Salzburg Global Asia Policy Leadership Forum (APLF) 2026
- Omran Aburayya
- Oct 29
- 4 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
If you are early-to-mid-career (with roughly 5-10 years of professional experience) and working in or engaged with policy, technology or societal governance in Asia, the APLF 2026 represents a major chance to scale your impact. Hosted by Salzburg Global Seminar, the Forum will bring together emerging leaders from across Asia to reflect, collaborate and build solutions for the region’s pressing digital governance challenges. Applications are open now until 10 November 2025 (17:00 CET). Here's everything you need to know.
🌐 Forum Summary
Location: Salzburg, Austria (in-person convening at Schloss Leopoldskron)
Programme Level: Early-to-mid-career professionals (5-10 yrs) in policy/technology/governance
Target Group: Professionals working in government, civil society, private sector or academia in Asia (see eligible countries)
Focus: Technology & society; governance; digital public infrastructure; data sovereignty; inclusive innovation ecosystems
Coverage: Participation is free of charge; room and board in Salzburg are covered; limited travel support is available.
Duration & Timeline:
Virtual on-boarding in March 2026.
Virtual network meetings approx every six weeks between April–December 2026.
In-person convening: 5–10 May 2026 in Salzburg.
Eligible To: Citizens of or working in policy in Japan, Hong Kong SAR, India, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan.
🎓 Fellowship Overview
Asia stands at a pivotal juncture where rapid technological shifts meet governance and societal transformation. With fragmented regulatory frameworks, emerging data sovereignty laws, uneven digital infrastructure, and rising concerns over privacy and inclusion — the region faces major policy and governance challenges.
The APLF 2026 (theme: Leadership in a Digital Age: Technology, Society, and Governance in Asia) brings together approximately 35-45 participants from the target jurisdictions. The forum is structured around collaborative workshops, expert-led panels, strategy labs and peer sessions aimed at equipping participants to design forward-looking policy innovations and scale their work regionally.
🧩 Sub-themes
The programme covers five major sub-themes:
Strengthening Regional Digital Governance and Policy Cohesion
Ensuring Data Security, Privacy and Responsible AI
Building Inclusive Technological Innovation Ecosystems
Fostering Knowledge Sharing and Digital Collaboration
Technology and Society: Leadership for Social Impact
✨ Program Goals
Catalyze Transformative Leadership: Equip emerging leaders with the strategic skills, networks and mindset to navigate technology-governance challenges across Asia.
Advance Responsible Technology and Governance: Develop policy solutions that promote ethical, inclusive, and sustainable technological innovation.
Build a Regional Network for Impact: Foster a cross-sectoral community of leaders from government, civil society, academia, and the private sector, committed to collaboration and regional scaling.
🎁 Benefits
Full participation (no tuition) in the virtual and in-person components.
Accommodation and board during the in-person convening in Salzburg are covered; limited travel funding for travel may be available.
Membership into the Salzburg Global Fellowship network (40,000+ Fellows across 170+ countries) – offering long-term access to alumni networks, events, collaborations.
Opportunity to engage in high-level dialogues, workshops, mentorship and strategy labs with peers and senior leaders in Asia’s policy-tech landscape.
Platform to scale your work regionally, build cross-sector partnerships, and engage directly with innovation in policy, governance and technology.
✅ Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for APLF 2026 you must:
Be a citizen of, or working in policy in one of the following jurisdictions: Japan, Hong Kong SAR, India, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan.
Be an early-to-mid-career professional, typically 5 to 10 years of experience in government, civil society, academia or private sector policy work.
Already demonstrated meaningful impact through your work at the intersection of technology, governance and society.
Have an interest in scaling your work regionally, collaborating across sectors, and engaging with peers and senior leaders on Asia’s pressing policy challenges.
Be passionate about increasing representation and diversity within the policy space in your country/region, especially from underrepresented or historically marginalized groups. The Forum gives priority to those backgrounds.
📝 Application Procedure
Visit the official APLF page on Salzburg Global’s website and access the application form
Note the key deadline: 10 November 2025 (17:00 CET).
Prepare your application which usually includes:
Curriculum Vitae / résumé showing your professional experience (5-10 years)
A statement or motivation letter explaining your policy work, its impact, why you wish to scale it regionally, and why you should be part of the cohort
Evidence of your policy/technology/governance practice (project summaries, reports, publications, policy briefs, or multimedia evidence)
After submission, applicants will be notified by December 2025.
If selected, you will begin the virtual onboarding in March 2026 followed by the in-person session in May 2026.
👌🏻 Tips & Insights for a Strong Application
Emphasize impact: Show concrete results of your policy/technology/governance work (for example, a programme you led, policy you influenced, or technological innovation you deployed).
Demonstrate regional scalability: Because the forum focuses on cross-border/Asia-wide impact, make clear how your work can grow beyond your home country.
Align with the themes: Use your application to reflect your engagement with digital infrastructure, data governance, inclusive innovation, technology-society interaction, and/or multi-sector collaboration.
Reflect diversity and inclusion: Given the prioritisation of underrepresented voices, highlight how your background or perspective adds value to the cohort.
Showcase adaptability and leadership: As a mid-career professional, the forum expects capacity for leadership, cross-sector collaboration, strategic thinking.
Plan ahead for logistics: The in-person convening is in Salzburg, Austria (May 5–10 2026). Make sure you can commit to travel and full participation.
🚀 Final Thoughts
For professionals working at the intersection of policy, technology and governance across Asia, the APLF 2026 offers a powerful platform to elevate your work, deepen your network, and accelerate your regional impact. With strong emphasis on inclusive leadership, cross-sector innovation, and a global alumni network via Salzburg Global, this is more than a workshop — it’s a stepping stone into a networked future of transformative policy leadership.