Conversation Catalysts for Change: Fueling Cross-disciplinary Collaborations in Art

Dr. Evelin Hust was born in Mainz, Germany. She took up her studies at the University of Freiburg, Germany in the subjects of Classical Indology, Political Science and Economics, and spent a year as an exchange student at the University of Sussex, UK, where she focused on development economics and policies. From there she joined the South Asia Institute, University of Heidelberg, Germany, where she pursued interdisciplinary studies focusing on India and did her PhD in Political Science of South Asia with a thesis on Women’s Empowerment in India through women’s quotas in rural politics. In 2001 she became the director of the South Asia Institute Branch Office in New Delhi (India), where she supported the research endeavours of members of the Institute and pursued her research, mainly on issues of political representation and urban development. In 2004 she joined the Goethe-Institut, the cultural institute of the Federal Republic of Germany with a global presence, facilitating international cultural exchange, promoting access to the German language, and supporting the unimpeded development of culture and science. Besides working at their Headquarters in Munich, she served as director of the institutes in Bangalore (India), Bucharest (Romania), and Budapest (Hungary) before joining the Department of Culture and Education of the German Consulate in Shanghai in June 2023.

Lucy Lu has been the Head of Pro Helvetia Shanghai since August 2018. She has extensive management experience in international cultural exchanges. Lucy holds degrees in Archaeology and Interdisciplinary Information Studies.

Cat Sinclair-Jones is the Director of the British Council in East China and Consul (Culture and Education), with responsibility for leading the UK’s cultural relations and educational exchange work in the three Eastern provinces of Anhui, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, as well as Shanghai Municipality. She holds the diplomatic rank of Consul where she manages the UK’s education and cultural relationship on behalf of the British Consulate General Shanghai.
She was appointed to the role in December 2022, following three years in Sub-Saharan Africa as Director Tanzania and previous posts in Pakistan and Turkey. Cat has a passion for equality, diversity and inclusion and is an experienced mentor. She holds a master’s in Medieval History and prior to joining the British Council in 2015 she worked in Public Affairs across the Education and Justice sectors in the UK.

Cissy Yiwen Sun, Head of Academia and Arts, Swissnex in China. I became part of the Swissnex team in 2009, where my primary role involves curating and coordinating Acedamic and Art-Science Projects, as well as organizing engaging public events. Through the curation of exhibitions, performances, forums, lectures, and workshops, I have actively showcased Switzerland’s diverse projects spanning the realms of art, science, and design. This endeavor aims to facilitate collaborative ventures across borders, fostering partnerships between professionals and academic institutions in the fields of art and science between Switzerland and China. As of 2023, I have assumed the role of LASER Chair in Shanghai and hosted series of LASER Talks in collaboration with the Leonardo International Society for the Arts, Sciences, and Technology, furthering my commitment to cross-disciplinary dialogue. In addition, I occasionally serve as an arts consultant for artists participating in residence programs. My deep involvement with the art and design community has allowed me to champion exciting and innovative ideas. Before joining Swissnex, I worked with Pro Helvetia, the Swiss Arts Council, and contributed to the Shanghai eArts Festival.
I hold a Master’s Degree in Arts Management and Cultural Entrepreneurship from the Education University of Hong Kong, complemented by a Bachelor’s degree in Arts Management from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.