Fadli conveyed the sentiment in his opening remarks at the international seminar "SEA Museum Collaboration: Innovating Museum Public Programs for a Rapidly Changing Society" held at the National Museum in Jakarta on Thursday.

SEA Museum Collaboration is a regional forum that brings together Southeast Asian museum stakeholders in order to strengthen collaboration, innovation and the relevance of museums amid the challenges of a changing world.

In his speech, Fadli said museums are an active forum for cultural education, civic dialogue and cross-generational understanding. For this reason, he continued, collaborative activities are needed as part of a joint commitment to strengthen the role and transformative power of museums in society.

"Museums are not only guardians of heritage, but also drivers of dialogue, inclusion and sustainable development in our region. Activities such as the SEA Museum Collaboration are very important as our joint commitment to the transformation of museums," he said.

According to Fadli, museums face various important questions on their role in shaping the nation’s future as well as efforts to remain relevant in the modern age, especially amid rapid global development, technological disruption, the climate crisis and a constantly changing digital sphere.

He added that museums must serve as a learning ecosystem that helps the public deal with complexity as opposed to being a static storage place for artifacts. Therefore, the theme of this year's International Museum Day is "Innovation of Museum Public Programs for a Changing Society".

"There are more than 2,500 museums in the Southeast Asia region that are facing the challenge of creating inclusive and interesting public programs and ensuring that they remain relevant to all generations, backgrounds and communities. For this, solidarity and collaboration from all museums in Southeast Asia is needed as a starting point for long-term regional initiatives," he said.

The SEA Museum Collaboration was attended by representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat, ICOM Indonesia, Indonesian Hidden Heritage Creative Hub, heads of museums, museum professionals and speakers from various ASEAN countries. Also present at the opening were the Culture Ministry’s Director General of Diplomacy, Promotion and Cooperation Endah T.D. Retnoastuti; Charge d'Affaires of the Royal Thai Embassy to Indonesia, Hathaichanok Riddhagni Frumau; Charge d'Affaires of the Philippines Embassy to Indonesia, Gonaranao B. Musor; Commercial Attache of the Royal Embassy of Cambodia to Indonesia, Rem Nhanh; Third Secretary of the Laos Embassy to Indonesia, Chanthakhone Mangvilaita; Director of the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Indonesia, Miklos Gaspar; Senior Member of ICOM, KRT. Thomas Haryonagoro; Director of the Singapore Children's Museum, Asmah Alias; Director of the Penang State Museum, Malaysia, Haryany Muhammad; Representative of the Bangkok National Museum, Suppawan Nongnut; Representative of the National Gallery Singapore, Ong Zhen Min; and the Representative of the National Museum of the Philippines, Jorell Marcos Legaspi.

First Secretary of the Singaporean Embassy ​​Roystan Ang said the forum is very important to establish collaboration and exchange ideas.

"This activity is a platform for museums across the region to come together, discuss and exchange ideas and perspectives. I am confident that this will benefit all of us in facing the complex challenges in the months and years to come," he said.

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