Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) recently brought together a committee of eight experts and leaders from different fields for consultation on the major challenges and opportunities currently across Asia and Europe. The inputs they provided will help guide the direction of the concept and focus, and will be instrumental in shaping the outcomes of the Asia-Europe Dialogue Forum (AEDF) 2025 to be held in November.
During the meeting in Singapore, ASEF Executive Director Ambassador Beata Stoczyńska and ASEF Deputy Executive Director Zhang Lei provided presentations on ASEF’s work in culture, communications, education, governance and public health; each highlighting key initiatives and achievements within respective departments. These presentations provided the context for ASEF’s existing work.
A key focus of the meeting was identifying the most significant megatrends impacting Asia and Europe over the next five-ten years, with each committee member sharing insights on these trends and the opportunities they present for enhanced Asia-Europe collaboration.
In a dedicated workshop session, committee members brainstormed ways in which ASEF could leverage the identified opportunities for collaboration in the coming years.
The committee members further explored potential themes for future ASEF projects, and discussed overarching themes for the AEDF.
The Advisory Committee is composed of: Professor Benjamin Cashore, Professor and Director, Institute for Environment and Sustainability, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP), National University of Singapore (NUS); Ambassador Dino Patti Djalal, Founder and Chairman, Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI); Mr. Chris Humphrey, Executive Director, EU-ASEAN Business Council; Ms. Karla Rodriguez Barradas, Youth – APAC Partnerships and Resource Mobilisation, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); Ms. Kathy Rowland, Co-Founder and Head of Research Programmes, ArtsEquator Ltd.; Ms. Annette Severy, Director, German Information Centre Southeast Asia; Dr. Lay Hwee Yeo, Senior Fellow at Singapore Institute of International Affairs, Adjunct Senior Fellow at S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies – Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Vice-Chair at ASEANCham-EU; Dr. Zhao Ping, President, Academy of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT).
