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Welcome to the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada's podcast hub. Listen to a wide variety of voices on topics in the Asia Pacific region that matter to Canada, and be sure to subscribe to be notified of our latest episodes!
104 Episodes
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In this episode of Asia Pacific Conversations, Elizabeth Wishnick, Adjunct Senior Research Scholar, Weatherhead East Asian Institute at Columbia University, sits down with APF Canada’s Vice-President Research & Strategy, Vina Nadjibulla, to discuss Arctic geopolitics and security.
Wishnick examines the growing strategic importance and dramatic geopolitical shifts in the Arctic, including challenges and opportunities in Canada’s far north. She explores how the region is shifting from co-operation to competition, driven by Russia's war in Ukraine, NATO's shifting alliances, and China's rising influence over shipping lanes. They also unpack emerging challenges to maritime security, the regional security implications of China’s growing co-operation with Russia, climate change concerns, and how great power rivalry is signalling a shift towards strategic posturing in a region that has been traditionally underutilized.
Please enjoy this episode of Asia Pacific Conversations!
In this episode of Minerals Matter, APF Canada’s Vice-President, Research & Strategy, Vina Nadjibulla, speaks with Heather Exner-Pirot, Senior Fellow and Director of the Natural Resources, Energy and Environment program at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and Special Advisor to the Business Council of Canada, on strengthening Canada’s domestic approach to critical mineral supply chains.
Heather argues that Canada has significant mining power by default of its vast geological resources, but having the minerals isn’t enough to be a competitive player in critical minerals supply chains. She proposes a four-category framework — inspired in part by China's own division of minerals into "scarcity" and "advantage" categories — that calls for distinct policy and fiscal approaches to solidify Canada’s position in the critical minerals market.
She also shares her perspective on how Canada should approach Chinese investment in the mining sector as the two countries cautiously rebuild ties, and calls for a "divide and conquer" approach for international coordination among allies and partners to build critical minerals resilience without duplicating effort and spending.
In our latest episode of CIAC Conversations, Tamara Vrooman, President and CEO of Vancouver’s International Airport (YVR), sits down with APF Canada’s Communications Director, Michael Roberts, at the sidelines of our fourth annual Canada-in-Asia Conference (CIAC2026) in Singapore in February.
Tamara discusses YVR’s strategic planning model that has positioned it as a catalyst for innovation, a trailblazer in sustainability, and, according to the 2026 Skytrax World Airport Awards, the best airport in North America for a record 15 years. Servicing close to 27 million passengers and 350 tonnes of cargo last year, Tamara explains how YVR is both a hub for business and pleasure travel and a central export/import port linking the Indo-Pacific to Canada and the Americas. She discusses how the airport can support Canada’s expanding export strategy in the years ahead and touches on the importance of diversifying supply chains in today’s turbulent global economy.
The conversation also touches on the importance of prioritizing sustainable innovation in the aviation industry and what YVR and other airports are doing to create more eco-friendly supply chains without sacrificing economic development.
This podcast was originally recorded in February 2026.
In our latest episode of CIAC Conversations, Maggie Gorman Vélez, Vice-President, Strategy, Regions and Policy at the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), sits down with APF Canada’s Communications Director, Michael Roberts, at the sidelines of our fourth annual Canada-in-Asia Conference (CIAC2026) in Singapore in February.
Maggie discusses IDRC’s work supporting development, research, and science initiatives in the Indo-Pacific. She highlights the role of innovation as a “mechanism to achieve development outcomes,” how Canada can support research ecosystems in Asia, and how platforms like CIAC help drive development by providing spaces for collaboration and co-operation for stakeholders across the region.
The conversation also touches on how new technological advancements, like AI, are changing the research landscape and how Canada can leverage these technologies to advance bilateral and multilateral partnerships. Finally, Maggie looks ahead to consider how research institutions in Canada can partner with global actors to create sustainable, meaningful impact in underdeveloped communities in Asia.
This podcast was originally recorded in February 2026.
In this episode, Kakehashi Senior Project Manager Siân Jones and Project Specialist for Inclusive International Trade Mari Naganuma, speak with Samantha Leigh, Film and TV Sustainability Consultant and proud Kakehashi Project alumna.
Samantha discusses how her exposure to Japanese culture and language through Kakehashi, and her later involvement in the JET program. She explains how her passion for sustainability and her openness to work in different sectors led her to a role in film and television, helping reduce waste and carbon footprints on numerous Canadian media productions. Samantha reflects on the challenges of finding balance between creative visions and sustainability priorities, the interdisciplinary nature of sustainability work, and shares her hopes for the normalization of sustainability in media production and beyond.
We hope you enjoy this episode of Kakehashi Conversations.
Dans cet épisode de Conversations québécoises, Alexandre Veilleux de la FAP Canada s’entretient avec la mairesse de Montréal, Soraya Martinez Ferrada, au sujet des ambitions et des fondements de sa première mission économique et culturelle en Corée du Sud. Accompagnée de représentants des industries créatives et culturelles montréalaises, la mairesse Martinez Ferrada se rendra à Séoul et à Busan pour développer de nouveaux partenariats et approfondir sa compréhension de l’écosystème culturel sud-coréen.
La discussion met en lumière l’importance de s’engager dans une diplomatie urbaine internationale pour des villes diversifiées comme Montréal. La conversation souligne également les raisons qui font de la Corée du Sud un partenaire stratégique, tant pour la vitalité économique que pour l’innovation culturelle, ainsi que le rôle central des industries créatives dans la vision internationale de Montréal, leur contribution au rayonnement mondial de la ville et les opportunités qu’offrent des marchés dynamiques comme Séoul et Busan à ces secteurs canadiens en pleine croissance.
In our latest episode of CIAC Conversations, Paulo Martelli, Vice-President and Chief Investment Officer at FinDev Canada, sits down with APF Canada’s Communications Director, Michael Roberts, at the sidelines of our fourth annual Canada-in-Asia Conference (CIAC2026) in Singapore in February.
Paulo discusses FinDev Canada’s work in the Indo-Pacific region as Canada’s development finance institution, including the signing (at CIAC2026) of a new US$30-million loan to PT Indonesia Infrastructure Finance – FinDev Canada’s first investment in Indonesia – to strengthen low-carbon economic growth in the Southeast Asian country. Paulo also reflects on the opening of his organization’s regional office in Singapore, announced last year at CIAC2025.
The conversation then dives into the organization’s focus on development outcomes and an “ecosystem approach” to Canada’s engagement in Asia, how FinDev Canada is aligning itself with the new vision of Canada’s foreign policy strategy articulated by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, the fine balance between innovation and sustainability when it comes to energy security in Asia, and how open dialogues like those fostered at the annual Canada-in-Asia Conference can help expand development opportunities between Canada and partners in the Indo-Pacific.
This podcast was originally recorded in February 2026.
In this second episode, APF Canada’s Canada-Indo-Pacific Critical Minerals Hub’s key advisor and APF Canada John H. McArthur Research Fellow Pascale Massot, also Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa, talks with Constantine Karayannopoulos, Former Chief Executive Officer at Neo Performance Materials and a world-renowned industry insider in rare earth elements and critical minerals.
The conversation explores the current landscape of the mining industry in Canada and globally, with a focus on the key challenges Western efforts face in building more resilient critical minerals supply chains. Karayannopoulos, also a chemical engineer, warns it could take at least a decade to make meaningful progress, above all if governments rely on market forces to resolve the supply chain's biggest chokepoint: midstream processing.
Looking ahead, he draws on the experiences of Japan and Brazil, where strategic investment and long-term planning have proven effective, and argues that Canada must move beyond its current export-oriented model. Committing to value-added production, from mineral processing to the manufacturing of advanced products, would generate greater economic returns, he explains, making the case that strategic investment in defence, innovation, and critical minerals technologies will be essential to building lasting economic resilience and strengthening national security.
In this episode of Asia Pacific Conversations, APF Canada’s Vice-President Research & Strategy, Vina Nadjibulla, sits down with two of the Foundation’s 2025 Indo-Pacific Research Fellows: Dr. Yujen Kuo, Director and Professor at the Institute of China and Asia-Pacific Studies of National Sun Yat-sen University, Taiwan, and Don McLain Gill, Lecturer at the Department of International Studies, De La Salle University in the Philippines.
Together, they explore the maritime security challenges facing Taiwan, the Philippines, and other Indo-Pacific economies, as well as the opportunities for Canada to deepen its engagement in the region through defence agreements and maritime intelligence sharing.
Dr. Kuo touches on Taiwan's security posture, and growing partnerships with Japan, the U.S., and Canada, along with the island’s contingency planning and the reliability of the U.S. as an ally in the region. Dr. McLain Gill highlights the Philippines' challenges with China's actions in its exclusive economic zone, emphasizing the need for robust regional and international attention with a focus on international maritime law and defence industrial co-operation.
The wide-ranging discussion also looks at domestic politics in Taiwan, Canada-Philippines relations, and the forward-looking research priorities of APF Canada’s two outgoing Indo-Pacific Research Fellows as we get ready to welcome a new cohort for 2026.
In this introductory episode, APF Canada Vice-President Research & Strategy Vina Nadjibulla speaks with Professor Pascale Massot, key advisor to the Critical Minerals Hub and APF Canada’s John H. McArthur Research Fellow, about China’s grip on critical minerals and the policy options available to Canada. Pascale Massot is an Associate Professor in the School of Political Studies at the University of Ottawa and the author of the award-winning book China’s Vulnerability Paradox: How the World’s Largest Consumer Transformed Global Commodity Markets.Massot explains why securing critical minerals has become an urgent challenge that goes beyond geology. China’s dominance, she argues, is the result of deliberate policy choices in Beijing as well as past decisions of offshoring processing capacity in the West. While China holds near-monopoly positions across much of the critical minerals value chain, Massot explains why it is not invincible. The episode concludes with Massot outlining realistic pathways for Canada to strengthen supply-chain resilience and reduce dependence on China.
In our latest episode of CIAC Conversations, Sue Paish, CEO of DIGITAL (formerly Canada's Digital Technology Supercluster),joins APF Canada’s Communications Director, Mike Roberts, to discuss tech innovation ahead of this year’s annual Canada-in-Asia Conference (CIAC2026) in Singapore, February 10-11.The conversation dives into the role of DIGITAL in fostering innovation and technology development in Canada, the importance of talent development in the tech sector, and the geopolitical challenges and opportunities currently underpinning Canada-Asia relations amid global economic uncertainty. Sue highlights the technological innovative coming from Southeast Asia and emphasizes the importance of participating in events like CIAC2026 to build partnerships that span the transpacific. The discussion also touches on the future of AI and its implications for Canada as a leader in technology security and governance.
In this first episode in our CIAC Conversations series of 2026, APF Canada’s President & CEO, Jeff Nankivell, joins APF Canada’s Communications Director, Mike Roberts, in advance of this year’s annual Canada-in-Asia Conference (CIAC2026) in Singapore, February 10-11. The conversation touches on the origins and unique framework of the Canada-in- Asia Conference series, how it empowers Canada’s diversification efforts in the Asia Pacific in the context of increasing global uncertainty, the shared priorities of food security, energy security, and infrastructure underpinning this year’s conference, and the importance of creating and deepening connections between partners in Canada and Asia across business, government, research, and innovation.
Alors que les relations entre le Québec et la Corée du Sud connaissent une évolution rapide, cet épisode analyse l’émergence d’un partenariat stratégique clé en Indo-Pacifique. Avec la participation de Damien Pereira, délégué du Québec à Séoul, la discussion met en lumière l’amélioration marquée de la perception de la Corée au Québec au cours des 15 dernières années, portée par les échanges culturels, l’influence mondiale de la culture populaire coréenne et la croissance soutenue du tourisme entre les deux sociétés.L’épisode aborde également l’approfondissement des liens économiques, notamment dans des secteurs stratégiques tels que les métaux, l’aérospatiale, la défense, les technologies de pointe ainsi que la filière des batteries et des véhicules électriques. Inscrite dans un contexte géopolitique de plus en plus complexe, la discussion porte sur les trajectoires futures des relations Québec–Corée et les possibilités de coopération accrue en matière diplomatique, commerciale et multilatérale.
In this episode of Kakehashi Conversations, Siân Jones, Senior Program Manager for the Kakehashi Project and Mari Naganuma, APF Canada Project Specialist for Inclusive International Trade sit down with Dr. Alexander “AJ” Wray, Assistant Professor of Community Health Education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Health Geographer, and proud alum of the Kakehashi Program. Dr. Wray shares how his time in Japan offered lasting insights into the ways cities can be thoughtfully designed to better support the needs and comforts of their residents, and how the interdisciplinary nature of health geography sheds light on the powerful influence our physical surroundings have on our daily lives. He also speaks to the value of creating welcoming, accessible community spaces that encourage connection and supports the well-being of young people in particular.
Dans cet épisode de Conversations québécoises, Alexandre Veilleux reçoit Catherine Tadros, déléguée du Québec à Singapour, qui cumule plus de 20 ans d’expérience au sein de la fonction publique québécoise.Dans ce balado, Mme Tadros aborde l’importance croissante des relations entre le Québec et l’Asie du Sud-Est, une région à la fois diversifiée et stratégiquement essentielle. Elle explique comment la Stratégie indo-pacifique du Québec a renforcé les liens politiques, culturels et économiques avec les États membres de l’ASEAN, tandis que les récents accords commerciaux impliquant le Canada — notamment avec l’Indonésie et dans le cadre du PTPGP — ouvrent de nouvelles avenues pour les entreprises québécoises. La conversation explore également le rôle de la francophonie dans la diplomatie régionale, les secteurs porteurs pour les entreprises du Québec, ainsi que le potentiel des technologies vertes et du leadership climatique pour approfondir la coopération entre le Québec et l’Asie du Sud-Est.
In this episode of Kakehashi Conversations, the second of a two-part series spotlighting alumni working in the humanitarian sector, Kakehashi Senior Program Manager Siân Jones and Research Scholar for South Asia Tanya Dawar speak with Stephanie Xu, a Communications Advisor for the International Committee of the Red Cross working in Rangoon, Myanmar, and proud Kakehashi alum of the 2018-19 university cohort. Stephanie discusses lessons learned about differences in communications approaches based on cultural, especially the Southeast Asian context, and about the struggle to walk the fine line between raising awareness of humanitarian crises and respecting the dignity of vulnerable communities in her work as a documentary photographer. Stephanie explains how having an “open heart” is key to keeping her grounded and hopeful in the face of professional, physical, mental and emotional challenges. We hope you enjoy this inspiring episode of Kakehashi Conversations!
In this episode of Asia Pacific Conversations, Dr. Victor Cha, President of the Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., discusses South Korea’s evolving economic and political landscape with APF Canada Vice-President Research & Strategy Vina Nadjibulla. Cha explores the ‘roller-coaster’ of U.S.-South Korea relations, including the in-depth investment and defence deals announced by U.S. President Trump and Korean President Lee that shocked policy observers, and the unexpected policy direction the East Asian nation has taken in dealing with China. He provides an assessment of South Korea’s militarization strategies in the region and the prospect of North Korea being recognized as a nuclear power by the U.S. Finally, Dr. Cha reflects on the takeaways from APF Canada’s inaugural Indo-Pacific Forum, hosted on October 1-2, 2025, in Ottawa, and the lessons South Korea could learn from Canada regarding economic diversification and contingency planning in the context of the unpredictable Trump 2.0 Administration. Please enjoy this episode of Asia Pacific Conversations!
In this episode of Asia Pacific Conversations, Pita Limjaroenrat, former leader of Thailand’s Move Forward Party (MFP) and current Senior Research Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, discusses the evolution of Thailand’s democratic renewal with APF Canada Vice-President Research & Strategy Vina Nadjibulla. Under Pita’s leadership in May 2023, the MFP received the most votes and seats in Parliament in Thailand’s general elections. Despite that mandate, his attempts to form a government were blocked by institutional mechanisms, and the Constitutional Court dissolved the MFP on August 7, 2024 and banned its leader from serving in politics for 10 years. The party’s social democratic agenda centered on addressing grassroots issues, welfare improvements, and human rights, while advocating for the demilitarization of politics and economic democratization. Pita shares firsthand insights on the forces shaping Thailand’s democratic renewal, offering listeners a unique perspective on overcoming institutional challenges and building inclusive governance. He explores opportunities and challenges for Thailand's ASEAN engagement, discusses regional collaboration on critical minerals, cybersecurity, and coastal co-ordination, and prospects for Canada-Thailand co-operation. Finally, he reflects on his own mission for transparent, equitable governance—offering critical takeaways for the next generation of political thought leaders advocating for democratic resilience and international co-operation.
In this episode of Kakehashi Conversations, the first of a two-part series spotlighting alumni working in the humanitarian sector, Kakehashi Senior Program Manager Siân Jones and Research Scholar for South Asia Tanya Dawar speak with their first Japanese Kakehashi alumni guest, Jo Maruyama, a UNESCO intern working in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and proud Kakehashi alum of the 2023 university cohort. Jo discusses his cultural exchange in Canada and how Kakehashi shaped his idea of what it means to be Japanese in a global context. He explains his career path as a UNESCO trainee doing ‘on the ground’ humanitarian work in Central Asia with a focus on how climate disasters disproportionately impact women and girls. He describes how his volunteer work supporting Ukrainian refugees in Poland contributed to what he calls a “colourless” mindset, encouraging him to be open to others’ cultures and values and maintain hope for the future in a troubled and uncertain world.
In this episode of Kakehashi Conversations, Program Manager Siân Jones and Research Scholar for South Asia Tanya Dawar speak with Allison Cohen (Chief of Staff, Liquid AI) and Kimberley Nault (PhD Candidate, University of Ottawa) about their experiences in the Kakehashi Project and their work in AI. Allison reflects on her 2018 trip to Japan, where a rural homestay offered powerful lessons in culture and shared humanity. Kimberley recalls her 2020 journey, which began with an unexpected meeting with Princess Takamado at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo and the lasting impact of living with a Japanese family. They also share their career paths and perspectives on AI—from Allison’s transition from global affairs to socially beneficial projects at Mila and now innovative work at Liquid AI, including the launch of the Apollo AI application, to Kimberley’s research on human–AI collaboration and education. Together, they explore AI’s potential to expand access to essential services, the importance of AI literacy, Canada’s role in promoting ethical development, and practical advice for young people eager to engage with AI responsibly.
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