The two institutions are collaborating in the program's execution, with the Asian Art Museum identifying qualified fellowship recipients, and The Asia Foundation responsible for overall administration.
The program's purpose is to contribute to the professional enhancement of specialists in Asian curatorial art within the Asian Art Museum and other selected art institutions in the U.S., Asia, and Europe. Each year, one specialist from Asia or London, England will be selected to spend four to six weeks at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco; in turn, an Asian Art Museum staff member or specialist from another art institution in the U.S. will be placed for a similar period with one of the following participating museum partners:
- British Museum, London, England
- Government State Museum, Chennai, India
- Indian National Museum
- Jim Thompson's House Museum, Bangkok, Thailand
- National Museum, Bangkok, Thailand
- National Museum, Jakarta, Indonesia
- Prince of Wales Museum (Chhatrapati Shivaji Museum and Jehangir Art Gallery), Mumbai, India