Event Archive

This event will engage Montréal's university students in exploring the experiences of the Asian diaspora and their role in preserving the cultural heritage of Montreal's Chinatown. The program includes a guided walking tour of Montreal’s Chinatown and a visit to the JIA Foundation’s exhibition, “Yep-Riopel House: A Layered History of Resistance and Belonging.” 

This event is part of APF Canada’s education programming, which aims to build Asia competencies among Canadians—particularly younger generations—by deepening their understanding of Asia and its diasporic communities. 

To register, please email Alexandre Veilleux at alexandre.veilleux@asiapacific.ca.  

More than four years after the Myanmar military overthrew the country’s democratically elected government, it has announced it will hold elections in late 2025. These elections will take place amid a civil war in which neither the junta nor the various resistance forces show any sign of defeat or surrender. 

In this panel discussion, co-hosted by the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, researchers from the UBC Myanmar Initiative and the Knowledge for Democracy in Myanmar Initiative will share their perspectives on the recent conflict dynamics and possibilities for Myanmar’s post-conflict future. 

Speakers: 

• Nay Yan Oo, PhD Student, UBC; Fellow, UBC Myanmar Initiative
   
• Dr. Htet Thiha Zaw, Post-Doctoral Fellow, UBC; Fellow, UBC Myanmar Initiative
   
• Kai Ostwald (Moderator), HSBC Chair in Asian Research and an Associate Professor, UBC School of Public Policy and Global Affairs; APF Canada Senior Fellow 
   

Register here.

Organized by the Canada-ASEAN Initiatives at York University and the ASEAN Committee in Ottawa, and co-sponsored by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa, this symposium aims to broaden the conversation on the future of Canada’s economic relationships with ASEAN. It will explore strategies to intensify Canada-ASEAN trade amid tariff disruptions and examine ASEAN perspectives on deepening economic ties with Canada under these conditions.

Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President of Research & Strategy at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, will participate in a Fireside Conversation with Goldy Hyder, CEO of Business Council of Canada, on Canada-ASEAN trade in the face of tariff challenges.

For more information, please contact Dr. Julie Nguyen at j.nguyen@canada-asean.org. 

This conference explores the many dimensions of Thailand’s soft power within its international environment. Through diplomatic, economic, cultural, and geopolitical lenses, the sessions examine Canada-Thailand relations, foreign policy, and Thailand's soft power influence, particularly through martial arts, Buddhism, and tourism. The companion livestream will be accompanied by subtitles in both English and French.

The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada is a co-sponsor of this event, along with the Graduate School of International Studies (Université Laval), Ministry of International Relations and La Francophonie (Government of Québec), and Canada-ASEAN Business Council.

Alexandre Veilleux, APF Canada's Advisor, Research & Communications, will be speaking on the panel Canada-Thailand Relations in the Sino-American Rivalry Space.

Please register for the event here: Select tickets – Thaïlande et soft power - La Thaïlande dans son environnement international – Pavillon Gene-H. Kruger, Salle Gilbert Tardif (GHK2320-2330).

With the goal of addressing some of the most pressing geopolitical challenges of our time, the annual Montreal International Security Summit convenes Canadian and international experts to engage in constructive dialogue and identify strategies to navigate a rapidly changing global order. 

The conference brings together leading practitioners, policymakers, and thought leaders from around the world to Canada, all of whom share a common dedication to understanding and resolving contemporary and emerging challenges to human rights and security.

APF Canada's Vice-President Research & Strategy Vina Nadjibulla will be speaking at this year's conference.

The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada will officially open its Asia Regional Office in Singapore on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, with a ceremony officiated by The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada.

This marks Minister Anand’s first official engagement in Singapore in 2025, underscoring the Government of Canada’s commitment to advancing its priorities in the Indo-Pacific region – including trade diversification, innovation partnerships, and sustainable economic co-operation.

APF Canada's new Asia Regional Office, supported by the Government of Canada through its Indo-Pacific Strategy, supports various APF Canada programs in the region, provides a convening space for use by Canadian partners, and serves as a platform to strengthen collaboration between Canada, Singapore, and the wider Indo-Pacific.

Program

2:45 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

• Guests and Media Arrive
   

3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

• Special Keynote Address by The Hon. Anita Anand
• Remarks by APF Canada President & CEO Jeff Nankivell on APF Canada's role in the Indo-Pacific region.
   

4:00 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.

• Lion Dance Performance & Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony
   

4:15 p.m. – 4:25 p.m.

• Formal Photos
   

4:25 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. & Onwards

• Networking Reception

Join us for a thought‑provoking conversation about Canada’s evolving security footprint in the Indo‑Pacific. The panel will feature two APF Canada Indo-Pacific Research Fellows:

• Dr. Kumari Mansi will examine the shifting relationships among India, Taiwan and Canada, highlighting how these ties shape regional strategy.
• Farlina Said will discuss cybersecurity challenges and emerging technologies while assessing ASEAN’s position in the intensifying competition between China and the United States.

Together, these experts will attempt to unpack the complex challenges shaping the region, and Canada’s place within it. A reception will follow the event.

Please registert for the event here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/between-giants-canadas-security-strategy-amid-cyber-threats-tickets-1735895974589?aff=oddtdtcreator

What are the non-conventional sources of democratic resilience in a post-autocratizing regime? 

Using the literature on performative politics and governance, this presentation investigates the unusual sources of democratic recovery in the philippines after the Duterte administration (2016-2022). This lecture argues the renewed external linkages with the West, combined with performativity of contingent pro-democratic elites and patronage networks, opened opportunities to hold Filipino politicians accountable.

This lecture will be delivered by Professor of Political Science at the University of the Philippines-Diliman and APF Canada Indo-Pacific Research Fellow, Aries Arugay, with Erik Kuhonta, previous APF Canada John H. McArthur Research Fellow. 

The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and the Carleton (NPSIA)-CGAI-SPP (U Calgary) Expert Group on Canada-U.S. Relations are hosting a luncheon discussion on Canada-China Relations and key recommendations contained in the Group’s recent report, Between the Eagle and the Dragon: Managing Canada-China Relations in a Shifting Geopolitical Reality.

The purpose of this event is to create an opportunity for informed dialogue on how Canada might best navigate its complex and evolving relationship with China, particularly against the backdrop of shifting geopolitical realities and U.S. President Donald Trump's policies. 

Vina Nadjibulla, APF Canada’s Vice-President, Research and Strategy, will co-chair the discussion.

This is an invitation-only event.

For questions, please reach out to Ms. Cheryl Eadie at cheryl.eadie@intercounsel.ca.

Tomekichi Homma is an under-acknowledged Japanese Canadian whose advocacy and efforts to fight discrimination resulted in the achievement of the right to vote in British Columbia for Japanese Canadians and other Canadians of Asian descent.

On September 25, we will be hosting a presentation of the book, Tomey: The Unyielding Spirit of Tomekichi Homma, featuring the book’s author, Jeff Chiba Stearns, and illustrator, Ally Adachi, in partnership with the National Coalition of Canadians Against Anti-Asian Racism (NCCAAR) at the Nikkei National Museum in Metro Vancouver. 

The book will be available to school boards and public libraries for use in their K-12 education and to other organizations that are interested in promoting the story of this Japanese-Canadian who made a significant contribution to Canadian society.

A downloadable version of Tomey: The Unyielding Spirit of Tomekichi Homma will be available after the book launch on the websites of APF Canada and NCCAAR. 

While territorial disputes between Thailand and Cambodia date back to the last century, tensions between the two states have been at their peak since May 2025. Violent clashes are increasing, threatening regional stability and the cohesion of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). How should this conflict be analyzed? Can a lasting dialogue be established between the two countries?

In order to unravel the question of political and symbolic mobilizations of borders, the region's memorial and heritage issues, as well as the internal challenges of the two states, CÉRIUM invites three speakers to a discussion led by Yann Roche, professor in the Department of Geography at UQAM and interim holder of the Chair of Asian and Indo-Pacific Studies: 

• Alexandre Veilleux is a research and communications advisor to the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and a lecturer in international relations and Southeast Asian politics at the Université de Montréal. 
   
• Gabriel Fauveaud is a full professor in the Department of Geography at UdeM, director of the UdeM Center for Asian Studies (CÉTASE) and a researcher affiliated with CÉRIUM. 
   
• Sophy Tan is a master's student in political science at Université Laval. Her dissertation focuses on international politics and security in South Asia, with an in-depth sociological approach. 
   

This event is organized by Centre d'études et de recherches internationales (CÉRIUM) and co-sponsored by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. 

For more information and registration, click here.

APF Canada is proud to be the Knowledge Partner for the Canada-ASEAN Business Council's Business Forum 2025: Strategic Dialogue for a Stronger Canada-ASEAN Future. 

In support of Malaysia's 2025 ASEAN Chairmanship and Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy, the Forum will serve as a premier platform to foster dialogue, collaboration, and partnerships between Canadian and ASEAN leaders in business and government. 

The Forum will focus on advancing Canada-ASEAN economic engagement and integration under Malaysia's 2025 theme of 'Inclusivity and Sustainability.' 

Visit the Forum website for more information and registration.
 

APF Canada Interactions: 
 

 September 24: Pre-Forum Session 3: ASEAN at the Crossroads
 

• APF Canada’s President and CEO Jeff Nankivell will provide opening remarks. 
   
• APF Canada's Asia Regional Director Barrett Bingley will present a first look at our Investment Monitor Report Year-End Review 2025, with take-aways for ASEAN, during this pre-forum session. APF Canada Senior Fellow (Non-resident) Dr. Tricia Yeoh will discuss Malaysia's ASEAN chair year, and the road ahead for the Philippines as chair in 2026.
   

September 25: Plenary Session 1: The Future of the the Canada-ASEAN Relationship
 

• APF Canada's President & CEO Jeff Nankivell is participating as a panellist in a discussion on implications for business in the Canada-ASEAN relationship.
   
• APF Canada's Asia Regional Director Barrett Bingley will present the key findings of our Digital and AI-enabled Trade report by APF Canada's John H. McArthur Research Fellows Danielle Goldfarb and Dr. Kati Suominen.

On behalf of the Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE), we are pleased to invite all Kakehashi Project alumni to The Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) "Study in Japan" Virtual Info Session. The event will provide information about opportunities to study in Japan, and scholarships and programs available.

This event is open to all Kakehashi Project alumni from Canada and the U.S. For more information on the Kakehashi Project, please visit our webpage.

KAS Canada, the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, and Canadian Institute for Arctic Security are hosting a two-day conference composed of different panels focusing on the energy sector, Indigenous communities' presence, defence sector challenges, and the Pacific view of the Arctic, with a war-gaming session in which you can observe a realistic scenario of climate risks. 

APF Canada's Vice-President Research & StrategyVina Nadjibulla will be speaking at this conference. 

Encore Video

Courtesy KAS Canada

Tomekichi Homma is an under acknowledged Japanese Canadian whose advocacy and efforts to fight discrimination resulted in the achievement of the right to vote in British Columbia for Japanese Canadians and other Canadians of Asian descent.

Seizing the opportunity of the visit to Toronto of the book’s author, Jeff Chiba Stearns, and the illustrator, Ally Adachi, to participate in the Gei Art Symposium hosted at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (JCCC) from September 19-21, we will be hosting a book launch of Tomey: The Unyielding Spirit of Tomekichi Homma on September 20 in partnership with the National Coalition of Canadians Against Anti-Asian Racism (NCCAAR) at the JCCC. 

Immediately after the launch, the book will be made available free of charge to school boards across Canada to encourage its use in their K-12 curricula and to other organizations that are interested in promoting the story of this Japanese-Canadian who made a significant contribution to Canadian society.

A downloadable version of Tomey: The Unyielding Spirit of Tomekichi Homma will be available after the book launch on the websites of APF Canada and NCCAAR. 

Email events@asiapacific.ca for more information. 

Join us for a conversation with Jeff Chiba Stearns and Ally Adachi about the release of their new manga, Tomey: The Unyielding Spirit of Tomekichi Homma, which both entertains and informs about an under acknowledged Japanese Canadian hero and social justice change-maker.

Commissioned with funding from the National Coalition of Canadians Against Anti-Asian Racism (NCCAAR) and APF Canada, Tomey: The Unyielding Spirit of Tomekichi Homma tells the true story of one of the first Japanese settlers to arrive in Canada. 

Tomekichi's advocacy and efforts to fight discrimination resulted in the achievement of the right to vote in British Columbia for Japanese Canadians and other Canadians of Asian descent. He also went on to build Canada’s first Japanese school, a hospital, and the first Japanese-language daily newspaper in Canada.

Following its official release on September 20, the graphic novel will be distributed free of charge to libraries, schools and other institutions to increase public awareness of the Japanese Canadian experience.

A downloadable version of Tomey will be available after the book launch on the websites of APF Canada and NCCAAR. 

This event is open to Kakehashi Project alumni and interested members of the public. To register, click here.

NCCAAR is a not-for-profit that advances public education on anti-Asian racism and promotes racial equality through research, knowledge mobilization, education and training and programs, and media engagement. NCCAAR engages in public policy dialogue to develop educational programming and initiatives to combat hate and systemic discrimination in Canadian communities and creates and supports Canadian scholarships and bursaries for students to advance knowledge in the fields of race relations and equity, and the promotion of racial equity.