Event Archive

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.

The workshop will bring together experts from across the Indo-Pacific to assess key strategic, economic, and security developments in the region since 2020. Participants will examine the effectiveness of co-operative frameworks, evaluate responses to emerging challenges, and develop actionable insights and strategic priorities to strengthen regional resilience and long-term collaboration.

Supported by APF Canada, this workshop is co-organized by the Council for Strategic and Defense Research (CSDR) and the Department of International Studies at De La Salle University, Manila. APF Canada's Vice-President Research & Strategy Vina Nadjibulla will be speaking at this conference. 

Read the event brochure here.

Canada and ASEAN elevated their relationship to a Strategic Partnership in 2022 and are currently negotiating a ASEAN-Canada Free Trade Agreement (ACAFTA). As Canada looks to diversify beyond the U.S. and deepen its Indo-Pacific ties, ASEAN—home to over 670 million people—is central to Canada’s long-term economic and strategic interests.

This timely discussion will explore how Canada can align more closely with the priorities of Malaysia (ASEAN Chair in 2025) and the Philippines (Chair in 2026), and how those priorities can be leveraged to advance the Strategic Partnership and ACAFTA negotiations.

This event is organized in co-ordination with the visit of two distinguished experts on Southeast Asia:

• Richard Heydarian, Senior Lecturer in International Affairs at the University of the Philippines Asian Center and 2025 Indo-Pacific Visiting Scholar at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada
   
• Dr. Tricia Yeoh, Associate Professor of Practice at the University of Nottingham Malaysia and Senior Fellow at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada
   

To RSVP, please register through this link.

You can also tune in via Livestream by clicking here. 

Due to limited capacity, registration will be confirmed via email by the organizing team.

Speakers:

• Richard Heydarian, University of the Philippines Asian Center; APF Canada 2025 Indo-Pacific Visiting Scholar
• Dr. Tricia Yeoh, University of Nottingham Malaysia; APF Canada Senior Fellow
• Kai Ostwald, HSBC Chair and Director, Institute of Asian Research, UBC; APF Canada Senior Fellow (Discussant)
• Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President, Research & Strategy, APF Canada (Moderator)
   

We hope you can join us for this important conversation on the future of Canada–ASEAN relations.

U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs and rapidly shifting global security dynamics make Canada’s partnerships in Asia more vital than ever. The urgency is most evident in the South China Sea, where rising tensions over sovereignty, maritime security, and freedom of navigation are reshaping the regional order. 

The Philippines, at the frontline of these developments, is not only a key player in this contested region but also one of Canada’s most valued partners in Asia. Strengthening ties with Manila offers Canada opportunities to advance both economic co-operation and security engagement in the Indo-Pacific. 

The discussion will feature Philippines' policy adviser Richard Heydarian, Senior Lecturer at the University of the Philippines’ Asian Center and an APF Canada 2025 Indo-Pacific Visiting Scholar, for an in-depth discussion on what this all means for the future of bilateral collaboration between the Philippines and Canada.

For inquiries, email events@asiapacific.ca.

At the March 2025 G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Canada led adoption of the G7 Maritime Security Declaration on co-operation on protecting sea lines of communication and critical subsea infrastructure. Translating those commitments into practical collaboration now requires allies and like-minded partners to share intelligence, regulatory best practices, and public-private response frameworks. Lithuania and Taiwan have emerged as frontline innovators in cable-route diversification, rapid-repair capacity, and legal attribution for grey-zone attacks. 

This closed-door dialogue will bring together perspectives from these and other critical stakeholders to identify tangible next steps for collective action and resilience. The discussion will feature, H.E. Egidijus Meilūnas, Ambassador of Lithuania to Canada, H.E. Harry Tseng, TECO Representative in Canada; Karina Häuslmeier, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of the Republic of Germany to Canada; and Ty Curran, Deputy Director General, International Security, Department of National Defence. The discussion will be moderated by APF Canada's Vice-President, Research & Strategy, Vina Nadjibulla.

Read the post-event summary report here.

For inquiries, email events@asiapacific.ca.

The Trump tariffs and rapidly shifting global security dynamics make Canada’s partnerships with Asia more vital than ever. The Philippines is one of Canada’s most valued partners in the region, and one with which we are strengthening our economic and security ties. 

This event will feature acclaimed Filipino policy adviser and APF Canada's Indo-Pacific Visiting Scholar Richard Heydarian and will explore the significance of partnerships between countries like the Philippines and Canada and what these ties could mean for Manitoba’s future.