APNIC Policy Fellowship
The APNIC Policy Fellowship is a pilot program designed to support emerging leaders in the APNIC community who are interested in Internet resource policy. Over 18 months, Fellows engage in a deep dive into the Policy Development Process (PDP), collaborating with mentors and peers to research, develop, and propose policies that respond to evolving technical and industry needs.
Throughout the program, APNIC provides a structured and well-supported experience, including interactive webinars, curated learning materials, mentorship from policy experts, and opportunities for hands-on engagement with the community.
This immersive experience helps Fellows build skills in policy analysis, communication, and collaboration — preparing them to become active contributors to APNIC’s policy discussions and potentially transition into public policy roles across government, academia, and Internet-related organizations.
Program goals
The Policy Fellowship pilot program is designed to help fellows:
- Make a meaningful impact on Internet number resource (INR) policy in the Asia Pacific region.
- Develop and propose real policy ideas that respond to current and future technical challenges.
- Build expertise in policy analysis, communication, and collaborative problem-solving.
- Engage with a diverse community of mentors, experts, and peers across the region.
Who the Policy Fellowship is for
The Policy Fellowship is designed for individuals in the APNIC region who are ready to take the next step in their engagement with INR policy. The pilot participants were selected because they met some of the following criteria:
- Have a strong interest in INR policy and the APNIC PDP.
- Understand Internet operations, technical infrastructure, and governance.
- Have experience participating in APNIC conferences, NOG meetings, or regional Internet governance forums.
- Can demonstrate analytical thinking, strong communication skills, and a collaborative mindset.
- Are committed to supporting the Asia Pacific technical community.
- Can dedicate at least two hours per week to the program over 18 months.
While prior experience with APNIC Fellowships or policy development is welcome, it’s not required. What matters most is the motivation to learn, contribute, and grow as a policy leader.
Meet the 2025 Policy Fellows
The inaugural cohort of the APNIC Policy Fellowship brings together three emerging leaders from across the Asia Pacific region. Each Fellow brings a unique perspective, background, and interest in INR policy.
Dr Saima Nisar
Economy: Pakistan / Malaysia
Dr Saima Nisar is a Lecturer at Xiamen University Malaysia with a Ph.D. in Information Technology. Her research is about how people use technology, how policies shape Internet use, and the governance of digital resources. She actively participates in policy discussions through roles such as NetMission Asia Pacific Public Policy Observatory (APPO) Policy Analyst, membership in Asia Pacific Regional Internet Governance (APrIGF), and as a Fellow at APNIC 56, APrIGF 2024, and Asia Pacific Advanced Network (APAN) Meeting 58.
Dr Nisar is particularly interested in connecting the technical and policy communities involved in Internet governance. She believes that policies should consider end-users’ experiences and needs, an idea she explored deeply in her Ph.D. research. She supports efforts to create policies that are both technically sound and easy to apply in practice.
Through the APNIC Policy Fellowship, Dr Nisar wants to better understand APNIC’s policy development process and actively contribute to policy discussions. Her main goal is to use what she learns to help develop practical policies that are fair, inclusive, and support sustainable digital growth.
Tsung-Yi Yu
Economy: Taiwan
Tsung-Yi is currently a student at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, focusing on network engineering, Internet governance, and public policy research and practice.
He was awarded an APNIC 54 fellowship and an Asia Pacific School on Internet Governance (APSIG) 2023 fellowship. He independently organized various regional Internet governance seminars and workshops, collaborating with experts and scholars across an Asia Pacific region.
On campus, he serves as a core member of the Youth Internet Governance Forum (yIGF), organizing regular reading sessions and hands-on projects to deepen peers’ understanding of digital rights, cybersecurity, and policy issues.
Passionate about the intersection of technology and regulation, he is particularly interested in AI governance, the European Union (EU) AI Act, and the Digital Services Act (DSA), aiming to combine his technical expertise with a public policy perspective to promote a more inclusive and secure Internet ecosystem.
Christopher Hawker
Economy: Australia
Christopher Hawker is a systems and network engineer with over a decade of experience in the industry, working on a range of networks from small office networks, up to designing and managing networks across enterprise, hosting, and carrier-grade environments. His professional background includes working on multi-site data centre operations, deploying border gateway protocol (BGP) and IPv6, and managing Internet infrastructure.
Christopher became actively involved in the APNIC PDP in 2023 and authored prop-156: Assignment of Temporary IP Resources, which he presented at APNIC 57.
He was also selected as an APNIC Foundation Internet Standards Fellow for Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) 119 and currently serves on the board of Internet Australia, the national chapter of the Internet Society.
He is particularly interested in enhancing transparency and accessibility in INR policy, with a focus on supporting small operators, community networks, and the practical realities of IPv6 adoption and address stewardship. His goal is to ensure that policy development remains grounded in operational experience and inclusive of diverse stakeholder perspectives.
Through the Policy Fellowship, Christopher hopes to deepen his engagement with the Internet governance community, refine his policy development capabilities, and collaborate with peers to address regionally significant challenges. He is committed to bridging the gap between technical practitioners and policy decision-makers to support a more resilient, equitable, and community-driven Internet.