The ASEAN Secretariat invites creative talents from all ten ASEAN Member States to join an exciting competition to design the official character for the ASEAN Pavilion at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. This competition offers a unique opportunity for skilled individuals to visualise the spirit and identity of the ASEAN Community on a global stage.

The creator of the winning entry will receive an exclusive invitation to the ASEAN Day celebration at World Expo 2025 Osaka on 8 August 2025. This prestigious reward includes two round-trip flight tickets, providing the winner with a rare opportunity to celebrate ASEAN’s achievements in Osaka.

Participants are encouraged to design a character that captures the spirit of ASEAN by incorporating elements of culture, tradition, and modernity. The competition welcomes entries from individuals in Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam. The submission period will close on 3 April 2025 at 23:59 (GMT+7). For more detailed information, please visit: http://bit.ly/tor_apcharacter.

The ASEAN Pavilion will be open from 13 April to 13 October 2025.

ASEAN’s participation at the World Expo 2025 Osaka is supported through the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF).

Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, officially launched the IAI Attachment Programme, at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat by welcoming a new batch of Attachment Officers (AOs) from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Viet Nam (CLMV), and Timor-Leste, for the first time on 17 March 2025. Supported by the Government of Japan through the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF), the programme aims to enhance the capacity of government officials from CLMV and Timor-Leste by immersing them in the work of the ASEAN Secretariat.

This year marked a historic milestone with the participation of Timor-Leste for the first time, reflecting ASEAN’s commitment to supporting Timor-Leste’s capacity-building as it prepares for full ASEAN membership.

The ASEAN Secretariat, with support from the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) and the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF), co-organised the “Knowledge Sharing Event on Crop Burning and Biochar among ASEAN, and Wrap-up Event for the Project on Promoting Crop Insurance.” The meeting took place on 4 and 5 March 2025 through a hybrid format.

Participants of the two-day event included government officials from ASEAN Member States, Timor-Leste, and Japan (National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) and the Mission of Japan to ASEAN).

Participants addressed challenges related to climate change through crop insurance and discussed initial steps towards financing strategies for crop burning reduction, as well as conducting an inventory assessment for biochar initiatives in ASEAN Member States.

From 25 to 27 February 2025, the National Partnership for Migratory Bird and Habitat Conservation of Indonesia actively took part in the Capacity Building Workshop-Training for Migratory Bird Conservation and Their Habitats held in Tangerang, Banten, Indonesia. The workshop was organised by Wetlands International Indonesia or the Yayasan Lahan Basah Indonesia (YLBA) in partnership with the Ministry of Forestry-Indonesia, ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB)’s ASEAN Flyway Network Phase II Project and the National Parks Board NParks of Singapore with fund support from the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF).

Participants also had a field observation and identification of waterbirds & seabirds at Jakarta Bay as well as a hands-on experience and discussion on bird watching and habitat assessment at Pulau Rambut Wildlife Sanctuary, a Ramsar site located on a small atoll reef island northwest of Jakarta City.

JENESYS2024 aims to promote mutual trust and understanding among the peoples of Japan, ASEAN Member States, and Timor-Leste, to build a basis for future friendship and cooperation, as well as to encourage an understanding of various aspects of Japan. The project is supported by the Government of Japan through the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF). This is the highlight of JENESYS2024 reported by the Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE) in February 2025:

JENESYS Dispatch Pre-Program: Japanese Students Learned Soba Culture Dissemination in Malaysia

As a pre-program for JENESYS2024, the Malaysia-Japan Japanese Language and Culture Exchange” to be held from 11 to 18 February, Culture Link Malaysia SDN. BHD.  gave the online lecture to the Japanese students, the participants of the JENESYS program at their Soba restaurant, Gannendo Publika Kuala Lumpur.

Lao PDR-Japan Budo (Martial Arts) Exchange

Eight university and graduate students from Japan visited Lao PDR from 21 to 28 January for a special exchange program focused on “Budo (martial arts)” to celebrate the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Lao PDR and Japan. Through this program, the Japanese students had the chance to learn more about the deep ties between Lao PDR and Japan, while also contributing to promoting the beauty and appeal of Japanese martial arts in Lao PDR.

ASEAN-Japan Students Conference

JICE welcomed 106 university students from ASEAN countries, Timor-Leste, and Japan to participate in the Students Conference held from 14 to 21 January. The themes were “Maritime Security & Rule of Law,” “Climate Change & Energy,” and “Cultural Preservation & Education.” On 18 January, Japanese students joined the conference. For three days, through lectures and discussions on the themes, participants deepened their mutual understanding and strengthened their network of friendship and cooperation.

Thailand-Japan Friendship Exchange Program (Dispatch of Japanese High School Students

Nine high school students and one chaperone from Okinawa visited Thailand for the JENESYS2024 Thailand-Japan Friendship Exchange Program from 4 to 11 February. During the visit, the delegates had the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the relationship between the two countries through courtesy calls at the Embassy of Japan in Thailand and the Department of Children and Youth, Ministry of Social Development and Human Security. They also had the privilege of listening to the three Thai JENESYS alumni’s experiences in Japan.

ASEAN-Japan Online Student Conference for Alumni

From 11 to 16 February, JICE hosted a JENESYS online student conference with alumni members. The program was divided into four theme groups: “Business (Economic Partnership),” “Poverty Eradication,” “Food Problems,” and “Rural Development.” Participants learned about these issues through lectures and discussed solutions for similar challenges faced by ASEAN and Japan. Through the lectures and discussions, participants created action plans and presented them to their peers. They also enjoyed a quiz match on Japanese pop culture and traditional culture.

Malaysia-Japan Japanese Language and Culture Exchange (Dispatch of Japanese University Students

Eight university and graduate students from Japan visited Malaysia for JENESYS2024 exchange program focused on “Japanese Language and Culture” from 11 to 18 February. During their visit, the Japanese delegates had the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the relationship between the two countries through courtesy calls at the Embassy of Japan in Malaysia, as well as a lecture by JICA Malaysia Office and University of Tsukuba, Malaysia.

Introduction of JENESYS Alumni from Viet Nam, Bach Xuan Nguyen

Inspired by JENESYS, Bach Nguyen started his career in Japan after university. He joined JENESYS while he was still a college student, where he was impressed by the modern Japanese manufacturing industry and was inspired him to pursue a career in Japan.