Indonesia Hosts ASEAN Youth Cultural Scholarship to Boost Regional Ties

Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is running the 2026 Indonesian Arts and Culture Scholarship (BSBI/IACS), its 22nd edition, to bring together 12 young participants from across ASEAN. The programme, themed “Celebrating Cultural Strength, Inspiring Global Youth,” aims to deepen people‑to‑people connections through arts, language lessons, heritage visits and community service.

Participants hail from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Timor‑Leste and Vietnam. The 45‑day curriculum is delivered by Jakarta State University and combines workshops, Indonesian language instruction and immersive cultural activities. Since its launch in 2003, BSBI has hosted 1,081 alumni from 85 countries, positioning the scholarship as a key public‑diplomacy platform for Indonesia within the ASEAN community.

Director General for Information and Public Diplomacy Heru Hartanto Subolo and programme chair Ani Nigeriawati highlighted the role of culture in fostering mutual understanding and regional cooperation.