Yogyakarta – The Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Gadjah Mada University hosted the Quebec (Canada)–Indonesia Creative Industries and Cultural Diplomacy Conference, organized in collaboration with the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. This event brought together policymakers, academics, industry representatives, creative practitioners, and students from Canada and Southeast Asia to discuss and exchange ideas on strengthening cooperation in the fields of the creative industries and cultural diplomacy.
The conference was officially opened by Prof. Dr. Wening Udasmoro, Vice Rector for Education and Teaching at UGM. In her remarks, she emphasized the importance of universities as spaces for international collaboration capable of fostering cultural exchange, driving innovation, and strengthening global networks.
Meanwhile, the closing remarks were delivered by Dr. Alexandre Veilleux, who stressed the importance of sustaining the partnership between Canada and Indonesia through academic collaboration, creative industry partnerships, and long-term network-building in the Indo-Pacific region.
The conference featured two panel discussion sessions that explored various perspectives on the development of the creative industries and cultural diplomacy.
In Panel 1, titled “The Strategic Value of Creative Industries and Cultural Diplomacy: A Government Lens”, the panelists were:
1. Guillermo Moyano, Director of Economic Affairs, Quebec Government Office in Singapore;
2. Dr. Leonard Hutabarat, Foreign Policy Strategy Agency of the Republic of Indonesia and former Consul General of the Republic of Indonesia in Toronto;
3. Yurnelis Piliang, S.IP., M.P.A., Head of the Tourism Attractions Division, Yogyakarta Special Region Tourism Office.
The discussion was moderated by Dr. Agung Wicaksono from Gadjah Mada University.
Meanwhile, Panel 2 addressed the theme “Creative Industry Innovation: Canada–Indonesia Business Insights”, featuring:
1. Danny Tan, Managing Producer, Moment Factory Singapore Office;
2. Ivan Chen, Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN);
3. Lev Kroll, CEO of Nuanu Creative City.
This session was moderated by Yaxin Zhou from Université de Montréal.
In addition to serving as a forum for strategic dialogue, the conference also marked the opening of the CERIUM Indo-Pacific Chair Summer School, a program that brings together graduate students from Canada and Southeast Asia to learn directly from academics, practitioners, and stakeholders in the fields of international relations and the creative industries. This program is organized through a collaboration between Université de Montréal, Université Laval, and Gadjah Mada University.
Through this conference, it is hoped that closer cooperation will be forged between Canada and Indonesia in the development of the creative industries, innovation, and cultural diplomacy. All organizers expressed their appreciation to the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, CERIUM—particularly Dr. Alexandre Veilleux—the speakers, participants, and all partners who contributed to the success of this event.
Moving forward, it is hoped that the networks and collaborations established through this conference will continue to evolve into various joint initiatives that benefit both countries, while strengthening Canada–Indonesia relations in the Indo-Pacific region through creativity, innovation, and cultural exchange.
Author: Dewi Widyastuti
