My name is Nicolaas de Regt, I was recently appointed as the new Head of the Culture and Communication Department of the Netherlands Embassy and Director of Erasmus Huis Jakarta. I arrived only four weeks ago in Jakarta, but the city is not new to me. A few years ago I worked as a junior diplomat at the Embassy, so returning to Jakarta feels like pulang kampung (homecoming) to me.

It is an honor to return to Jakarta for a second term, as my current position combines my work as an international diplomat and my passion for art, architecture, sculpture, photography and shared heritage. My first four weeks in Jakarta have been very busy but fruitful at the same time. I opened the World Press Photo Exhibition, the highly-anticipated Pasar Belanda and spoke at the press conference of Jakarta International Photo Festival (JIPFest). I have also met our strategic partners both from the cultural sector and the Indonesian government.

I am looking forward to working with a wonderful team, some of whom have been working for the Embassy for a very long time and therefore bring valuable experience. I am also looking forward to continuing a good connection between departments at the Embassy, as well as collaborating with external partners. Communication is a very important aspect in what we do, to connect, cooperate and collaborate.

Erasmus Huis
For more than 53 years the Erasmus Huis has been the cultural center of the Netherlands Embassy in Jakarta, a beacon of cultural diplomacy and cooperation between the Netherlands and Indonesia. Erasmus Huis is not only a cultural house, but also a place for communities of practice; a venue for the creation and sharing of knowledge and experiences. Together with the entire team of the Department of Culture and Communication and Erasmus Huis Jakarta, I hope that our collaboration in the future can continue to strengthen Dutch diplomacy and friendship with Indonesia in terms of arts and culture.