Organizer Information
The Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) is an intergovernmental not-for-profit organization based in Singapore. ASEF was formally established on 15 February 1997 in Singapore following the inaugural Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Summit held in Bangkok in March 1996, and its office remains based in Singapore to this day. ASEF is the only permanent institution of ASEM, funded through voluntary contributions from ASEM's partner governments, and it shares project financing with civil society partners across both regions. Together with roughly 750 partner organizations, ASEF has run more than 700 projects, primarily conferences, seminars, and workshops, spanning thematic areas including culture, economy, education, governance, public health, and sustainable development. ASEF LinkUp | Asia-Europe Cultural Diplomacy Lab was introduced in 2023 as one of ASEF's programmes bringing together arts, government, and public sector representatives to reflect on and reimagine Asia-Europe cultural relations.
Title & Description
ASEF LinkUp 2026 — Sustainability, Ethics and Equity in International Cultural Relations
ASEF LinkUp is an Asia-Europe Cultural Diplomacy Lab that brings together cultural practitioners, professionals, and government and public sector representatives working in international cultural cooperation, to exchange, reflect, and reimagine Asia-Europe cultural relations. The programme moves beyond a conventional, one-directional or transactional model of cultural diplomacy, responding instead to a growing call for more reciprocal, equitable, and long-term exchange and dialogue. In its 4th edition, ASEF LinkUp will gather an interdisciplinary cohort of approximately 20 arts and government sector participants drawn from the 51 ASEM partner countries. This edition is organized in partnership with the Motovila Institute and in cooperation with Slovenian partners, including the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia, the Ministry of Culture of Slovenia, and Center Rog. Through this open call, ASEF is seeking up to 10 participants from the arts and cultural sector.
Theme
Sustainability, Ethics and Equity in International Cultural Relations. The 2026 edition sits within a broader policy shift toward more responsible and equitable international cultural relations, and asks who has access to these relations, who sets their terms, how sustainability (environmental, social, and economic) can be embedded into the design of international cultural cooperation, and how small countries establish, operationalize, and sustain such cooperation locally.
Categories
- Culture
- Art Management
- Research
- Curatorial
- Multiple Disciplines
Eligibility
- Open to up to 10 participants from the arts and cultural sector: cultural practitioners, arts managers, academics, curators, researchers, and representatives from cultural networks, museums, and arts organizations
- Must hold citizenship in an ASEM partner country (a passport holder of one of the 51 ASEM partner countries); eligible even if not currently living in or based in an ASEM country
- Must be at least 21 years old at the time of application; no maximum age limit
- Must currently be working in the cultural sectors of Asia and/or Europe
- Must be comfortable communicating and writing in English
- Open to any artistic genre or discipline (visual arts, performing arts, heritage, etc.)
- Preference given to mid-career professionals with at least 5 years of experience working internationally and collaborating across borders
- The open call is only open to arts and cultural sector applicants; government sector participants are selected separately via nomination by their respective ministries, agencies, or institutions, and are not eligible to apply through this call
Program Benefits & Awards
- Return economy flight, train, or bus expenses to Ljubljana from the participant's country of residence, subject to a cap determined by ASEF
- 6 nights' accommodation in Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Per diem
- Visa fees, if applicable
- Refreshments and lunch provided during the in-person Lab
- Access to a Community of Practice / Fellowship of professionals connecting past and current ASEF LinkUp participants
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 27 August 2026
- Shortlisting / Outcome Notification: Mid-September 2026, via email
- Online Pre-Sessions: 5 sessions, every Thursday from 15 October to 12 November 2026, at 4pm SGT
- In-Person Lab: Monday, 23 November to Friday, 27 November 2026, in Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Fieldbook, Futures and Connections Phase: Up to 3 online sessions, December 2026 to February 2027
Location
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Additional Details
- Selected participants are required to commit to and participate in all three phases of the programme: the 5 online pre-sessions, the full in-person Lab in Ljubljana, and up to 3 post-event online follow-up sessions, including contributing to the ASEF LinkUp Fieldbook — partial participation (e.g. joining only the online or only the in-person component) is not permitted
- Applications are assessed on the quality and content of the applicant's purpose and objective for participating, and the relevance of the applicant's profile, interests, and experience to the programme
- Due to application volume, individual feedback is not provided to unsuccessful applicants
- The application form is hosted on Formstack; ASEF recommends completing it on a desktop browser (Firefox, Chrome, or Safari) rather than mobile, and file uploads are capped at 25MB per submission — larger files should instead be linked via website, LinkedIn, YouTube, Google Drive, or Dropbox
- For queries, applicants can contact culture@asef.org