Stockpile Project | Strengthening Infectious Disease Preparedness in Bulgaria
Highlights from the Asia-Europe Youth Summit on Science and Technology Diplomacy | Copenhagen, Denmark
Looking Back on the 23rd Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights (ASEMHR23)
Highlights from the 6th ASEF Young Leaders Summit | Online in-person and Osaka, Japan
The 8th Asia-Europe Cultural Festival (AECFest) goes to the Netherlands
Call for Applications | Rights-Respecting AI Governance Training
Call for Content | Redefining ‘Well-being’ through Culture
ASEF culture360 | Philippines Green Guide Launch and Roundtable
ASEM InfoBoard (AIB) Topic of the Month | Philippines' 2026 ASEAN Chairmanship
The 7th ASEM Seminar on Urban Water Management
Reading time: 5 minutes
ASEF Projects
1. Stockpile Project | Strengthening Infectious Disease Preparedness in Bulgaria
On 14 January 2026, as part of ASEF’s Stockpile Project, supported by the Government of Japan and implemented by WHO/ Europe, the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) laboratory in Regional Health Inspectorate Varna was officially opened. On that occasion, ASEF Deputy Executive Director Mr ZHANG Lei expressed his confidence that the facility would strengthen regional PCR testing capacity and enhance early detection, surveillance and prevention in Varna, and that the collaboration would achieve the shared goal of building a resilient health system capable of responding to potential public health challenges in Bulgaria.
2. Highlight video of the Asia-Europe Youth Summit on Science and Technology Diplomacy
The highlight video of the Asia-Europe Youth Summit on Science and Technology Diplomacy is now available. Held from 14 to 18 December 2025 in Copenhagen, Denmark, the Youth Summit brought together 40 participants from 29 countries to engage in dialogue, develop and deliver their Asia-Europe Youth Communique at the 2nd European Science Diplomacy Conference. Watch the video to discover what participants experienced during this dynamic week of the first Youth Summit organised by ASEF on the topic.
3. Looking Back on the 23rd Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights
The 23rd Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights (ASEMHR23), held from 29 to 31 October 2025 in Copenhagen, Denmark, focused on 'Human Rights and Artificial Intelligence'. The seminar brought together representatives from government, civil society, academia, and National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) from across Asia and Europe to exchange perspectives on human rights challenges in the context of AI and explore opportunities for enhanced interregional cooperation.
4. Highlight video of the 6th ASEF Young Leaders Summit
Catch up on the key moments from the 6th ASEF Young Leaders Summit (ASEFYLS6) through the highlight video. Held online and in-person in Osaka, Japan from 29 July to 5 October 2025, the programme brought together 89 participants from Asia and Europe to explore the topic of ‘Leadership in Society 5.0’. The programme concluded with the Youth Summit in Osaka, Japan, organised alongside the World Expo 2025.
5. Asia-Europe Cultural Festival 2026 | New Partnership in the Netherlands
ASEF is partnering with SPRING Performing Arts Festival for the 8th Asia-Europe Cultural Festival (AECFest), to be held in Utrecht, the Netherlands, from 14 to 23 May 2026. Presented as a festival-in-a-festival within SPRING, AECFest offers a platform for artistic exchanges between Asia and Europe. The full programme will be announced in March 2026.
6. Call for Applications | Rights-Respecting AI Governance Training
ASEF, together with the co-organisers of the ASEM Human Rights Seminar series, invites applications for a three-day, in-person training, 'Future-Proofing AI: Building Human-in-the-Loop Governance Skills for Rights-Respecting AI', to be held from 30 March to 1 April 2026 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Aimed at early-career professionals from Asia and Europe, the training builds on the outcomes of the 23rd Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights and focuses on integrating human rights into AI governance through expert-led discussions on regional approaches, risk assessment and rights-respecting AI frameworks. Applications are open until 8 February 2026.
7. Call for Content | Redefining ‘Well-being’ through Culture
ASEF culture360 invites writers to contribute articles, podcasts and video interviews, exploring the transformative potential of culture in relation to health, social, mental and physical well-being. Applications are open until 26 February 2026.
8. ASEF culture360 | Philippines Green Guide Launch and Roundtable
ASEF culture360 and the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) are co-organising ‘Creative Pathways to Sustainability: Launch and Roundtable on the Green Guide for the Philippines’ in Manila on 9 February 2026. Participants are invited to join online or in-person as local arts and academic communities share key trends from the newly published Green Guide and explore pathways and possibilities for a more sustainable future.
9. ASEM InfoBoard (AIB) Topic of the Month | Philippines' 2026 ASEAN Chairmanship
The Philippines assumes the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2026, with three priority prongs - Peace and Security Anchors, Prosperity Corridors, and People Empowerment. The Chair will focus attention on maritime security and the South China Sea. It is also pushing for practical breakthroughs on the digital economy, including the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement and advocating inclusive people development. The agenda creates fresh space for EU–ASEAN cooperation.
10. The 7th ASEM Seminar on Urban Water Management
Across Asia and Europe, cities are under growing pressure to manage water sustainably amid rapid urbanisation, climate change and rising demand. Responding to these challenges, the 7th ASEM Seminar on Urban Water Management will take place from 27 to 28 May 2026 in Helsinki, Finland, with the theme 'A Community of Life for Water and Urbanisation: Science and Technology Empowering the Sustainability of Blue-Green Economy'.
%20(6)%201.png?upscale=true&width=1120&upscale=true&name=Submission%20(1920%20%C3%97%201080%20px)%20(6)%201.png)
