Event Archive

This symposium will explore Canada’s approach to supporting regional security in Southeast Asia, ways to strengthen Canada-ASEAN security co-operation in light of geopolitical challenges, and considerations for how Canada’s next government might position itself in relation to prospects in Southeast Asia for regional peace and security and upholding a rules-based international order. 

This is APF Canada's second annual symposium on Canada-ASEAN security co-operation following our first event at Carleton University in May 2024. Panellists include representatives of Global Affairs Canada, National Defence Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, academic institutions, think-tanks, and embassies.

This event is organized by Canada-ASEAN Initiatives, York Centre for Asian Research, and sponsored by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and the Telfer School of Management, University of Ottawa.

APF Canada Participation

Panel 2: Regional security in Southeast Asia: How might Canada's next government position itself?

Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President Research & Strategy - Panellist

Kai Ostwald, APF Canada Senior Fellow and Director, Institute of Asian Research, University of B.C. - Panellist

Panel 3: Ambassadors’ Panel: Impact of leadership changes on regional security and upholding a rules-based international order

Julia Bentley, APF Canada Distinguished Fellow - Moderator

Roundtable discussion with Mr. Rob Tinline, the newly appointed British High Commissioner to Canada. 

In light of the unprecedented challenges currently confronting Canada’s prosperity, security, and sovereignty, the Canadian Ambassadors Alumni Association (AmbCanada) is organizing its first ever foreign policy conference on Finding Canada's Place in a Disordered World.

This conference will bring together former Canadian Heads of Mission and academic experts to discuss these critical issues. This conference is co-sponsored by the Centre for International Policy Studies (CIPS) at the University of Ottawa with support from APF Canada.

APF Canada Vice-President Research & Strategy Vina Nadjibulla will speak on the panel "How Should We Engage the Rest of the World?"

 APF Canada Senior Fellows David McKinnon and Pascale Massot will speak on the panel " How Does This Change Our Diplomacy?"

APF Canada welcomes the 2024-25 cohort of its Canada-Asia Young Professionals Fellowship Program for a two-day conference in Vancouver. 

The conference includes discussions with local experts, networking with stakeholders, and a workshop on ‘future-proofing’ Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy. This year’s cohort includes Canadians based in B.C., Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, and the U.S.

In this conversation with APF Canada Senior Fellow Dr. Lynette Ong, Professor of Political Science, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto, we will explore contemporary domestic politics in China through the lens of Prof. Ong's 2022 book, Outsourcing Repression: Everyday State Power in Contemporary China. 

In Outsourcing Repression, Ong explores how the Chinese state manages to coerce and mobilize a variety of non-state actors for its own purposes. Dr. Ong will also share her perspectives on the prospects for Canada-China relations in the current geopolitical climate.

This webinar will be moderated by APF Canada Vice-President Research & Strategy Vina Nadjibulla. 

The 2nd APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC II) Meeting for 2025 will be held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 

ABAC is a private sector body consisting of up to three business leaders from each APEC economy. The Council provides recommendations and advice to APEC leaders and officials on the business sector’s priorities and concerns within the region.

APF Canada serves as the Secretariat for Canada’s APEC Business Advisory Council members, Janet De Silva (ABAC Canada Member 2019-present; Chair, ABAC Digital Innovation Task Force) and Joseph Fung (ABAC Canada Member 2021-present; Vice Chair, APEC Policy Partnership on Food Security). The Foundation provides research, analysis, and administrative support and leverages its expertise and networks to help members promote Canadian business interests in key areas for the growth and prosperity of the Asia Pacific region.

Join us for an evening filled with exciting opportunities to network, learn, and grow your business connections between Canada and Asia. 

The forum will feature insightful and interactive panel presentations, questions and discussions, and valuable networking sessions. Whether you are a corporate executive, venture entrepreneur, investor, or strategic advisor, this event is perfect for anyone looking to expand their reach in the international market. 

Don't miss out on this incredible chance to connect with like-minded individuals and gain valuable insights into the world of business in Canada and Asia.

APF Canada's Vice-President Research & Strategy Vina Nadjibulla will be speaking at this event on Canada's economic opportunities in the Indo-Pacific.

Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada's Vice-President, Research & Strategy Vina Nadjibulla will be speaking on the panel on Overcoming the Challenge of 'Brand Canada' While Recruiting and Building Research Partnerships at the Western Canada-India Leaders Summit.  

This is an invitation-only event.

Join us at Invest Ottawa for a high-impact event designed to equip businesses, policymakers, and trade professionals with insights and strategies to navigate the turmoil of international trade. The event will bring together government trade agencies, private sector leaders, and international trade experts to discuss real-world strategies for diversifying Canadian trade.

Our Vice-President Research & Strategy Vina Nadjibulla will be speaking at this event. 

Air Canada is launching a new international destination with service from Vancouver (YVR) to Manila.  

The flight will begin April 2, 2025 with non-stop, year-round, 3 to 4-times weekly service. (Three times from April 2nd to April 30th and then four times a week) and will operate with Air Canada's Boeing 787-9. 

The service represents a strategic expansion of Air Canada's international network with the addition of non-stop flights between its Pacific hub at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) in the Philippines.

It will be Air Canada's 12th route in its transpacific network from Vancouver, which includes Japan, South Korea, People's Republic of China, Hong Kong SAR, Thailand, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand, leveraging Vancouver's geographic position as the closest major North American city to Asia.

Flights from Canada to Manila can be purchased starting December 5, 2024 on aircanada.com, through Air Canada's contact centres, and via travel agents.

The Canadian Women’s International Network (CanWIN), presented by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, will be hosting the second annual CanWIN Global Summit (CGS): The Women’s Business Mission Series to Asia Capstone on March 28, 2025. 

This event will celebrate the successes of mission delegates, discuss the opportunities facilitated by APF Canada for in-market advantages, and explore paths forward for Canada to further diversify its export markets into the dynamic Indo-Pacific region.

CGS2025 will include engaging keynote speakers, panel discussions, a showcase of women entrepreneurs in our network, past delegates, and women business leaders from across Canada and Asia.

This event is exclusively open to CanWIN members, past mission delegates, and partners.

As the Indo-Pacific region becomes increasingly significant amid rising geopolitical and geo-economic uncertainties, understanding India’s role as a rising power and economic powerhouse is more crucial than ever. 

While Canada-India relations have faced diplomatic challenges, a deeper exploration of their bilateral ties and partnerships in the Indo-Pacific is essential. 

As Ottawa recalibrates its relations with friends and adversaries on the global stage, it also seeks to expand and diversify its engagement in the Indo-Pacific. 

This event, featuring renowned strategic affairs expert and India’s foremost scholar on geopolitics and foreign policy Dr. C. Raja Mohan, APF Canada's inaugural Indo-Pacific Visiting Scholar, will explore the complexities of contemporary geopolitics, Canada-India relations, and their shared role in the Indo-Pacific.

Program:

• Introductory Comments: Dr. C. Raja Mohan, APF Canada's inaugural Indo-Pacific Visiting Scholar.
• Panel Discussion: APF Canada Distinguished Fellow T.V. Paul (moderator), Dr. Raja Mohan, APF Canada Vice-President Research & Strategy Vina Nadjibulla, Vincent Rigby (McGill University), Christopher Neal (Canadian International Council)
• Audience Q&A

With the world’s largest population and projections to become the third-largest economy by 2027, India’s economic growth, infrastructure expansion, and potential as a manufacturing and investment hub are remarkable, though not without challenges. 

Join us for a roundtable discussion with Dr. C. Raja Mohan, APF Canada's inaugural Indo-Pacific Visiting Scholar, and a renowned expert on geopolitics, global governance of emerging technologies, and Indian foreign and economic policies. 

The in-person event will delve into India’s complex economic and security landscape, exploring opportunities for partnerships in technology, trade, and innovation — engaging governments, the private sector, and civil society.

As the global rules-based order faces unprecedented disruption under a second Trump presidency in the U.S., countries like Canada and India find themselves at a crossroads, navigating both challenges and opportunities amid major geopolitical shifts and escalating crises. Despite diplomatic and political hurdles in their bilateral relations, the two countries may find opportunities for co-operation based on shared interests on trade, energy security, emerging technologies, maritime security, and the Indo-Pacific. 

Join us for an insightful discussion on these pressing issues with one of India’s foremost experts on geopolitics and foreign policy, Dr. C. Raja Mohan, APF Canada's inaugural Indo-Pacific Visiting Scholar. 

The Symposium on International Relations and Communications at the Université du Québec à Montréal will be held on March 20, 2025, and will focus on 'Asia: the challenges of cybersecurity and the influence of communications.'

Panellists:

Yann Roche – President of the Geopolitical Observatory at the Raoul-Dandurand Chair

Michel Juneau-Katsuya – National security expert and media commentator

Charlotte Burelle – Master's candidate in forensic science and information at the UdeM School of Criminology

Alexandre Veilleux – Advisor, Research and Communications, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada

The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada is hosting a roundtable discussion on Canada-Japan strategic relations with Japan’s Former Minister of Justice, Hideki Makihara. 

This timely discussion with Mr. Makihara, a distinguished voice on Japan’s foreign and economic policy, we explore how U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs and trade measures have reshaped the global economic order. We’ll examine the implications for Japan, including economic security and supply chain resilience, and discuss how Japan is adapting to shifts in U.S. foreign policy and relations with allies, such as Canada. 

The discussion, moderated by APF Canada Vice-President Research & Strategy Vina Nadjibulla, will also touch on Japan’s perspective on the G7 and the growing importance of a robust Japan-Canada strategic partnership in today’s uncertain geopolitical landscape. 

About Hideki Makihara

Hideki Makihara is a Japanese politician and legal expert, and a founder of Dream Platform, who served as the Minister of Justice in Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba first administration in 2024.

Makihara earned his LLB from the University of Tokyo Faculty of Law and later pursued an LLM at Georgetown University Law Center. He is also a licensed attorney in New York. His career began in 2003 at the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI), working in the Multilateral Trade System Department of the Trade Policy Bureau.

In 2005, Makihara entered politics, winning a seat in the House of Representatives as the representative for Saitama Prefecture’s 5th district. Over the years, he has held numerous key positions within the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and the Japanese government. His appointments include Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Environment (2013), Deputy Secretary-General of the LDP (2014), and Director of the LDP Youth Division (2015). He has also been Vice-Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare (2017), Chair of the House of Representatives Committee on Cabinet (2018), and Vice-Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (2019).

Beyond politics, in 2024, he founded and became CEO of Dream Platform. His leadership continues to influence Japan’s legal, economic, and environmental policies, reflecting his diverse expertise in governance, law, and business.

The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada is hosting a talk with Pia Ranada, head of community for Rappler, a Philippines news organization, and winner of the 2024 Marshall McLuhan Award. Previously, Pia was an investigative journalist and senior reporter who covered the Duterte administration (2016-2022). As Community Lead, she is now responsible for linking journalists with communities for impact and action.  

The Embassy of Canada in the Philippines awarded her the Marshall McLuhan Fellowship in November for her “exceptional commitment to journalism, using the craft to build citizens with critical information that can impact societal change” and her commitment to inform, “to enable meaningful public engagement on issues in service of the public, and illustrate how investigations, facts, and transparency can ensure meaningful democratic accountability.”

Pia will discuss how the journalist’s role is expanding beyond reporting to include creating impactful solutions to social challenges and how journalism can be more than truth-telling but also as advocacy for collaborative action. Learn more about Pia here.

Please click HERE to register for this event.

Celebrating its 93rd edition in 2025, the Ottawa Conference stands as Canada’s premier defence and security assembly. The conference centres its discussions around a wide spectrum of security and defence matters, orchestrating a sequence of impactful keynotes, presentations, and dialogues led by distinguished experts in the fields of security and defence from Canada and across the globe. 

The audience consists of senior decision-makers in government, thought leaders in academia and civil society, and industry leaders. The event brings together Parliamentarians and reaches deep into the Department of National Defence, with a strong showing of general and flag officers. Many other key segments of government also attend from the Prime Minister’s Office, the Privy Council, Global Affairs Canada, PSPC, Treasury Board, Canadian Coast Guard, Public Safety, and over 20 other government departments and agencies.

APF Canada's Vice-President Research & Strategy Vina Nadjibulla is a featured speaker on Day 2 (1:25-2:30 p.m. ET) on Panel 8: Challenges and Readiness in the Indo-Pacific.

A winner and nominee of several international documentary awards, this film sheds a light on the Taiwanese who have fought to safeguard their autonomy and democratic way of life, despite enduring decades of external threats and military harassment. 

The screening will be followed by a networking reception, featuring remarks from Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President Research & Strategy, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada.