Event Archive

APF Canada welcomes the 15 members of its inaugural Indo-Pacific Young Leaders cohort for a one-week visit to Canada to connect with stakeholders in the Canada-Indo-Pacific relationship from governments, think-tanks, civil society organizations, and business. 

This year’s cohort includes government officials, researchers, and private sector actors from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines, and Taiwan.

In September 2023, former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Paul Thoppil as Canada’s first ever Indo-Pacific Trade Representative, based in Jakarta, Indonesia. This new position, an outcome of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy (launched in November 2022) is focused on deepening Canada’s trade and investment links in the Indo-Pacific region. Since arriving in the region, Mr. Thoppil has travelled extensively, often alongside Canadian companies and provincial representatives, meeting government and corporate leaders to boost Canadian exports and attract foreign investment.

The incoming federal government’s pledge to review Canada’s foreign policy offers a timely opportunity to take stock of the Indo-Pacific Strategy as Canada looks to accelerate trade diversification and recalibrate and deepen relations with this important region.

Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President Research & Strategy, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, will share some "Strategic Reflections" drawing from contributions from experts on the implementation of the Strategy and its impact, highlighting successes and priorities to ensure it remains effective in advancing Canadian interests in the region.

Click here for more information and registration. 

The first two annual editions of Space Canada Horizons have been a tremendous success, welcoming 100+ attendees from across Canada to hear from featured guests from the CSA, the Royal Canadian Air Force, Transport Canada, and the Department of Finance to discuss the momentum that’s building in the Canadian space sector.

We’re looking forward to building on this success in 2025. 

APF Canada's Vice-President Research & Strategy Vina Nadjibulla, will be joining the conference to speak on the geopolitical outlook and its implications for the Canadian space ecosystem.

This APF Canada event in partnership with Simon Fraser University will bring together businesspeople and leaders from both countries to discuss important topics in a collaborative setting. 

Join us at the Segal Graduate School of Business, Simon Fraser University, for engaging discussions, networking opportunities, and insightful presentations. 

Our Vice-President Research & Strategy Vina Nadjibulla is a guest speaker at this event. 

As part of Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy, the Minister of International Trade will lead a Team Canada Trade Mission (TCTM) to Thailand and Cambodia. The trade mission will help Canadian exporters and innovators from across the country position themselves in both markets by showcasing their capabilities and competitiveness while facilitating long-term trade and investment opportunities.

APF Canada President & CEO Jeff Nankivell is joining the mission and will be briefing delegates in Bangkok on May 25. 

About the Mission:

Markets: Core programming in Bangkok (Thailand) from May 25 to May 28, with additional priority sector programming in Phnom Penh (Cambodia) on May 29 and May 30.

Priority sectors: While the trade mission is open to companies and organizations from all sectors, the program will highlight areas of Canadian competitive advantage, with a particular focus on the following priority sectors:

• Agri-food and food processing (Thailand and Cambodia)
• Cleantech and sustainable infrastructure (Thailand and Cambodia)
• Information and communication technologies (Thailand only)
• Life sciences (Thailand only)
   

The B2B program stream (which includes pre-arranged business to business meetings) will be available only to eligible small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that operate in the priority sectors.

To mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the G7, the l'Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI), with the support and funding from the Korea Foundation, and in collaboration with the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), is organizing the second ROK-G7 Cooperation Forum, on May 22 in Ottawa, Canada.

The forum will explore how Canada, Japan, and European G7 countries can work strategically with the ROK to prop up and bolster multilateral engagement and manage Indo-Pacific security challenges. The event will be attended by former officials and experts from academia, think-tanks, and representatives from the private sector in South Korea, together with their counterparts from the G7 countries and Australia. 

The first two open sessions will focus on ‘Prospects for ROK-G7 Cooperation on International Security’ and ‘Prospects for ROK-G7 Partnership in Science, Technology, and Global Development.’ These will be followed by two closed-door sessions, carried out under Chatham House Rule: a “Special session” and a final session on “Prospects for ROK-G7 Cooperation on Trade and Investment."

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.