PASAY CITY (Sept. 8, 2026) — The University of the Philippines is set to host the 13th Korea-ASEAN Community of Policy Exchange International Public Policy Symposium, Sept. 18 at Conrad Manila, Pasay City.
The country will host the event for the first time, through the UP Center for Integrative Studies and the UP Korea Research Center, in partnership with the Korea Foundation and the Korea Research Initiatives at the University of New South Wales, Australia — gathering policymakers, academics, and researchers from Southeast Asia, Korea, and Australia to share development experiences and explore pathways for cooperation.
With the theme, Advancing National Development in ASEAN Transition Economies through Korea-ASEAN Strategic Partnership, this year’s symposium will focus on strengthening state capacity for policy development and implementation in Southeast Asian transition economies such as Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar.
Among the key policy areas to be explored at the symposium are strengthening diplomatic and security capacity, advancing public sector reforms, and elevating socio-political and cultural policy capabilities through strategic partnerships and multi-sectoral networks among government, academia, and research institutions.
Around 160 government employees, research institutes, and academics are expected to participate.
The KRI launched the Comparative Public Policy Research Forum in 2010, which evolved into the KACPE in 2019. The KACPE is now an independent, non-governmental platform that facilitates dialogues among senior policymakers, researchers, and academics from Korea and the ASEAN to promote policy exchange in areas such as governance reform, economic and industrial development, socio-cultural affairs, and regional security.
The 12th KACPE International Public Policy Symposium ran from Nov. 12 to 13, 2025 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.