Topic: “Effective International Risk Communications –Adapting to Differences in Eastern and Western Risk Perceptions“
Speaker: Helen Jingping Yu, Executive Director, Asian Food Information Center

Abstract
There is substantial evidence that cross-cultural values impact risk-related attitudes and behaviour. Measuring relative influence of these values on response to risk messages is an extremely challenging objective, but also offers great potential benefits with more culturally appropriate, and therefore more effective messaging as the ultimate goal.

Western and Asian ethnic groups are not homogeneous, as the work of Hofstede and others very clearly demonstrate. AFIC research has provided some valuable insights into the response to risk information of 3 quite different and distinct cultural groups: the Chinese where culture is heavily influenced by the collectivist values of both Confucius and Communism, and perhaps also by the heavy impact that economic development especially heavy industry and unsustainable farming practices are having on the natural environment and quality of life of the population; the Malaysians whose culture is strongly influenced by Islam and to a lesser degree Hinduism and Chinese cultures and which has experienced significant recent economic development driven by private investment in light industry and services sectors; Australians representing a developed, westernised culture.

This paper will explore in more detail, how the generic principles of risk communication and cross-culture values can be applied to health promotion campaigns.

Biography
Helen J. Yu, Executive Director of Asian Food Information Center (AFIC), based in Bangkok and Singapore. AFIC provides sound science-based information on nutrition, health and food safety for the Asian region.
Helen Yu has strong background in mass media and public relations. Helen Yu has been working for ten years for China Beijing Television Station. She worked as a news reporter for "Beijing News", as Chief Editor for 30-minute live newscasts on "Business News Report of the Capital City", and as Director for the TV Documentary series "Business Preeminent—Fortune 500 companies". This documentary series successfully communicated the history, products and services, management and strategies of numerous Fortune 500 companies to a wide Chinese audience. Ms. Yu won several National journalistic awards, including the prestigious China-News-Prize in 1998. This is the premium journalistic achievement in China.

Helen Yu graduated with honors from the MBA program of Fox School of Business and Management of Temple University, Philadelphia, the United States, in 2004. She graduated with a Bachelor of Art Degree from the Journalism School of Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China in 1995.<back>