About ASEF
The Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) seeks to promote better mutual understanding between the peoples of Asia and Europe through greater intellectual, cultural, and people-topeople exchanges. Established in February 1997 by the members of the AsiaEurope Meeting (ASEM), ASEF is based in Singapore and reports to a board of 39 governors representing the 38 ASEM countries* and the European Commission. ASEF always seeks to work in partnership with other institutions and private sector entities to ensure its work is broad-based and spread as widely as possible throughout ASEM member countries. ASEF carries out its mandate by initiating projects and fostering networks in the intellectual, cultural and people-to-people fields, as well as engaging journalists in a variety of Public Affairs programmes. ASEF’s flagship programmes include the ASEF Talks on the Hill, Informal Human Rights Seminars, Asia-Europe Youth Cooperation Network, Asia-Europe young Artists’ Exchange, ASEMUS (museums), and Asia-Europe Editor’s Roundtables. The Foundation is funded by contributions from the member governments and the European Commission, but the cost of many of its projects are shared by other institutions as well as private corporations of ASEM countries. * ASEM member countries are: Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Myanmar, Netherlands, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, United Kingdom and Vietnam.
14-21 May 2006