Founded 2004 Delegates 100 | Director (2014) Harold Kuang | |
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Location Australian National University
Australian Capital Territory, Australia Official website http//asiapacificweek.anu.edu.au/ | ||
Asia Pacific Week (APW) is an annual conference held at the Australian National University (ANU) and hosted by the ANU College of Asia & the Pacific. The conference brings together 100 of the 'best and brightest' student and academic delegates from universities around the world to engage in discussion on the future of the Asia Pacific region. Through the incorporation of innovative and trans-disciplinary sessions, APW aims to facilitate communication and forge connections between top academics and students.
Contents
The 2013 Asia Pacific Week conference will be held between 30 June and 5 July, with applications opening online in early February.
Topics
APW 2011 analyzed contemporary challenges in the Asia Pacific region and included sessions on climate change, gender violence, cybercrime and disaster recovery.
APW 2012 took a more strategic approach, and focussed on the idea of 'The Asian Century' . The conference explored the military, political and economic growth of Asian nations including Indonesia and China, and the ramifications of this for Australia and neighbouring states.
APW 2013 focused on the notion of 'Pushing Boundaries' in the Asia Pacific context.
APW 2014 will explore the idea of " 'GlobaliseAsian' " and what the world may look like and how the West can benefit from the East.
The Conference
A long-established tradition at the ANU, APW was reinvigorated in 2011 with the introduction of a student organising committee. The conference is a student-run, non-profit initiative that affords high achieving students the opportunity to explore and debate the issues affected the Asia Pacific region in concert with leading academics.
Delegates are chosen on the basis of their academic merit, as well as their engagement and experiences of the Asia Pacific Region. Approximately 70 of the 100 delegates are invited from international universities and are generally provided with reimbursement for travel expenses incurred.
The conference is divided into a number of sessions that focus on different issues affecting the Asia Pacific region. These are designed to be as interactive and diverse as possible - past sessions have included a blogging challenge, war-gaming and an ambassador's panel. A number of notable academics and policy makers are involved with APW including Peter Drysdale, Zhao Jianfei, Stephen Howes, The Honourable Gareth Evans AO QC and Admiral Chris Barrie AC.
Asia Pacific Week culminates in a gala dinner, and previous Guests of Honour have included former Prime Ministers The Honourable Bob Hawke AC GCL and The Right Honourable Malcolm Fraser AC CH GCL PC.