B R I D G E H O U S E P E R S P E C T I V E S
Bridgehouse at SINGD: Building Trust Across Generations and Borders
A reflection from the first Sino-Indonesian Next Generation Dialogue Leadership Retreat—and what it tells us about the education this era demands.
From 10–12 July 2026, around 40 next-generation leaders from China and Indonesia gathered at the Tsinghua Southeast Asia Center in Bali for the first SINGD Leadership Retreat.
Bridgehouse brought two complementary perspectives to the gathering. CEO Amanda Chung shared Bridgehouse’s perspective on what education should prepare the next generation for.
Bridgehouse Co-founder Kenny Lam was one of two speakers on the business panel, bringing the perspective of a senior investor to the conversation.
Organised by the Sino-Indonesian Next Generation Dialogue in partnership with the United in Diversity Foundation, the retreat formed part of SINGD’s work as a Track II platform—a space
outside formal government negotiations where next-generation leaders can exchange views candidly, build mutual understanding and strengthen the foundations of long-term China–Indonesia cooperation.
The programme explored four interconnected areas: geopolitics; business, investment and trade; climate and sustainability; and culture and people-to-people exchange.
Across these themes ran a shared challenge: how to turn dialogue into deeper and more durable cooperation between China and Indonesia. Trade, investment and policy create the formal architecture of that relationship. Trust, mutual understanding and relationships give it resilience.
That idea sits close to how Bridgehouse thinks about education and leadership.
Trust, dialogue and learning
During the business panel, Kenny also spoke about the importance of trust in building lasting relationships. It was a point that resonated with the wider purpose of the retreat: meaningful cooperation depends not only on aligned interests, but also on the relationships between the people involved.
Kenny Lam, Co-founder of Bridgehouse, speaking on the business panel.
The retreat’s format supported this. Expert panels were followed by participant-led breakout sessions, reflection and action planning, giving participants the opportunity to examine different perspectives together and consider what they might mean in practice.
For Bridgehouse, the experience reinforced that education is both intellectual and relational. Learning happens not only through what a speaker says, but through the conversations, questions and relationships that follow.
In her sharing on next-generation education, Amanda reflected on what this means in a world where information and technical knowledge are already abundant. Education must go further—helping people develop judgment, perspective and the ability to navigate complexity with others.
“Education today should do more than provide knowledge. It should help people develop the judgment, perspective and relationships needed to navigate an increasingly complex world.”
— Amanda Chung, CEO, Bridgehouse
Amanda Chung, CEO of Bridgehouse, sharing Bridgehouse’s perspective on next-generation education.
The quality of the room matters
What people learn matters, but so does whom they learn alongside. A thoughtfully curated room can bring together people who would not ordinarily meet, create the conditions for honest conversation and form relationships that continue beyond the programme.
These relationships deepen the learning. They give participants greater context, stronger mutual understanding and a wider perspective when making important decisions.
The first SINGD Leadership Retreat reinforced why these human connections matter. Institutions establish frameworks, but people give those relationships depth and continuity.
Participants at the first SINGD Leadership Retreat at the Tsinghua Southeast Asia Center in Bali.
As Bridgehouse continues to design programmes for executives, successors and young scholars, our purpose remains clear: to create educational experiences that build better judgment, stronger relationships and wider perspective across generations and borders.
Bridgehouse designs curated educational experiences for executives, next-generation leaders and young scholars.
Photos courtesy of SINGD.
The retreat discussions were conducted under the Chatham House Rule. This article reflects Bridgehouse’s own perspectives and does not attribute comments to other participants.