APIGA Celebrates Its Decade of Shaping Future Internet Leaders in Asia-Pacific

APIGA Celebrates 10 Years of Preparing Future Internet Leaders

On July 24, 2026, the Asia-Pacific Internet Governance Academy (APIGA) marked a crucial milestone by celebrating its tenth anniversary in Busan, South Korea. Established in 2016, APIGA has dedicated itself to nurturing young talent ready to shape the future of the Internet in the Asia-Pacific region. Since its inception, more than 359 participants from 32 economies have successfully completed the program, fostering a growing network of future decision-makers, technical experts, academics, civil society actors, and Internet governance leaders.

During a special ceremony at the APIGA 2026 edition, Sally Costerton, Senior Vice President of ICANN, highlighted the importance of this new generation of leaders. "The future of the Internet relies on these young leaders, who are tasked with ensuring a safe, stable, and accessible network for all," she stated. "For the past decade, APIGA has equipped the youth of the Asia-Pacific with the knowledge and practical experience needed to actively engage in the global Internet community."

APIGA's annual five-day workshop offers insights into Internet governance and related themes. Co-organized by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and the Korean Agency for Internet and Security, in partnership with regional Internet organizations like the Asia-Pacific Network Information Centre, DotAsia, and the Internet Society, this immersive program educates participants on how the Internet functions and how a bottom-up governance model based on consensus has shaped it.

Moreover, the program empowers participants to contribute meaningfully to local, regional, and global discussions on Internet governance. Thanks to its success, the APIGA initiative expanded in 2024 by launching local editions, thereby bringing Internet governance education closer to regional communities. These local APIGA programs, designed for practical immersion and delivered in local languages, offer shorter formats that cater to local realities and urgent issues. In just two years, this concept has made strides in ten economies, significantly increasing young people's engagement and reinforcing regional commitment to Internet governance.

As APIGA enters its second decade, the commitment to training future leaders remains unwavering, focusing on building an open, safe, stable, and globally interoperable Internet. APIGA is part of a broader effort by ICANN to prepare the next generation of Internet leaders through various initiatives aimed at youth, such as the NextGen@ICANN program, which introduces university students and early-career professionals to ICANN's public meetings and the multiparty governance model of the Internet.

To learn more about APIGA, visit www.apiga.asia.

About ICANN

Established in 1998, ICANN is a nonprofit organization focused on the public interest, dedicated to ensuring a secure, stable, and unified global Internet. It involves coordinating and supporting unique identifiers worldwide. To reach someone on the Internet, users must enter an address (a name or a number) on a computer or device. This unique address allows computers to identify each other, which is crucial in today’s interconnected world.