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Jack Austin Centre for Asia Pacific Business Studies
Courses
The Jack Austin Centre for Asia Pacific Business Studies offers a family of micro-credential courses helping Canadian leaders build the strategic capability to operate and succeed in Asia. LINC Asia Program (Courses 1–3) is a modular, stackable micro-credential; participants can take one course or build toward a full certificate. Designed for emerging leaders and forward-thinking organizations, LINC Asia equips participants with strategic insight, cultural fluency, and practical skills to succeed in Asia's dynamic business environment.
The program emphasizes on strategic analysis of Asia's economic and geopolitical environment, evaluation of market entry opportunities, understanding of innovation ecosystems, and development of actionable expansion strategies.
Doing Business in China (Course 4) is a specialized micro-credential tailored for individuals and organizations whose strategic priority is China rather than the broader Asia-Pacific region.
LINC Asia Course 1: Asia Essentials
Economic, Geopolitical, and Cultural Environments in Asia
Status: Open for registration
Online: Oct 7-Nov 18, 2026
In-person: Dec 4-6, 2026
Asia Essentials develops a comprehensive understanding of the economic, geopolitical, institutional, and cultural environments that shape business strategy across Asia, with a focus on China, India, and Southeast Asia. Participants examine how China's, India's, and Southeast Asia's distinct economic models, political systems, and regulatory environments shape the risks and opportunities Canadian organizations face when doing business in the region, and build the cross-cultural fluency needed to negotiate, communicate, and lead effectively in Asia.
The course runs as a hybrid format: six live online sessions pairing faculty expertise with practitioner panels, followed by a three-day in-person immersion at SFU Beedie. What sets Course 1 apart is its live case company model. Rather than working only through historical case studies, participant teams are matched with a real Canadian company facing a live Asia market-entry decision, and their strategic recommendations are presented directly to that company's own representatives at the capstone. The cohort itself is part of the learning experience: federal and provincial government officials sit alongside private-sector leaders, mirroring the public-private collaboration Canada actually needs to succeed in the region.
Program Curriculum
Module 1: Navigating China's Economic, Political & Geopolitical Landscape
Module 2: Managing Culture and Building Relationships in China
Module 3: Understanding India's Economic, Political & Geopolitical Landscape
Module 4: Culture and Communication in the Indian Business Context
Module 5: Strategic Environments in Southeast Asia - Economics, Politics & Geopolitics
Module 6: Culture and Consumer Insights in Southeast Asia
Module 7: Doing Business in China - Executive Perspectives & Deep Dive
Module 8: Doing Business in India - Executive Perspectives & Deep Dive
Module 9: Doing Business in Southeast Asia - Executive Perspectives & Deep Dive
Module 10: Capstone Coaching & Preparation
Module 11: Capstone - Team Presentations & Expert Evaluation
Program Highlights
- Live case company capstone–Teams advise a real Canadian company on an active Asia market-entry question, not a hypothetical.
- Public-private cohort–Learn alongside business leaders and federal and provincial government officials working the same regional challenges.
- Unmatched regional expertise–Faculty and practitioners with 150+ years of combined experience across 11+ countries.
- Hybrid format with in-person immersion–Live online sessions plus a capstone weekend at SFU Beedie.
- Global networks–A keynote dinner and networking reception connect you with faculty, case companies, and LINC Asia alumni.
- Direct organizational impact–Apply insights immediately to strengthen your own organization's Asia strategy.
LINC Asia Course 2: Asia Deep Dive
Navigating Innovation and Market Entry in Asia
Tentative schedule: Spring 2027
Course 2 focuses on developing practical capability in designing and executing market entry and innovation strategies. Participants learn how to navigate Asia’s innovation ecosystems, regulatory environments, and competitive landscapes, and how to develop strategies tailored to specific markets and industries. As with Course 1, it is expected to combine live online sessions with applied case work and a team capstone project.
LINC Asia Course 3: Asia Real-World Engagement
In-Market Immersion and Execution
Tentative schedule: May 2027
Course 3 provides an immersive, in-region experience designed to bridge strategy development and execution. Participants engage directly with organizations, innovation ecosystems, and business environments across Asia. This immersive course enables participants to apply strategy frameworks in real-world contexts and develop execution-ready capability.
LINC Asia Course 4: Doing Business in China
Strategy, Innovation, and Market Entry
Tentative schedule: Feb 2027
Doing Business in China gives executives a practical, structured understanding of how firms navigate China's complex economic, political, and cultural landscape to design effective market entry and growth strategies. This course takes participants from the fundamentals of China’s economic model and political system through the legal and investment structures used to enter the market, and the practical realities of managing government relations, marketing, digital sales, and intellectual property in China. Throughout the program, faculty-led instruction is complemented by experienced practitioners who share real-world insights and practical lessons.
Learning is anchored in case studies of leading multinational companies and culminates in a team-based capstone project. Participants research and present a comprehensive China market-entry or expansion strategy for a real multinational enterprise, then defend it to a panel of faculty and practitioners.
Program Curriculum
Module 1: Navigating China's Economic, Political, and Geopolitical Landscape
Module 2: Managing Culture and Building Relationships in China
Module 3: Doing Business in China: Company Case Studies
Module 4: Government Relations, Policy Tracking, and Crisis Management in China
Module 5: Legal and Investment Structures for Entering China
Module 6: Designing Marketing and Digital Commerce in China
Module 7: Innovation in Action: Company Case Studies
Module 8: Protecting Innovation: IP Strategy, Due Diligence, and Governance
Module 9: China Market Entry Options: Synthesis and Capstone Preparation
Module 10: Capstone: Team Presentation and Evaluation
Program Highlights
- Real-world company cases–Case studies of Ballard Power Systems, Starbucks, Luckin Coffee, and Lululemon in China.
- Deep practitioner bench–15+ named experts spanning trade diplomacy, legal structuring, and geopolitical risk.
- Applied capstone projects–Develop and present a full China market entry or expansion strategy for a real Canadian multinational to an expert panel.
- Unmatched China expertise–Faculty from SFU Beedie, the University of Victoria, and NUS's East Asian Institute.
- Actionable legal grounding–Learn market entry structures directly from practitioners who use them.
- Public-private cohort–Learn alongside business leaders and federal and provincial government officials working the same regional challenges.
- Flexible live-online format–Weekly Thursday evening sessions, no travel required.