JFSEAP Network Fellowship: Indo-Pacific Leadership Lab

The challenges facing communities across Indo-Pacific including ASEAN and Japan increasingly cross sectors, systems, and borders. The Indo-Pacific Leadership Lab (IPLL) is a regional leadership program by the East-West Center (EWC) and the Japan Foundation (JF), for mid-career professionals seeking to deepen their understanding of shared challenges across the region while strengthening their collaborative leadership capabilities. The program brings together leaders from different countries and sectors for experiential learning, peer exchange, practical leadership development, and sustained regional relationship building.

The program will focus on coastal, delta and river communities—places where communities in the Indo-Pacific region are navigating changing ecosystems, development pressures, shifting livelihoods, and other forms of environmental and social change. IPLL Fellows will explore how coastal and river communities are responding to livelihood and environmental changes through governance, innovation, community-based approaches, cross-sector collaboration, and the use of scientific, local, and experiential knowledge. Fellows will engage in three in-person residential learning experiences in Japan, Malaysia, and Hawai’i, as well as monthly virtual connections in between travel.

• Application Guidelines
• Program Advisor

Previous Programs with the East-West Center
JFIPP Network Fellowship “Climate Change and Adaptation” (Indo-Pacific Leadership Lab)

Application Guidelines
*Applications for the 2027-2028 cohort

Overview (Application Now Open)

Eligibility	Mid-career professional and a citizen and resident of either Japan, United States of America, Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia and South Asia. Be engaged professionally in work relevant to coastal or river communities, livelihoods, environmental management, economic development, or closely related issues. Approximately 5-10 years of professional experience is desirable. Verbal fluency in English, with strong written English skills Be able to commit to one week of travel in Japan, Malaysia and Hawaiʻi (three weeks total), plus monthly virtual connections in between travel. Please refer to the EWC website for the for further details of the program.
Program Schedule	[In-person Program]   Japan : May 17-21, 2027   Malaysia : October 4-8, 2027   Hawaiʻi : January 17-21, 2028 [Online Program] Monthly sessions take place between in-person programs
Items covered by the Program	Round-trip airfare to/from the program locations, program fees and materials, accommodation, meals, and some applicable visa-related costs (if required).
Application Procedure	For more information, please visit the East-West Center’s website. Indo-Pacific Leadership Lab | East-West Center
Application Deadline	November 15, 2026 (at 11:59PM Hawaiʻi Standard Time)

Program Advisor