Research Tender: Cultural Policy in Southeast Asian Cities 

World Cities Culture Forum and the British Council are commissioning a researcher (individual or team) to produce a high-quality report on cultural policy in five Southeast Asian cities: Jakarta, Bangkok, Hanoi, Kuala Lumpur, and Metro Manila. 

The study will: 

• Build a deeper understanding of the cultural policy landscape across the region. 

• Highlight Southeast Asian leadership and best practice in culture-led approaches to sustainable urban development. 

• Strengthen World Cities Culture Forum’s presence in Southeast Asia and foster long-term collaborations between cities in the region and the global network. 

The final report will feature a trends overview, detailed city profiles with case studies, expert interviews, and strong visual storytelling. It will be launched in 2026 at British Council activities marking the 5^th anniversary of UK’s Dialogue Partnership to ASEAN and at the World Cities Culture Summit.  

We are looking for: 

• Proven expertise in urban and/or cultural policy, with professional experience in Southeast Asia. 

• Strong track record producing accessible, visually engaging research for policy audiences. 

• Excellent communication skills in English (regional language skills desirable). 

Fee: GBP £12,000 (inclusive of all fees, taxes, expenses). 
Deadline for submissions: 24 October 2025 
Start date: December 2025 

Please apply via our online form.

For details on timeline, outputs, and application requirements, please see the full brief:

Enquiries: research@worldcitiescultureforum.com 

Frequently Asked Questions: 

• Q: Can I apply as a researcher for one of the five cities mentioned above?  
  A: The call-out is for a researcher or a team to cover all five cities. If you are only interested to cover one city, we recommend that you form a consortium or team with others 

• Q: Will the report require to be translated into local languages? 
  A: The report will be in English and will not require translation into local languages, although we may explore translating the report in the future iteration of the programme. However, it is desirable that the researcher holds fluency in at least one of the major languages represented among the five cities (e.g. Bahasa Indonesia, Thai, Vietnamese, Malay, or Filipino/Tagalog) for the research purpose. 

• Q: Will you require the researcher or research team to provide design services too? A: No, a report designer will be assigned by WCCF. We expect the researcher or team to liaison with the designer to ensure the final output is accurate, consistent and publication ready.