Jan Zahradil
Chairman of the Advisory Board / Senior Advisor / Founder
Jan Zahradil began his political career in 1992 as a member of the Federal Assembly of Czechoslovakia. After the dissolution of Czechoslovakia, he served as an advisor to the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic. In 1998, he was elected as a member of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament. Following the Czech Republic’s accession to the European Union in 2004, he became a Member of the European Parliament (MEP), where he served until 2024 — making him the longest-serving Czech MEP. From 2010 to 2020, he was the President of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR). In the 2019 European elections, he was nominated by the ECR as their Spitzenkandidat (lead candidate) for President of the European Commission — the first-ever candidate from Eastern Europe endorsed by a European political group.
During his tenure, he was a member and later First Vice-Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade and acted as rapporteur for the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement and for the EU’s Indo-Pacific trade and investment strategy. As an expert on EU-Asia relations, he has travelled and lectured widely throughout the region — visiting countries such as China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, India, Japan, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Australia, and New Zealand.
He also co-chairs the Asia-Europe Political Forum of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP), which brings together ruling and opposition parties from dozens of Asian countries.
Chung Eui-yong
Member of the Advisory Board
Chung Eui-yong is a South Korean diplomat and politician who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea from 2021 to 2022. Earlier, from 2017 to 2020, he was the first Director of the National Security Office under President Moon Jae-in.
After graduating from Seoul National University in 1968, he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1971. He later served as Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Israel (1997–1998), Deputy Minister for Trade (1998–2001), and Ambassador to the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva (2001–2004).
In 2004, he was elected to the 17th National Assembly and subsequently served as Secretary-General of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP).
In 2017, newly inaugurated President Moon Jae-in appointed him Director of the National Security Office at ministerial level. In July 2020, he was reassigned as Special Adviser to the President for Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, and National Security. In 2021, he became South Korea’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, a post he held until 2022.
George Yeo
Member of the Advisory Board
From September 1988 to May 2011, George Yeo served for 23 years in the Government of Singapore. During this period, he held the positions of Minister for Information and the Arts, Minister for Health, Minister for Trade and Industry, and Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Mr Yeo studied Engineering at the University of Cambridge on a President’s Scholarship, graduating in 1976 with a Double First. He subsequently became a Signals Officer in the Singapore Armed Forces. After completing the Singapore Command and Staff College in 1979, he was posted to the Republic of Singapore Air Force.
From 1985 to 1986, he was appointed Chief of Staff of the Air Staff, and between 1985 and 1988 he served as Director of Joint Operations and Planning at the Ministry of Defence. He attained the rank of Brigadier-General.
From 2013 to 2014, he was a member of the Pontifical Commission for Reference on the Economic-Administrative Structure of the Holy See, and from February 2014 to July 2020 he served on the Vatican Council for the Economy.
Marina Shaikh
Member of the Advisory Board
Marina Shaikh is a philanthropist, influencer, and the founder of The Rising World Foundation (RWF), an organization dedicated to supporting vulnerable communities in India. Her work focuses in particular on empowering women and providing essential healthcare, and has contributed to a range of positive social changes. Under her leadership, RWF has delivered food assistance, essential ration kits, and medical supplies, including oxygen concentrators during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Marina began her career in Brussels as a special assistant to former Member of the European Parliament Nirj Deva, and later served as Director General for India at Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe (ACRE). Her international experience significantly shaped her philanthropic activities, which she brought back to India through the founding of RWF.
For her humanitarian work, she has received recognition from prestigious media outlets such as The Times of India and The Free Press Journal, as well as awards from the Governor of Kerala and other distinguished institutions.
Born in Indore, she is a graduate of National College Mumbai. Her work continues to inspire positive change and serves as a beacon of hope for those most in need.
Vít Vojta
Member of the Advisory Board
A sinologist, ethnologist, and lawyer with thirty years of experience in economic and legal advisory services focused on Asian markets, including China and Southeast Asia. He provides strategic consulting and intercultural management to leading corporations in Central and Eastern Europe, such as Škoda Auto, VW Group, Robert Bosch, and PPF Group. For more than two decades, he has served as an interpreter into Chinese for top state representatives during official visits and international summits.
Selected Publications:
- A series of articles and essays covering topics ranging from intercultural communication and business strategy to the history and thought of Eastern civilizations (e.g. www.asiaskop.cz, https://www.echo24.cz/author/vit-vojta).
- The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in the Context of Asian Integration and Its Influence on the European Union. VIT Consulting, Prague, 2022. Co-authored.
- Between East and West: Communication and Dining with Chinese Partners. VIT Consulting, 2018. 104 pp.
- Sun Tzu’s The Art of War: The Use of Military Strategies in Business. BizBooks, 2014–2025 (3rd edition).
- The Chinese World. Pixl-e, 2011. 200 pp.
- The Art of Taijiquan. Vodnář, Prague, 2001. 159 pp.