As the year draws to a close, ASEF Culture department is pleased to share our key achievements in 2025.

The 3rd edition of LinkUp | Asia-Europe Cultural Diplomacy Lab in Yogyakarta (Indonesia) marked an important milestone in our efforts to strengthen Asia-Europe cultural relations. By convening 16 experts from government and the independent arts sector, LinkUp has become a key platform shaping new thinking in cultural diplomacy across both regions. Its outcomes — including a report and a high-level roundtable co-organised with Casa Asia as an official UNESCO MONDIACULT 2025 side-event — have contributed to advancing policy discussions at the international level.

Through ASEF’s culture360 platform, we continued to enhance knowledge sharing by producing targeted publications and podcasts, ensuring that artists and cultural professionals in Asia and Europe have access to timely, curated information.

This year also saw the most extensive edition of the Asia-Europe Cultural Festival (AECFest) to date, with 11 events delivered across Poland, China, Singapore and Lao PDR. Featuring 52 artists from 13 countries, supported by 3 programming partners and 7 government bodies, the Festival reached over 3,000 attendees and strengthened cross-cultural exchange through exhibitions, performances, film screenings and dialogues. The AECFest Residency Programme further advanced artistic collaboration by supporting the development of 3 new works.

These achievements reflect ASEF’s commitment to fostering meaningful and inclusive cultural cooperation between Asia and Europe. ASEF Culture is grateful for the continued support of our institutional partners and look forward to delivering further impactful initiatives in 2026.

Download the full report on ASEF Culture’s activities and achievements this year.