Yuen Pau Woo


Yuen Pau Woo is a Singaporean-Canadian academic who served as the President and CEO of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, a Vancouver-based think-tank on Canada-Asia relations, until August 11, 2014. In October 2016, he was named to the Senate of Canada on the advice of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to sit as an independent.

Early life, education and previous work

Woo was born in Malaysia. He grew up in Singapore and was educated at Anglo-Chinese School, Wheaton College, Lester B. Pearson College, the University of Cambridge, and the University of London. Woo has previously worked as a consultant on international marine affairs and as an economist for the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation. He has also served on the Standing Committee of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council and as an adviser to the Canadian Ditchley Foundation, the Shanghai WTO Affairs Consultation Centre and the Asian Development Bank.
In December 2008, Woo was appointed by the Premier of British Columbia to the province's Economic Advisory Council.

Current positions and affiliations

Woo was most recently the President and CEO of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. He is a member of the Greater Vancouver Advisory Board for the Salvation Army, on the Global Council of the Asia Society in New York City, a board member of the Public Policy Forum, the Vancouver Academy of Music and the Mosaic Institute.
He is also on the editorial board of Pacific Affairs. At the time of his appointment to the Senate, Woo was a senior fellow in public policy at the Asian Institute of Research at the University of British Columbia.

Areas of research

Woo's research focuses on Asia, and Canada's relations with Asia. He publishes papers on topics ranging from Chinese investment to Asian regionalism. He also writes opinion-editorials.

Senate

On October 27, 2016, Woo was named to the Senate of Canada by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to sit as an independent. He assumed his seat on November 10, 2016. Woo was elected facilitator of the non-partisan Independent Senators Group caucus in the Senate on September 25, 2017.