I first arrived in China in September, 2007 as part of a volunteer group with GAP International. I was there as one of several dozen volunteers from British Commonwealth countries that were set to spend six to nine months volunteering to teach in Chinese public schools. My placement was Number 15 Highschool, in Qingdao, Shandong Province. I was lucky to end up in Qingdao, a city rich with history, beaches, and beer.

My experience there encouraged me to take Chinese history and language classes during my undergraduate degree back in Canada, which I started after returning home. I graduated in 2012 with a double major in history and international relations. Most of my history classes had been in Chinese history, and I was lucky enough to take honors seminars with eminent scholars such as Dr. Tim Cheek and Dr. Tim Brook. During my undergraduate degree I was also able to return to Qingdao to study Chinese over a summer in 2011.

For the next few years I worked in public health research in Southeast Asia. I spent most of my time in Cambodia, but also in Singapore, The Philippines, and Indonesia. Through my experience there I grew interested in how these countries were developing, and what were the moving pieces at the international phase that affected development trends. This lead to me to grow increasingly interested in China’s emergence as a leader in this field – something that has become more visible now with the development of the AIIB and the One Road, One Belt Vision.

Convinced as I was with the importance of focusing on cooperation between China and other Asia Pacific countries, particularly in the Southeast Asian context, I returned to school to pursue a Masters of Public Policy in Global Affairs at the University of British Columbia with this focus. I was lucky to spend time studying again under inspirational and pioneering sinologists such as Dr. Paul Evans and Dr. Tim Cheek. This provided an opportunity to hone in on my interest on China in the Asia Pacific broadly and begin to ask specific questions about what may be the most pressing policy challenges and opportunities in the coming years.

Over the course of this period I become increasingly interested in the human component of Chinese relations with other Asia-Pacific nations; I have grown enamored with the dynamic communities with connections to China who live and breathe the air of Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, or Vancouver. I’ve heard a few people scoff when I refer to Canada as an Asia-Pacific country, but I do believe that increasingly, when you look at the human connections, this is true.

And so my research focuses on questions surrounding the Chinese Diaspora in the Asia Pacific. How do we value the connections between Chinese minorities in these countries and their home country? What is the effect of new immigration and new investment on the status quo, with regards to the landed Chinese minority? Where do responsibilities lie with regards to individuals who have complex, transnational and translocal identities? How can we improve dialogue between China and its neighbors to ensure stability, safety, and cooperation? What is the framework for understanding these incredibly dynamic communities within the context of a global shift in wealth and power? I’ve grown convinced that these questions are essential to building good policy in an era which will be defined by growing Chinese international leadership.

When I think of China, it is at once for me a place but also a series of faces that I’ve met across the world. This track has brought me to my current research focus on identity and belonging within the Chinese diaspora. My inquiries cover how international trends affect this discourse, what are the immediate risks and challenges, and what policy responses are available to encourage peaceful development moving forward.