Objective
With the Asia-Pacific Weeks (APW) taking place every two years Berlin originally focused on a specific region holding huge potential for the future, ranging from countries like Pakistan in the west and Mongolia in the north to Japan in the east and the Pacific Islands in the south. More than 150 events around business, science, culture, and society intend to attract attention and raise awareness, to pass on information, and to facilitate the establishment of contacts and concrete cooperation between different actors and institutions. The federal government and federal ministries, embassies, business associations of the federal state of Berlin, companies, national associations and corporate offices, museums, galleries and theaters, Goethe Institutes and Asian cultural institutions, universities and research institutions, foundations, non-governmental organizations, and registered associations contribute to the Asia-Pacific Weeks by supporting or organizing events.
The Asia-Pacific Weeks pull together, connect, and showcase the expertise found in Berlin regarding the Asian-Pacific region and in doing so raise the city’s profile both in Germany and abroad as a venue for dialogue and as a “gateway to the Asia-Pacific.”
Structure
The Asia-Pacific Weeks (APW) were founded on the initiative of the Governing Mayor of Berlin and are currently held every two years. The Governing Mayor receives support from two strategic partners: Berlin Partner GmbH and the Asia-Pacific Forum Berlin, as coordinator of the business and science program, and the House of World Cultures, as coordinating body of the cultural program. A steering committee chaired by the Head of the Senate Chancellery makes policy decisions on implementing and promoting the APW programs. As members of the Advisory Board, federal ministers and heads of relevant business and cultural institutions support the Governing Mayor’s initiative.
Concept
A unique feature contributing to the success of the Asia-Pacific Weeks is the combination of a vast range of events and stakeholders from business, culture, and science in volved in this event. Another special aspect is the organizational principle of “public-private partnerships” agreed on between the federal state of Berlin and the organising parties or actors of individually planned events of the Asia-Pacific Weeks: Berlin provides only the official framework and manages coordination and promoting for the project as a whole. Both public and private companies and Asian-Pacific and German institutions then use this forum for the events they organize and fund themselves.
Development
The Asia-Pacific Weeks were established in1996 and were held for the first time in 1997. The second Asia-Pacific Weeks introduced the concept of focussing on one country in particular, with Japan in the focus in 1999, followed by China in 2001, India in 2003, and Korea in 2005. However since 2007, the APW have focused on themes rather than specific countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
