Indo-Pacific Research Fellows

APF Canada’s Indo-Pacific Research Fellows (IPRF) program provides fellowships to researchers from the Indo-Pacific, fostering in-depth research on key issues impacting Canada and the Indo-Pacific region. 

Through this program, APF Canada provides funding, editorial support, and a structured engagement plan that connects the Fellows' expertise to Canadian policy needs and, reciprocally, injects Canadian perspectives into regional debates. The program was launched in 2024 to: 

1. Produce timely, policy-relevant analysis on fast-moving security, economic, and technology issues that matter to Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS);

2. Raise Canada’s visibility at local conferences and media; raising Canada’s profile in national and regional debates; and,

3. Cultivate a cadre of Indo-Pacific specialists who appreciate Canada’s interests and maintain long-term professional ties with Canadian counterparts.

Our 2026-2027 cohort (please see below) includes fellows from seven Indo-Pacific jurisdictions: Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam. In addition to contributing written analyses on topics of interest to both Canada and the Indo-Pacific, including defence and security co-operation, trade diversification, foreign interference, Canada-Asia public opinion, and critical minerals strategies, the fellows will engage with various stakeholders in the Canada-Asia relationship in both Canada and the region. 

In 2024-2025, eight Asian jurisdictions were represented through this program, supported by the Government of Canada, with an initial IPRF cohort that contributed research and analysis on India, Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines, South Korea, and Taiwan. The Fellows collaborated with each other and APF Canada’s research and programs team virtually throughout the year and convened in Ottawa for the Annual Indo-Pacific Forum – the inaugural edition on October 1-2, 2025 – to brief federal officials, business leaders, and civil-society stakeholders.