Vina Nadjibulla, Jawad Hussain Quresh, and Tommy Koh leading a panel discussion on Canadian implications of the Indo-Pacific
On January 31st, 2025 the Institute of Asian Research (IAR) hosted a full-day symposium on the Indo-Pacific region under the leadership of Prof. Kai Ostwald (Director, IAR; Associate Professor SPPGA and UBC Political Science) and the directors of the five regional centres housed at IAR. The symposium facilitated discussion on key issues and current developments in the Indo-Pacific region, looking at how these changes impact Canada. Participants heard insights from a number of speakers with expertise in the region, ranging from student researchers to working professionals and academics. The varied perspectives that the speakers brought to the table allowed participants to gain a holistic and comprehensive knowledge about the region’s current status quo.
The symposium began with an in-depth panel discussion on the “Use and Misuse of History in the Indo-Pacific” which examined how history is used and misused, often in a revisionist fashion, in service of political and other nationalist objectives across the Indo-Pacific region. The panel featured Tim Cheek (Director, Centre for Chinese Research; Professor, School of Public Policy and Global Affairs and UBC History), Don Baker (Director, Centre for Korean Research; Professor, UBC Asian Studies), John Roosa (Director, Centre for Southeast Asia Research; Professor, UBC History), Yin Shoufu (Assistant Professor, UBC History), Maha Siddiqui (MPPGA; IAR Fellow, Centre for India and South Asia Research) and Phebe M. Ferrer (Senior Research Specialist, Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada).
The conversations sparked by this panel continued over lunch where participants had a chance to network and enjoy food from regional cuisines, including banh mí sandwiches, onigiris and Japanese sweets!
Prof. John Roosa speaking at the panel on "The Use and Misuse of History in the Indo-Pacific"
(L to R): Prof. John Roosa, Prof. Don Baker, Phoebe Ferrer, Maha Siddiqui, and Prof. Yin Shofu
Prof. Kai Ostwald presenting during the panel on "Indo-Pacific Hot Spots and Key Issues"
Audience Discussion
Prof. Vina Nadjibulla
Jeehye Kim presenting on "Two Threats to the liberal democratic order in Korea"
Prof. Juliet Lu moderating discussion during the panel on "Reflecting on Indo-Pacific Canadian implications"
Vina Nadjibulla sharing opening remarks at the sessions on Indo-Pacific Hotspots
Prof. Leo Shin presenting on Hong Kong
The Symposium was attended by a lively audience from across UBC and beyond
SPPGA Fellow Thiha Htet Zaw sharing insights on contemporary politics in Myanmar
Prof. Ramana presenting on atomic weapons in South Asia and Northeast Asia
“This symposium marked an important step in revitalizing Asia-focused dialogues at UBC... Our objective was not just to generate new insights, but also to strengthen our academic and policy networks so that UBC remains a leading hub for meaningful engagement on Indo-Pacific affairs. ”
The second session titled “Indo-Pacific Hot Spots and Key Issues” included a rapid-fire round of contemporary key issues across the region. The session began with opening remarks by Vina Nadjibulla, Vice-President of Research and Strategy at the Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada who remarked both on what happened in the Indo-Pacific region in 2025 as well as the challenges and opportunities to look out for in 2025. Speaking at this session were Kristen Hopewell (SPPGA), Soo-Yeon Kim (SPPGA), Yves Tiberghien (UBC Political Science; Centre for Japanese Research;), Scott Harrison (Resource & Environmental Management, Simon Fraser University), Thiha Htet Zaw (SPPGA), M V Ramana (SPPGA; Centre for India and South Asia Research), Leo Shin (UBC History), Kai Ostwald (SPPGA; IAR), Tsering Shakya (UBC Asian Studies; Himalaya Program), Jeehye Kim (Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada), Joël Dalibard (SPPGA), and Zachary Constantino (SPPGA).
Following the discussion on key issues and hotspots in the region was a session titled “Reflecting on Indo-Pacific Canadian Implications”, which provided the opportunity for further observations of how changes in the region may affect Canada. Speaking on this panel were Tommy Koh (Government of Singapore, Prime Minister’s Office), Vina Nadjibulla (Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada), Juliet Lu (SPPGA), and Jawad Hussain Qureshi (Government of Canada, Privy Council Office). Discussions centered around how Canada can most effectively navigate the emerging geopolitical environment in the Indo-Pacific as well as cooperate with key partners in the region.
Reflecting on the event, Prof Kai Ostwald said: “This symposium marked an important step in revitalizing Asia-focused dialogues at UBC. It brought together practitioners and experts from across disciplines to explore key challenges in the Indo-Pacific and Canada’s evolving relationship with it. Our objective was not just to generate new insights, but also to strengthen our academic and policy networks so that UBC remains a leading hub for meaningful engagement on Indo-Pacific affairs. The strong turnout and rich discussions reaffirmed the need for more sustained conversations on these issues.”
The Institute of Asian Research at SPPGA is dedicated to continuing the important conversations sparked by this symposium through ongoing events, research and other related programs. You can learn more about the Institute of Asian Research here and also sign up to receive the IAR newsletter.
