Indonesia and US Strengthen Cultural Ties, Boost Museum Institutional Capacity
The governments of Indonesia and the United States are enhancing cultural cooperation through heritage preservation, museum institutional capacity building, and expanding public access to knowledge and culture.
“Through inter-museum partnerships, we are not only strengthening the capacity of cultural institutions but also building closer bridges of understanding between the people of Indonesia and the United States,” said Indonesian Ambassador to the US Indroyono Soesilo, according to a statement from the Indonesian Embassy in Washington on Tuesday (16/6).
He made the statement during a meeting with the leadership of the Smithsonian Institution on 11 June 2026 in Washington, D.C., following a partnership established between the Indonesian Museum and Cultural Heritage and the National Museum of Asian Art (NMAA), Smithsonian Institution.
On that occasion, Ambassador Indroyono emphasised that the cooperation is an important part of Indonesia’s cultural diplomacy on the global stage. According to him, museums play a strategic role as spaces for dialogue, education, and cross-cultural exchange of ideas. Through this collaboration, he hopes that heritage preservation, museum institutional capacity building, and the expansion of public access to knowledge and culture can be continuously strengthened.
The cooperation is based on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2023 between the Indonesian Museum and Cultural Heritage and the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The MoU serves as a foundation for long-term collaboration encompassing knowledge exchange, best practices, human resource development, and the implementation of joint programmes.
As a concrete implementation of the partnership, a Museum Capacity Building Workshop will be held from 22 to 26 June 2026 at the National Museum of Indonesia in Jakarta. The activity will involve around 30 participants from various Indonesian cultural institutions, including the National Museum of Indonesia, the National Gallery of Indonesia, the Museum Batik Indonesia, the Basoeki Abdullah Museum, the Museum Kebangkitan Nasional, the Museum Sumpah Pemuda, and the Balai Kirti Presidential Museum, among others.
The workshop will address a number of strategic issues in modern museum management, including exhibition development, research-based conservation, the use of digital technology, and strategies to enhance public engagement. The delegation from the National Museum of Asian Art, present directly from Washington, D.C., consists of experts with cross-disciplinary expertise.
Meanwhile, the Director of the National Museum of Asian Art, Dr. Chase Robinson, stated that the collaboration aims to make museums dynamic living spaces that connect the past, present, and future. “Through knowledge exchange, professional collaboration, and the use of technology, museums can expand public access and strengthen cross-cultural understanding on a global level,” he said. He added that the cooperation between Indonesia and the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, reflects a shared commitment by both countries to strengthen people-to-people relations through culture, while ensuring that cultural heritage remains accessible, understood, and utilised by future generations.