Event Archive

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 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. 

On March 1-2, 2021, the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada presented the First Canadian Women-only Virtual Business Mission to Taiwan. Ths virtual/in-person hybrid event showcased Canadian women entrepreneurs through pitch sessions, as well as feature high-level speakers on technology, innovation, and gender equality in Canada and Taiwan 

Subscribe to receive Women's Business Mission Updates

Click here for more information and to view Taiwan Mission webinars

The Munk School will host a panel discussion on Japan and Asia in the Pandemic Era. APF Canada's Vice-President, Research, Dr. Jeffrey Reeves, is a guest on this panel. 

In November, 2020, 15 countries comprising all of ASEAN plus Japan, China, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand decided to meet the economic challenge of the pandemic by signing the world’s largest regional trade agreement.

What does the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) mean for Canada, for the new Biden administration, and for leadership in Asia? The Centre for the Study of Global Japan is partnering with the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and the University of B.C.'s Centre for Japan Research to talk with international experts on the implications of RCEP.

The Institute for Peace and Diplomacy will host a panel to discuss U.S. policy on China under the Biden administration. APF Canada's Vice-President, Research, Dr. Jeffrey Reeves, is a guest on this panel.

President Biden’s plan to pursue American re-engagement with the international community was solidified with the U.S. rejoining the Paris Climate Accord and the World Health Organization (WHO). However, it is not clear how he will change U.S. policy on China.

During his campaign, Biden equally highlighted the need to both engage and distance the United States from China. Some experts believe that the ability of the U.S. to collaborate with the world’s second largest economy will be a defining factor under Biden’s presidency and for America’s future. Others believe that the intensifying U.S.-China rivalry is based on structural shifts in the balance of power. They expect the Biden administration to continue Trump’s containment policy against China at least in some areas.

2020 was a most unusual year. Not only are there ongoing challenges emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, but the world is also confronting the impacts of a global trade war, negative oil prices, and new regional trade agreements (i.e. RCEP), among other economic issues. Supply chains—and the related topics of security and supply of medical goods, energy, and food—is at the centre of many nations’ agenda, especially for open countries like Singapore and Canada.

The clear winner in this new landscape is the acceleration of digital trade.

As Co-chair of the Supply Chain Digitalization Taskforce for Singapore’s Prime Minister's Office, Chin Hwee Tan will join Kenny Lam, CEO of Two Sigma Asia Pacific and Stewart Beck, President and CEO of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, in conversation on the challenges facing like-minded ecosystems to maintain open global commerce architecture and the advantages offered by the increasing digitalization of supply chain networks. All three panelists are members of APF Canada’s Asia Business Leaders Advisory Council, which aims to strategize opportunities for improved business engagement between Canada and the Asia Pacific.

His Excellency, Ambassador Cong Peiwu, will join APF Canada’s President and CEO, Stewart Beck in a moderated conversation about the state of global affairs, Canada-China relations, the role China can play in the economic and development challenges of a post-pandemic world, and what it means for Canada.

This Toronto Asia Pacific Youth Council (TAPYC) webinar will feature a focused discussion on how recent graduates and young professionals can navigate the current job market, develop their careers, and continue to advance professionally, despite COVID-19 limitations and restrictions. The panel will feature experts at a range of career stages who will share job-seeking strategies and career advice they received throughout their professional journeys. They will also share their thoughts on what this year’s cohort of recent graduates and young professionals can do to continue their professional advancement under current conditions.

This webinar will build on the TAPYC’s successful two-episode podcast series, ‘Have Your Say,’ which launched in early November 2020 and focuses on issues affecting international students who were overseas when the pandemic began. This event will also be an opportunity for participants to learn more about TAPYC and its Call for Applications to join the council’s 2021 cohort, which will be open until January 8, 2021.

TAPYC, an initiative of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, is a volunteer group of students and young professionals (under 35) dedicated to engaging Canadian youth to learn more about the opportunities and advantages of the Asia Pacific region.