APF Canada is pleased to share a ‘sneak peek’ of our new COVID storymap: Mapping the Asia Pacific’s COVID-19 Response. This interactive, geo-enabled map of the diverse responses to the coronavirus pandemic in the Asia Pacific is the culmination of APF Canada’s recent research on policy trends and demonstrates the deeply layered complexity of the impacts COVID-19 has had on public health, digital innovation, mobility, trade & investment, and social dynamics in the region.

Check out our 2-minute promo reel for this exciting new project . . .

We also encourage you to browse the site and uncover some of the compelling stories of innovation and resilience emerging from the Asia Pacific.

The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, in partnership with the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Vancouver, invites you to join us for a webinar on COVID-19 Contact Tracing in South Korea: Pandemic, Technology, and Social Implications.

South Korea’s successful response to the COVID-19 outbreak has drawn global attention and praise. At the core of its COVID-19 strategy is the ‘Trace, Test, and Treat’ model, which has depended heavily on contact tracing process that involved extensive collection and use of personal data. While successful, this approach has raised concerns over its liberal collection and use of data.

In this context, South Korea’s contact tracing efforts bring up important questions about public policy and the role of digital technology in our society: How do we balance public good and privacy in the era of ‘big data’? What does COVID-19 tell us about the future of tech governance? What do South Korea’s experiences teach Canada?

Two leading privacy experts, Park Kyung-sin (Korea University) and Carole Piovesan (INQ Law) will discuss these critical questions during the webinar, in the context of contact tracing efforts in South Korea and Canada.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, China has been able to effectively contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, begin recovery and resume normal operations. Notably, throughout both the outbreak and recovery stages, China has seen a profound acceleration in digital transformation across almost all sectors. Businesses have had to turn to digital tools like never before in order to navigate the disruptions caused by COVID-19, and consumer behaviour has been fundamentally reshaped.

In this session, Alibaba Group President Michael Evans will discuss the implications for long-term change and recovery in China as well as how Alibaba is leveraging its digital economy to empower businesses and MSMEs from around the world to access growth opportunities in China and embrace digital transformation.