Image: IFACCA-Globus Fellows at the Cham Sculpture Museum, Da Nang. Credit: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Viet Nam.

From 27 to 30 June 2026, the second cohort of the IFACCA–Globus Fellowship gathered in Da Nang, Viet Nam, for the programme's first in-person meeting. The gathering was generously hosted by our National Member, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Viet Nam, with the support of programme partner, the Nordic Culture Fund.

Over four days, Fellows came together for a full immersion peer-to peer exchange including sessions on high-level trends shaping the international cultural sector by Avril Joffe, IFACCA-Globus Fellowship Lead and Magdalena Moreno Mujica, Executive Director of IFACCA. A dedicated presentation from Ms Hai Van Tran, Deputy Director General of International Affairs at Viet Nam's Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism, offered Fellows an in-depth look at the country's cultural policy landscape, followed by working group discussions exploring how these trends and insights resonate across Fellows' own national contexts.

The programme also included a deep dive into Viet Nam's cultural life through field visits to the Museum of Cham Sculptors and local artists' studios, giving Fellows direct engagement with artists and practitioners. A closing working day commenced with an important reflection from Kristin Danielsen, Director of Nordic Culture Fund, followed by a session that unpacked the UNESCO Monitoring System and how IFACCA Member institutions can navigate this and other cultural statistics platforms.

While contextual differences were naturally evident, many of the challenges discussed were common across nations. These included securing adequate financial resources, building organisational and sector capacity, engaging diverse stakeholders, maintaining productive dialogue across government, strengthening support for cultural and creative sectors, and responding to the challenges that artificial intelligence poses to the safeguarding of culture. These and other related issues will form the foundation of the year-long programme for the second cohort of the IFACCA–Globus Fellowship.

Image: IFACCA-Globus Fellows attending the opening ceremony of DANAFF IV. Credit: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Viet Nam.

Alongside the core programme, Fellows also had the opportunity to attend the opening of the 4th Da Nang Asian Film Festival (DANAFF IV), jointly organised by the People's Committee of Da Nang City and the Vietnam Film Development Association (VFDA), and to visit the UNESCO World Heritage town of Hoi An.

We extend our sincere thanks to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Viet Nam for their generous hospitality in hosting this gathering, and to the Nordic Culture Fund for its partnership and support.

View the photo gallery here.