Event Archive

Against the background of the continuing devastation of the novel corona pandemic, Asia Pacific states are engaged in renewed challenges and responses with traditional security crisis points, as well as a broadening agenda of  “non-traditional” and environmental threats. Hosted by the University of Waterloo, the Asia Pacific Team is bringing together Canadian and international experts with informed and distinct perspectives for two webinars on October 20, 2021. APF Canada's Vice-President, Research & Strategy, Dr. Jeffrey Reeves, is a guest on this panel. 

Webinar 1:

Regional Order and Institutions in the “Indo-Pacific:” Canadian and Asian Perspectives

Recent events, including the establishment of the AUKUS, China-Taiwan engagement, and US-China strategic competition have escalated tensions and raised the risks of conflict in the Asia Pacific. Panelists with look to the transformation of the region’s multilateral architecture, reflecting the “strategic competition” between the US and China, with the implications for Southeast Asia and middle powers, including Canada and Australia.

Panelists:

• Shaun Narine, St. Thomas University
• Kristen Hopewell, University of British Columbia
• Elina Noor, Asia Society Policy Institute
• Jennifer Mustapha, Huron University College at Western
• Jeff Reeves, Asia Pacific Foundation

Moderated by Brian Job, University of British Columbia
 

Webinar 2:

Trends in Intra-State and Transnational Security: Asia Pacific 2021

The well-being and security of Asian populations are most directly and immediately affected by so-called “non-traditional” security concerns. Participants in this webinar will share their expertise on the impacts of the co-vid pandemic, migration and refugees, transnational violence, civil resistance to the state, and environmental disasters across a broad geographic scope from China to India and through Southeast Asia, with special attention to Myanmar.

Panelists:

• Isabelle Côté, Memorial University
• Sarah Sharma, University of Toronto
• Yvonne Su, York University
• Irene Poetranto, University of Toronto
• Nay Yan Oo, Visiting Scholar at Cornell University

Moderated by Brian Job, University of British Columbia

The Japan Studies Association of Canada hosted its Annual Conference with the theme 'Impacts of Japan and Canada Hosting the World: Catalyzing Change through Cultural, Economic, Political, and Sporting Events.'  Japan has hosted World Expos, the 1964 Summer Olympics, the 2019 G20 Summit, and it will tentatively host the postponed 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo in July 2021.  

Canada has also hosted similar mega events. These events have led to major infrastructure projects, captured national and international social and culture moments of change, and highlighted the role of technology and economics during such events. How has hosting or cancelling these large events changed Japan and Canada in a regional, national, and international context? What have been the impacts of other events, small or large, planned or spontaneous, such as festivals, at the local, regional, and national level?

The 2021 JSAC conference will explore these questions above but will also engage other topics related to the following themes:

Japanese Language; Popular Culture & Mass Media; Literature, Visual, and Performing Arts; Economic Development & Sustainability; Politics, Security & Safety; Religion, Philosophy, History, and Culture; Architecture and Aesthetics; Regional Planning & Community Development; Technology & Science; Education; Food & Agriculture; Consumption

Our Post Graduate Research Scholar, Natasha Fox spoke on A Queer Geography of the Olympics from Vancouver 2010 to Tokyo 2020 panel. 

Our Senior Program Manager, Engaging Asia, Scott Harrison, and Program Manager, Perspectives Asia, Sreyoshi Dey spoke on Canadian perceptions of Japan, and Japanese views on Canada – Reflecting on the public opinions panel.

The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and the Chile Pacific Foundation welcomes you to attend our final joint webinar in the series ASEAN and The Americas: China’s Belt & Road Initiative and its Impact on the Political and Social Dynamics in the Indo-Pacific: Implications for Canada’s and Chile’s Foreign Policy.

Views on China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) vary significantly depending on where they are generated. While most of the Western Hemisphere perceives the BRI as a massive international, investment-lending program for the Chinese to exert and project influence and geopolitical power, in Southeast Asian nations in particular, there are alternative narratives that highlight the value of collaboration between China and the expanded Indo-Pacific region, especially in the most developing countries.

The dynamics of Chinese engagement within the Indo-Pacific region through the BRI as a flagship policy is bringing about a new set of social interactions that remain poorly understood by Western citizens without access to non-English literature. For actors in the ASEAN region, people-to-people, NGO-to-NGO, city- to-city and many other sub-national ties are driving transformation in the region. Such sub-national engagement has impacts on institutional stability, prospects for trade, innovation and economic development.

This webinar aims to discuss some of these alternative drivers, while breaking down key aspects of the BRI that are typically underscored in the Western context, in order to better understand development in the ASEAN region. The roundtable will contribute to a more holistic account of Asia’s internal dynamics that Canadian and Chilean policy-makers can use to inform their policy thinking and engagement in the region.

This webinar will be 90 mins long.

Spanish interpretation is made available for this webinar.
Interpretación al español disponible para este webinar.

Speakers:

Andrés Bórquez Basaez, Assistant Professor / Coordinator of the Chinese Studies Program at the Institute of International Studies, University of Chile

Elina Noor, Director, Political-Security Affairs, Asia Society Policy Institute and Distinguished Fellow, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada 

Jeffrey Reeves, Vice-President Research & Strategy, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada

Municipal and provincial twinning relationships are not a new facet of Canadian foreign relations, yet their contributions to Canada’s relations in the Indo-Pacific have been sorely understudied and underutilized. Over half of Canada’s twinning relationships, which totalled around 270 at their peak, are already with counterparts in the Indo-Pacific. However, the rate at which subnational jurisdictions have inked new agreements has greatly declined since the 1980s and 1990s. Meanwhile, Indo-Pacific nations have not only continued to expand their twinning relations but have even revamped and enshrined their approaches to twinning as part of their foreign policy strategy. This contrast between Canada and Indo-Pacific nations highlights opportunities for Canada to diversify its Indo-Pacific relations and raises important questions about the role of municipalities and provinces in Canadian foreign policy, which has traditionally been reserved for the federal government. 

Our Senior Program Manager, Engaging Asia, Scott Harrison, and Junior Research Scholar, Quinton Huang appear as panellists at this symposium. Their presentation explores different approaches to subnational twinning across the Indo-Pacific and compares them with Canadian strategies thus far. Drawing on our APF Canada dataset of twinning relationships between Canada and five Indo-Pacific countries (Australia, China, India, Japan, and South Korea), we highlight trends in Canadian twinning agreements with these countries and identify “clusters” of twinning activity. Using several of these clusters as case studies, we argue that twinning relationships increase people-to-people exchanges and produce long-term economic and cultural benefits beyond the term and scope of individual agreements. Leaders at the municipal and provincial levels thus have a significant and even outsized role in shaping Canada – Indo-Pacific relations. Our research suggests not only that twinning should be a key component in a future Canadian Indo-Pacific strategy, but also that the agency of subnational governments in Indo-Pacific relations ought to be of higher consideration for federal policy-makers.

The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and the Chile Pacific Foundation welcome you to attend our third joint webinar, The Future of Digital Trade in Free Trade Agreements Canada, Chile, and ASEAN.

There is no question that the rapid transition to a digital economy offers the most opportunity-laden and disruptive power since the Industrial Revolution. Growth in international digital services trade is outpacing trade in physical goods, made all the easier by the fact that digital services can penetrate foreign markets within seconds over the internet.

While the digital revolution is taking place all across the world, member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are pivoting especially quickly. This roundtable will focus on the growth in digital trade in the ASEAN region, and the opportunity this growth presents for Canada and Chile, including:

• The importance of engaging with the dynamic ASEAN region in order to strengthen our own digital economies at home;
• The opportunity for Canada and Chile to influence the global regulatory landscape in digital trade; and,
• The pathways available for Canada and Chile to scale their digital assets globally, including channels for international coordination and individual economy approaches.

We hope you will join us in furthering our understanding of Canada and Chile’s roles in influencing the global digital conversation, with an eye to the exciting ASEAN region.

Spanish interpretation is made available for this webinar.
Interpretación al español disponible para este webinar.

The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (APF Canada) is pleased to host a conversation with Mr. Stephen Poloz, Special Advisor at Osler and former Governor of the Bank of Canada, on COVID-19 and global trade and, in particular, the challenges to the future of trade between Canada and Asia in the post-pandemic world.

The global pandemic has laid bare old weaknesses in the global trading system, strengthening the cause of trade restrictionists everywhere. Beyond the obvious preference to produce health-related products like PPE and vaccines domestically, the pandemic has created new geopolitical tensions that are likely to impinge on future trade arrangements. More fundamentally, growing income inequality is attracting political attention, and well-intentioned policies aimed at addressing that situation are likely to disrupt global supply chains. How can trade-reliant companies prepare themselves for the new normal?

Join Stephen Poloz in conversation with APF Canada President & CEO Stewart Beck for a wide-ranging discussion of future risks and opportunities.

The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and the Chile Pacific Foundation welcome you to attend our second joint webinar on the ASEAN region, its emerging presence on the global stage, and the opportunities for engagement for Canada and Chile in particular.

Given the current geopolitical climate, including growing U.S.-China competition, there is an urgent need to address the importance of a balanced approach to regional affairs, as well as the need for engagement and dialogue between Pacific states. The ASEAN approach provides an example of a “middle path” that has lessons for both Chile and Canada. Our expert panel of speakers will discuss the importance of engagement and diplomacy with ASEAN as an institution, and with ASEAN member states, through bilateral or multilateral engagement. They will also focus on the wider context of this engagement, with respect to Asia’s regional stability and regional order.

This webinar is the second in a series on ASEAN and the Americas, hosted by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and the Chile Pacific Foundation. The final webinar in the series, on Digital Trade, will be held on September 8th, 2021.

The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and the Chile Pacific Foundation welcome you to attend a joint webinar focused on the economic opportunities for Canada and Chile in the ASEAN region. Our expert panel of speakers will discuss the strategic opportunities, challenges, and potential for trade and investment within the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement (CPTPP).

The evolving trade architecture in the ASEAN region, including CPTPP, RCEP and APEC—as well as other bilateral and trilateral trade potential between Canada, Chile and specific states in the ASEAN region—make this a timely and important conversation for the future of economic relations across the Asia Pacific and between ASEAN and the Americas.

This webinar is the first in a series on ASEAN and the Americas that will be delivered by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and the Chile Pacific Foundation. Stay tuned for the other webinars in this series.

ASEAN and Geopolitics: Its Role as a Middle Path Approach to Asia - June 9th, 2021

Digital Trade - September 8th , 2021

This webinar will be hosted in English.

The Canadian Women’s International Network (CanWIN) is an ecosystem of women that champions the business growth of Canadian women entrepreneurs, offering a powerful network of global connections and on-going advocacy and support.

Building on the efforts of APF Canada’s women-only trade missions to Asia, CanWIN formally connects women thought leaders, entrepreneurs, and gender equality organizations to advance economic equality and empower Canadian women entrepreneurs through engagement with international growth markets in Asia. The next destination market in the women-only trade mission series will be announced at the event.

Joining us as the keynote speaker is Geeta Sankappanavar, founder and CEO of Akira Impact, an essential assets investment firm that invests to support UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Other speakers include:

• Elisa Chiu, Founder, Anchor Taiwan
• Dr. Allison Sekuler, Managing Director, Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation
• Jan De Silva, President & CEO, Toronto Region Board of Trade
• Dr. Jackie F. Steele, Founder & CEO, enjoi Diversity & Innovation
• Sara Wilshaw, Assistant Deputy Minister, Chief Trade Commissioner, Global Affairs Canada
• Dr. Songyee Yoon, President, NCSOFT & CEO, NCWEST

Le Réseau international des femmes canadiennes (CanWIN) est un écosystème international de femmes qui favorise la croissance commerciale des entrepreneures canadiennes en leur offrant un puissant réseau de contacts ainsi qu’un soutien continu.

Tirant parti des efforts déployés par la Fondation dans le cadre de ses missions commerciales exclusivement féminines en Asie, CanWIN vise à établir des liens officiels et à renforcir les relations nouées avec des femmes leaders d’opinion, des entrepreneures et des organisations de promotion de l’égalité entre les genres. Le réseau vise à faire progresser l’égalité et l’émancipation économique des Canadiennes en soutenant leur présence sur les marchés internationaux de l’Asie qui sont en pleine croissance. Le prochain marché de destination de la série de missions commerciales exclusivement féminines en Asie sera dévoilé à cette occasion.

La conférencière principale sera Mme Geeta Sankappanavar, la fondatrice et PDG d’Akira Impact, une entreprise d’investissement des atouts essentiels qui soutient les objectifs de développement durable de l’ONU.

Parmi les autres intervenants figurent 

• Elisa Chiu, Fondatrice, Anchor Taiwan
• Allison Sekuler, Ph. D., Directrice Générale, Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation 
• Jan De Silva, Présidente et PDG, Toronto Region Board of Trade 
• Jackie Steele, Ph. D., Fondatrice et PDG, enjoi Diversity & Innovation 
• Sara Wilshaw, Sous-ministre adjointe et Déléguée commerciale en chef, Affaires mondiales Canada         
• Songyee Yoon, Ph. D. Présidente, NCSOFT et PDG, NCWEST

Join the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada as we host the APEC-Canada Growing Business Partnership Capstone Conference, a two-day virtual symposium, funded by the Government of Canada.  

This conference aims to share best practices and present policy solutions for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) region. Since 2016, the Partnership, a joint development initiative between APF Canada and the APEC Secretariat, has endeavoured to build the capacity of MSMEs through research, training, mentorship, and in-economy programming.  

Join us as we gather policy-makers and micro and small business entrepreneurs to discuss pressing challenges for MSMEs and the Partnership’s policy recommendations in areas including MSME digitalization, gender and entrepreneurship, and inclusive growth.   

The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and the Japan International Cooperation Center, is pleased to host a Kakehashi Project Alumni Network Online Event.

This event will allow Kakehashi alumni to deepen existing bonds and create new ones while learning about the paths some of their Kakehashi peers have taken. The 90-minute event, “Kakehashi’s lasting legacy—International exchange for life experience and life change,”  will be in English and feature opening remarks from H.E. Ambassador Kawamura as well as presentations from two Kakehashi alumni who have gone on to find professional success in international careers. The event will also offer opportunities for interaction, through networking meet & greet sessions, breakout guided discussion and group activities.

For more information about the Kakehashi Project, please click here.

Hong Kong has been through unprecedented changes in recent years. Economic turbulence and political tensions within Hong Kong, and between the West and China, have led to uncertainty over the city’s business climate, stability, and relations with the central government in Beijing. As Canada and Hong Kong have long shared strong economic and people-to-people ties, with more than 300,000 Canadians living in the city, the challenges in Hong Kong are acutely felt by Canadians.

Hong Kong’s special status, role, and its position as an international financial centre have been put into question. But, after a 6 per cent drop in GDP in 2020 due to the pandemic, Hong Kong’s economy is forecast to rebound significantly in 2021. This highlights the city’s resilience.

To discuss these and other related issues, we are pleased to welcome Mr. Paul Chan, the Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government who will discuss some of the challenges faced by the city, its role in China’s larger strategy and the opportunities for Canada.

The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (APF Canada), in partnership with the Canada-India Centre for Excellence at Carleton University (CICE) is pleased to host a moderated conversation with Ambassador Shivshankar Menon, author of India and Asian Geopolitics: The Past, Present, and one of India’s foremost foreign policy experts.

In his new book, Ambassador Menon makes a strong case for India’s growing importance on the global stage and its pivotal role in the new Asian order. Tracing India’s approach since its independence in 1947 to present day, Menon focuses on the impact of India’s policy choices in a shifting regional landscape – both in response to the rise of China and other regional powers – and how those policies are likely to evolve in response to current and new challenges. From its leading role in the “nonaligned” movement during the cold war to its current status as a perceived counterweight to China, India often has been an after-thought for global leaders – until they realize how much they needed it.

The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada is proud to announce the 2021 virtual launch of its annual APF Canada Investment Monitor signature report, which delves into the foreign direct investment (FDI) relationship between Canada and the Asia Pacific.

The launch coincides with the online release of new data through investmentmonitor.ca, allowing Canadians to use our data visualization tool to uncover novel stories about the Canada-Asia Pacific investment relationship.

By harnessing primary sources and in-depth research, the Investment Monitor informs Canadian policy-making and public discourse on Canada’s economic relations with the Asia Pacific at a time when engagement is sorely needed for post-pandemic economic recovery. The investment landscape is shifting as COVID-19 continues to pose a threat to the world economy, and APF Canada’s tracking provides an outlook of where these potential opportunities lie.

The 2021 report, "Post-COVID Recovery and Foreign Direct Investment Between Canada and the Asia Pacific", explores how South Korea, India, Australia, and Singapore envision their post-COVID economies and how these visions may present investment opportunities for Canada, specifically in digital, green, and research and development-engaged sectors. We invite you to join us as we take stock of the current Canada-Asia investment relationship and examine the importance of strategic engagement going forward.

This project is completed in partnership with The School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary and with sponsorship from the Government of British Columbia, Export Development Canada, and Invest in Canada.

The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada is pleased to host a panel discussion on the use of strategic foresight in Asia with Bart Édes, author of Learning from Tomorrow – Using Strategic Foresight to Prepare for the Next Big Disruption.

COVID-19 surprised many governments who found themselves ill-prepared to respond to the massive social and economic disruptions of a pandemic. Similarly disruptive trends – in areas as diverse as food security, climate change, technology, and geopolitics – can be detected on the horizon.

Our expert panellists will discuss some of these emerging trends, how to read weak signals and drivers of change, and what modelling future scenarios can tell us about the potential impact disruption will have on Canada's engagement with the region. The use of strategic foresight will help us better respond to future challenges and be better prepared for the disruptive trends that are already with us and underway.

Moderated Panel Discussion with :

Bart Édes
Author and Distinguished Fellow, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada

Dr. Susann Roth
Advisor & Chief of Knowledge Advisory Services Center, Asian Development Bank (Manila)

Dr. Rathana Peou Norbert-Munns
Southeast Asia Regional Scenarios Coordinator, CGIAR Programme on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (Phnom Penh)

Dr. Jeffrey Reeves (Moderator)
Vice-President Research, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (Vancouver)

The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and the Centre for the Study of Global Japan are pleased to invite the public to attend this conversation on Japan and Asia in the Post-pandemic Era. 

Sebastian Strangio, author of In the Dragon's Shadow, and international experts will be discussing the roles of Japan, Canada, the U.S., and China in Southeast Asia. 

The Asia Business Leaders Advisory Council held its fifth annual meeting in a virtual setting on April 7-8, 2021. More than 150 ABLAC members and invited guests convened virtually over the two-day meeting to discuss a number of timely issues related to the overarching meeting theme.

The key takeaway echoed throughout the ABLAC 2021 meeting is that engagement with Asia is as important as ever and will be crucial for Canada’s own post-COVID economic recovery. The various sub-regions within the broader Asia Pacific region will each face their own challenges and present unique opportunities.

By Invitation Only. 

The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and INDIGI-X are pleased to invite the public to attend the Final Presentations of the second cohort of Indigenous Professionals in Canada, Fiji, and New Zealand. 

24 Indigenous professionals from three different countries are presenting their findings and recommendations at the end of a six-week virtual exchange. Both The Hon. Carolyn Bennett of Canada and The Hon. Nanaia Mahuta of New Zealand will attend the presentations, alongside a number of other community, government, and industry delegates. 

INDIGI-X is a platform for Indigenous professionals around the world to work together, identify business opportunities, and engage in international trade. Learn more about the program at www.INDIGI-X.com. 

The ABAC Digital Symposium 2021 is a three-day virtual symposium hosted by the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) Canada Secretariat and sponsored by Global Affairs Canada. The goal of the symposium is to take stock of innovative solutions that could enable member economies to re-open more fully in the midst of the global COVID pandemic, and to explore the enabling conditions needed to deploy them at scale across APEC. 

We will share best practices and case studies and discuss the government policies needed to harmonize and implement these innovations at scale in all APEC economies. More importantly, the symposium will act as a catalyst for piloting and procuring solutions across interested APEC economies.

For more information, please click here for the full agenda.