Fellowship•Canada · Hybrid

Indo-Pacific Young Leaders Program (IPYL)

Funding

Fully Funded

Program dates

TBA

The Indo-Pacific Young Leaders Program (IPYL) is run by the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (APF Canada) and supported by the Government of Canada. Launched in January 2025, it aims to cultivate long-term “Canada competence” among the region’s next generation of foreign-policy influencers by deepening their relationships and connections with Canada. Each one-year cohort brings together early- to mid-career professionals from across the Indo-Pacific whose work touches the priorities of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy. The current 2026–2027 cohort is made up of 15 professionals from across the Indo-Pacific region. The program is non-degree and non-resident: most engagement happens virtually, anchored by a single in-person week in Canada.

Benefits & funding

  • A one-week familiarization visit to Canada, including meetings with key decision-makers and government officials.
  • Monthly virtual briefings on Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy.
  • Participation in APF Canada events, such as the annual Canada-in-Asia Conference in Singapore.
  • Opportunities to contribute written analyses.
  • Network development with Canadian officials, industry leaders, and regional experts.
  • (The program page does not itemize stipend, travel, or accommodation figures for the Canada visit.)

Eligibility

  • Restricted to early- to mid-career professionals based in the Indo-Pacific region — it is not open to applicants from outside the region.
  • Aged 25–39.
  • Typically already embedded in government ministries, regional organizations (e.g. ASEAN), think-tanks, media outlets, and universities.
  • Expertise aligned with Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy priorities — regional security, innovation, emerging technology, space, energy security, and sustainable development.
  • Economies represented in the current 2026–2027 cohort include Vietnam, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, New Zealand, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and Malaysia; the full eligible roster spans the wider Indo-Pacific but is not currently published on the program page.
  • The program page states no explicit degree threshold; the cohort’s seniority indicates applicants generally hold at least an undergraduate degree. Past cycles also set a minimum work-experience bar, but the exact threshold is no longer public.

Application process

  1. 1
    Watch APF Canada’s employment-opportunities page for the Call for Applications when a cohort cycle is open.
  2. 2
    Submit the requested application materials before the stated deadline.
  3. 3
    Selected applicants are invited to join the cohort for the one-year program.

Program timeline

  1. Program launched — inaugural cohort of 15 professionals from eight Indo-Pacific economies.

    January 2025

  2. Most recent application deadline (2026–2027 cohort).

    Dec 9, 2025

  3. Current cohort runs (15 professionals from across the Indo-Pacific).

    2026–2027