prepared by NEAT Korea

The Report of the NEAT Working Group on
Networking Cultural Institutions for Socio-Cultural Connectivity in East Asia
July 2019
Rationale
Recognizing the importance of building East Asian socio-cultural community, theNetwork of East Asian Think-Tanks (NEAT) has organized a number of working
groups in dealing with general issues of cultural exchange and explored various
ways to enhance cultural exchange in East Asia. In this context, the NEAT Working
Group Meeting on ‘East Asian Socio-Cultural Connectivity: Building an Institutional
Network’ was organized by NEAT Korea on July 20, 2018 with the presence of 17
representatives from ASEAN Plus Three (APT).
The WG in 2018 made recommendation as follows. First, it is highly necessary tobuild a network among the sociocultural institutes in the member countries. Uponthe recommendation of NEAT coordinators, the representing institute will share
information and update the state of the member states national and regionalsociocultural policies and challenges.
Second, to form a regional vision for more concrete socio-cultural cooperation,a regular policy forum needs to be conducted. The regional network of thesociocultural institutes conducts collaborative research on the socio-culturalcommunity and various sociocultural challenges the region is facing. The regularforum will identify the priorities on sociocultural cooperation. This initiative would
lead to the formation of an epistemic community that consists of scholars, policy
makers and other stakeholders including those who participated in the NEAT
process previously.
Third, for the medium- and long-term development plan, an inter-state researchand monitoring unit for the sociocultural community needs to put in place, the socalled Institute for Socio-Cultural Cooperation for ASEAN and East Asia. The

institute can offer policy recommendations for the ASSC and East Asiansociocultural community. It may handle selected socio-cultural cooperation
programs mainly in the field of education and research to fulfill its main task.
Importantly it would monitor the progress of the ASCC and APT plans for sociocultural cooperation.
The proposed working for this year was committed to the recommendations of
the 2018 WG by providing a room for representatives from the related cultural
institutions from the NEAT member countries to discuss the process and extent ofinstitutionalized network of cultural institutions for socio-cultural connectivity inEast Asia.
The NEAT Working Group on Networking Cultural Institutions for Socio-Cultural
Connectivity in East Asia was organized by NEAT Korea in Busan on July 4, 2019with presence of representatives from 9 member states of the ASEAN Plus Three(APT). This report strives to put forward policy proposals on Networking CulturalInstitutions while it presents major points discussed during the meeting.
On Discussion
The importance of people-centered/oriented approach in networking of sociocultural connectivity has increasing become a significant element in building a
regional community in Southeast Asia and East Asia. Close cooperation between
the government organizations and non-government organizations is a vital element
in strengthening a cultural institutional network.
The leaders of ASEAN Member States have reaffirmed the importance ofstrengthening the cooperation among ASEAN countries for shared prosperity inthe areas of mutual interest related to arts, culture, and creative industries (ASEAN
Leaders’ Statement on the ASEAN Cultural Year 2019).
There has been a number of declarations towards greater cultural cooperation
including the 2000 ASEAN Declaration on Cultural Heritage, the 2011 Declaration
on ASEAN Unity in Cultural Diversity: Towards Strengthening ASEAN Community,
the 2014 Hue Declaration on Culture for ASEAN Community’s Sustainable
Development, the 2016 Bandar Seri Begawan Declaration on Culture and the Arts

to Promote ASEAN’s Identity towards a Dynamic and Harmonious ASEAN
Community, the 2016 Vientiane Declaration on Reinforcing Cultural Heritage
Cooperation, and the 2018 Yogyakarta Declaration on Embracing the Culture ofPrevention to Enrich the ASEAN Identity that put high emphasis on the protectionand promotion of ASEAN cultural heritage and cultural diversity as well as the roleof culture for sustainable development in building the ASEAN Community.
This year was designated as the ASEAN Cultural Year by the ASEAN Ministers
Responsible for Culture and Arts (AMCA) at the 8th AMCA Meeting in Yogyakarta,Indonesia, in order to consolidate and strengthen regional cooperation in thecultural related areas and to bring the best of ASEAN to the global stage.
The current ASEAN Chairmanship also reiterates the cultural aspect of ASEAN bywith respect for diversity and a great sense of ASEAN identity to promote ASEAN
culture internationally.
Engaging with ASEAN dialogue partners in the field of cultural cooperation isparticularly important. It should be noted that it is important to promote greaterawareness and appreciation of each other’s traditions, heritage and cultures.
ASEAN Plus Three (APT) also needs to enhance the awareness and understandingof each other’s culture, customs and faiths, including through regular people-topeople and cultural exchange activities.
Socio-cultural connectivity within the APT framework can be enriched by further
networking cultural institutions. Further developing cultural awareness programsand East Asian Studies through people-to-people exchange programs and shortcourse trainings need to be developed. It can be also mentioned that thecooperation among higher education institutions in East Asian countries should beencouraged to set up East Asian Studies programmes in order to contribute tosocio-cultural exchange and collaboration. In other words, the process should
encourage developing a humanistic regional community through increasing sociocultural exchanges in the process of building an East Asian Community that places
enhanced importance on shared ideas and identity.
In the process of Asian regional context and tolerating diversity, a new role ofhigher education can have in the establishment of a regional community byinvesting the field of higher education with development of transnational networks.

Meanwhile, there are also the concrete and more technical points to be considered
In terms, however the Asian Higher Education Zone can raise more opportunitiesof students’ exchange, but also faculty, provider mobilities which can project theprocess and extent of various institutional Network for Socio-Cultural Connectivity
in East Asia. In search of mutual understanding among the APT member states,
there should be more balanced interactions to avoid “one-way traffic” problem.
The ASEAN Culture House (ACH) in Busan and ASEAN Cultural Centre(ACC) inBangkok present a possible model of realizing cultural cooperation by promoting
shared awareness. For instance, the ACH seeks to enhance mutual understanding
between ASEAN and Korea, and to cooperate with ASEAN diplomatic missions andcultural institutions to present the cultures and societies of ASEAN and AMS toKoreans and foreign residents living in Korea. The ACH introduces diverse aspectsof the culture of ASEAN and AMS through various cooperative projects with ASEAN
and domestic cultural institutions as well as their cultural experts.
The operation of the ASEAN Cultural Center in Bangkok, an interactive learning
center on ASEAN culture, to promote dialogue and cooperation with similar centres
and institutions in ASEAN Member States, and to further strengthen cooperation
with culture centres and institutions of dialogue partners has attracted support
from ASEAN member states.
ASEAN Cultural Center and ASEAN Cultural House had closely worked in
preparation of the MOU on Cultural Exchanges, which it will be a part of good
platform in the region. There is a huge potential for the expansion of networking
for civil society and people to people initiatives such as the Asian Hertiage Alliance(AHA).
Having a greater level of cultural cooperation would connote five strategicelements: 1) to ensure security, 2) to enhance competitiveness, 3) to develop humancapital, 4) to promote social equity and equality and 5) to improve culturalmanagement system.
In this context, APT countries can exchange cultural information by building a
network of the existing cultural institutions and cooperative mechanisms in orderto improve cultural values. The implementation of cultural activities needs toengage with the respective agency or responsible organizations of each country

through its national focal points/secretariats. Therefore, the institutional mechanism
and connectivity for institutional Network should be developed.
Further engaging newer members of the ASEAN countries within the socio-culturalconnectivity should not be neglected to promote knowledge sharing network
among the APT countries as to best practices from cultural institutions foreducation, youth, and sport practices. More cross-sectorial and inter-pillar
coordination on socio-cultural connectivity should be developed further.
Recommendations
In order to promote greater awareness and appreciation of each other’s traditions,heritage and cultures towards common and shared identity within ASEAN and inEast Asia, the participants of the WG have agreed as follows.
- To recommend the governments of APT to provide institutional support for theestablishment of ASEAN cultural institutions in the member countries- To initiate the network for cultural institutions in East Asia including the ASEAN
Cultural Center, the ASEAN Culture House, Singapore Heritage Society, andMyanmar Cultural Heritage Trust and other related institutions to share institutional
support and collaboration policies.
- To suggest that ASEAN Cultural Center and the ASEAN Culture House to play arole of coordinator in the process of developing the network.
- To pursue the third WG on further institutionalization of the network of socialcultural institutions to be co-organized by NEAT Thailand and NEAT Korea.