu.sg
Jolene Tang Senior Manager, Corporate Communications Tencent Email: jolenetang@tencent.com
About National University of Singapore (NUS)
The National University of Singapore (NUS) is Singapore’s flagship university, which offers a global approach to education, research and entrepreneurship, with a focus on Asian perspectives and expertise. We have 15 colleges, faculties and schools across three campuses in Singapore, with more than 40,000 students from 100 countries enriching our vibrant and diverse campus community. We have also established more than 20 NUS Overseas Colleges entrepreneurial hubs around the world.
Our multidisciplinary and real-world approach to education, research and entrepreneurship enables us to work closely with industry, governments and academia to address crucial and complex issues relevant to Asia and the world. Researchers in our faculties, research centres of excellence, corporate labs and more than 30 university-level research institutes focus on themes that include energy; environmental and urban sustainability; treatment and prevention of diseases; active ageing; advanced materials; risk management and resilience of financial systems; Asian studies; and Smart Nation capabilities such as artificial intelligence, data science, operations research and cybersecurity.
For more information on NUS, please visit nus.edu.sg.
About NUS Business School
The National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School is known for providing management thought leadership from an Asian perspective, enabling its students and corporate partners to leverage global knowledge and Asian insights.
The school has consistently ranked first in Asia by independent publications and agencies, such as The Financial Times, and Quacquarelli Symonds, in recognition of the quality of its programmes, faculty research and graduates.
The school is accredited by AACSB International (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) and EQUIS (European Quality Improvement System), endorsements that the school has met the highest standards for business education.
Established in 2010, the Centre for Governance and Sustainability (CGS) is part of the NUS Business School. Its mission is to spearhead high-impact research on corporate governance and sustainability in Singapore and the Asia-Pacific and serves as the national assessor for the corporate sustainability and governance performance of listed companies in Singapore.
In tandem with growing demands from consumers and investors that financial returns are achieved with integrity, backed with environmental and social considerations, CGS has a slew of research focusing on sustainability reporting in Asia Pacific, sustainable banking, nature reporting, and climate reporting in ASEAN.
More information about CGS can be accessed at https://bschool.nus.edu.sg/cgs/.
About Tencent
Tencent is a world-leading internet and technology company that develops innovative products and services to improve the quality of life of people around the world.
Founded in 1998 with its headquarters in Shenzhen, China, Tencent’s guiding principle is to use technology for good. Our communication and social services connect more than one billion people around the world, helping them to keep in touch with friends and family, access transportation, pay for daily necessities, and even be entertained.
Tencent also publishes some of the world’s most popular video games and other high-quality digital content, enriching interactive entertainment experiences for people around the globe.
Tencent also offers a range of services such as cloud computing, advertising, FinTech, and other enterprise services to support our clients’ digital transformation and business growth.
Annex: List of Winners
Research Paper Category
Best Research Paper Award Name/Affiliation: Yukun Zhang¹, Tianyang Zhang² ¹ The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China ² University of Macau, Macau, China Title: The Economics of Information Pollution in the Age of AI: General Equilibrium, Welfare, and Policy Design
Excellence Award Name/Affiliation: Zhou Chuanbei¹, Huang Yi², Zainal Nur Hani3 ¹ Information Technology, National University of Singapore, Singapore ² Centre for Research and Development, Pan-European University, Slovakia 3 National University of Singapore, Singapore Title: Enhancing AI Chatbots with Psychological Safety: A Middleware Framework for Mental Health-Sensitive and Risk-Aware Conversations
Merit Award Name/Affiliation: Gong Hongcun¹,3, Zhang Yiqin²,3, Zheng Yuntian4, Deng Sanhong²,3 ¹ School of Economics and Management, Shanxi University, China ² School of Information Management, Nanjing University, China 3 International Joint Informatics Laboratory, Nanjing University, China 4 Faculty of Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore Title: Beyond Addiction: Reconceptualizing and Measuring Mobile Digital Overuse among Generation Z
Honourable Mention Name/Affiliation: Fuxin Lin¹, Qianyue Qiao², Dongqi Wang¹, Zhi Chen¹, Xiaolan Fu², Xiaobo Wu¹ ¹ School of Management, Zhejiang University, China ² Department of International Development, University of Oxford, UK Title: Inclusive AI-Driven Collaborative Innovation with Consumer and New Product Success: Evidence from WeGame
Honourable Mention Name/Affiliation: Wenjuan Zheng¹, Delin Zhang¹ ¹ Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China Title: Technology for Good? How Digital Platforms Reshape Collaboration in China’s Civic Sector
Commentary Category
Best Commentary Award Name/Affiliation: Zhaoxuan Yuan¹, Siyi Liu², Mika-Erik Moeser¹, Marielle Düh3 ¹ Hertie School, Germany ² University College London, UK 3 Berlin Social Science Centre, Germany Title: Differing “Good AI Society” Visions: Comparing Regulation, Ethics, and Corporate Practice in China and the European Union
Excellence Award Name/Affiliation: Wesley W. Koo¹, Xina Li², Wei Yang3 ¹ Johns Hopkins University, USA ² Singapore Management University, Singapore 3 China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), China Title: The AI Prism Effect: Does AI Agent’s Perceived Role Affect How We Evaluate Each Other?
Poster Category
Excellence Award Name/Affiliation: Aaron Pengyu Zhu¹, Shenglan Cui², Janghee Cho¹ ¹ Division of Industrial Design, National University of Singapore, Singapore ² School of Design, Hunan University, China Title: Struggling in the Middle: Understanding Adolescents Self-Regulation Amid Family, School, and Peers in Singapore
Excellence Award Name/Affiliation: Zhenyu Qiu¹, Chenfang Zhao² ¹ School of Management, Sichuan Agricultural University, China ² School of Business Administration, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, China Title: Socio-Technical Mangle: Research on the Mechanisms of Social Innovation Driven by Digital Collaboration