ASEAN Governance Innovation Fellows

About the Fellowship

The ASEAN Governance Innovation Fellowship (ASEAN-GIF) is a regional program by the Asian School of Governance (ASG), inspired by the model of the Harvard Government Performance Lab. Like Harvard GPL’s success in accelerating public sector innovation in U.S. cities and states, ASEAN-GIF brings that spirit of rigorous, scalable, and data-driven governance innovation to Southeast Asia.

Fellows work at the intersection of national ministries, UN agencies, and ASEAN bodies to co-create solutions that deliver measurable impact in priority areas such as trade, sustainable tourism, financial stability, energy, and STI cooperation.

Our Goal

Build a regional engine for public sector innovation that strengthens ASEAN integration while scaling home-grown governance solutions across borders.

Theory of Change

If we embed skilled innovation fellows inside key ASEAN and national institutions, and support them through structured labs, cross-country learning, and leadership exposure,
then we will generate scalable governance innovations that improve institutional performance, strengthen ASEAN regional cooperation, and accelerate sustainable development across Southeast Asia.

How we do it:

• Deploy fellows to co-develop, prototype, and test governance solutions inside government agencies

• Facilitate cross-country innovation labs to share learnings and align policy models

• Connect fellows to ASEAN platforms for scaling and adoption

• Build lasting institutional capacity through technical assistance and peer learning
  
  

Why Join?

• Lead scalable governance solutions aligned with ASEAN priorities

• Collaborate across borders with peers from ASEAN Member States

• Receive mentorship from ASG faculty and global innovation leaders

• Present innovations at ASEAN summits and policy forums

• Grow your institution’s innovation capacity for lasting impact
  
  

Fellowship Focus Areas

Aligned with ASEAN’s regional priorities:

• Trade and Investment
  Digital platforms for cross-border MSME trade

• Financial Market Stability
  Fintech regulatory sandboxes and governance tools

• Sustainable Tourism & Connectivity
  ASEAN sustainable tourism certification frameworks

• Food, Agriculture & Forestry
  Digital traceability for ASEAN agri-food exports

• Energy Security & Cooperation
  Governance models for regional energy grid connectivity

• Minerals Cooperation
  Sustainable certification and reporting standards

• MSME Sustainable Development
  Green finance hubs (with ASEAN-China, Japan, Korea Centres)

• Science, Technology, & Innovation (STI)
  Regional platforms for STI policy experimentation
  
  

Fellowship Structure

Embedded Fellowships

Fellows are placed in national ministries, ASEAN bodies, and UN agency teams, forming innovation teams tasked to co-develop solutions.

ASEAN Governance Innovation Labs (Powered by ASG)

Mid-year regional innovation sprints where fellows prototype and iterate solutions, supported by faculty from ASG and partners.

ASEAN Summit Capstone

Fellows present their models at ASEAN ministerial meetings or side-events, aiming for regional scaling and adoption.

Eligibility

We are looking for:

• Mid-career professionals from ASEAN Member States

• Government innovators, policy entrepreneurs, and public managers

• Candidates committed to transforming public sector systems at scale
  
  

Partners

• ASEAN Secretariat

• ASEAN Member State Governments

• UN Agencies (UNESCAP, UNDP, UNCTAD)

• ASEAN Dialogue Centres (ASEAN-China, ASEAN-Japan, ASEAN-Korea Centres)

• Asian Development Bank (ADB)

• Leading academic institutions (UP, NUS, Chulalongkorn, STI policy think tanks)

Outcomes

• Scalable governance innovations delivered in ASEAN priority sectors

• Strengthened cross-border policy alignment and regional coordinationon in Asia