APEC Study Centers (ASCs) are institutions that foster research and academic discussions that support the broader APEC mission of regional economic integration. 

Each of the 21 member economies hosts centers, building networks between the academic professionals of the region. Today there are more than 50 ASCs, and together they form the APEC Study Centers Consortium (ASCC).

The ASCC holds an annual conference hosted by one of the centers in the APEC Host Economy for the year. The annual conference provides an opportunity for academics and scholars from around the region to discuss their research and identify areas for collaboration.

ASCs were part of the vision set out by APEC Leaders in 1993 when they launched the “APEC Leaders' Education Initiative.” The Education Initiative called on APEC members to foster regional cooperation among tertiary and research institutes to promote greater academic collaboration on key regional economic challenges.

ASCs are independent from APEC and their functions and funding arrangements are not uniform. Financial support is provided through both public and private funding, and research topics are usually chosen by individual study centers, which assures their independence and flexibility, ensuring the integrity of the ASC process.

Last page update: February 2018

APEC Study Centers Consortium Conference 2018

The 2018 APEC Study Centre Consortium Conference (ASCCC) will be held on 14-15 May 2018 at the Laguna Hotel in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (PNG). The conference aims to support the overall objectives of APEC 2018 hosted by PNG. It will also be another opportunity for APEC’s network of academic professionals to inform and influence public policy for APEC economies, guided by the theme and priorities of APEC 2018.

Call for Presenters

The PNG APEC Study Centre (PNG ASC) is calling for expressions of interest to present research, policy and best-practice papers.

If you are interested, please visit Papua New Guinea’s National Research Institute website portal, where you can register and make your submission. You will be asked to prepare an abstract (no more than 500 words) and a short biographical note (no more than 150 words). The deadline is 23 March 2018.

For more information please download this document (pdf).