Editorial Committee

David Daigneault

David Daigneault is a fourth-year student at the University of Toronto, pursuing a double major in Peace, Conflict, and Justice Studies and International Relations, with a minor in Economics. He has gained valuable experience as a G20 Compliance Analyst, Policy Analyst at the Clean Air Task Force, and Deputy Director of the OTLF Electric Vehicles Research Group. His academic and professional interests include climate policy, economic inequality, sustainable development, and global health. Fluent in four languages, David recently earned a Certificate in Social Sciences from Sciences Po Paris, where he completed an exchange program last semester.

Grace Choi

Grace Choi is a third-year, International Relations Specialist student at the University of Toronto. Currently, she is also serving as a Communications Officer at Engineers without Borders Canada, a Lead Analyst for the G7 Research Group and a Communications Intern for HanVoice UofT. Born in South Korea, Grace has always been passionate about the Asian region and her research interests lie in foreign policy during conflicts, international law, human rights and state-building post-conflict.

Yeji Kim

Yeji Kim is a fourth-year undergraduate student pursuing a major in International Relations and minors in Sociology and Environmental Studies. Her main research interests include international and human security threats, diplomacy, and foreign policy, with a particular focus on East Asia. She is currently conducting research on the impact of historical collective trauma on state foreign policy, using South Korea as a case study. As the lead editor for the East Asian section, she hopes to examine intertwined geopolitics of East Asian nations while fostering meaningful discourse on the region’s growing global influence.

Peter Ma

Peter Ma is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Toronto, majoring in political science and international relations. Peter’s research interests mainly focus on authoritarian regimes, authoritarian ideologies, Chinese internal and foreign policy, East Asian regional security as well as Putin’s regime in Russia. Peter is currently working on an undergraduate thesis on how imperialist ideology influenced Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine, and hopes to gain a greater understanding of East Asian regional security through his work at Synergy.

Lydia Zhang

Lydia completed her undergraduate studies in Economics and Contemporary Asian Studies and is now pursuing a graduate degree at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. Her primary research interests include comparative colonialism in Asia, alternatives to Western democracy and neo-liberal models, and femininity in East Asia. Through her work with Synergy, she hopes to shed light on Asia's diverse and often overlooked stories, while advocating for interdependence and solidarity across the Asian subcontinent.

Danny (Min Gyu) Choi

Danny is a third year student majoring in Philosophy, Contemporary Asian studies, and minoring in Bioethics. Born in South Korea, Danny has been passionate about Korea’s unique history in East Asian dynamics and the division mechanisms of the two Koreas. Danny will serve as Synergy’s 2024-2025 East Asia Event Reporter. He will be covering events specific to East Asia from the Asian Institute. His main research interests are National and International Relations that both Koreas navigate in their complex 38th parallel division, as well as the intra/inter dynamics between East Asia and the West. Through his work with Synergy, he hopes to shed light on the ever-changing complexities of the Korean peninsula and the cultural impacts of global events on East Asia.

Brandon Zhang

Brandon Zhang is a third-year political science student with a focused interest in immigration policy and East Asian studies, particularly on issues relating to China, Taiwan, and North and South Korea. His studies reflect a dedication to understanding complex geopolitical dynamics and the evolving role of immigration in shaping societies.

Alice Quan

Alice is a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Toronto, pursuing an Honours Bachelor of Arts in International Relations, Political Science, and East Asian Studies. Her primary research interests include human intelligence, espionage, warfare analysis, and security relations. These interests have driven her to present at conferences such as the Trinity College Undergraduate Research Conference (TCURC) and the Trinity-IID Student Conference on Intelligence and Security. As the lead editor for the East Asian section, Alice aims to provide in-depth analyses of the region's evolving geopolitical landscape, focusing on military dynamics, national security concerns, and defense strategies.

Jack Zhu

Jack is a current third-year student at the University of Toronto with majoring in International Relations and Peace, Conflict, and Justice, and a minor in Contemporary Asian Studies. His research interests involve the rise of China and its international implications, with past research experience as a member of the G20 research group and a volunteer for the Canada-China Business Council.

Qingyi Huang

Qingyi Huang is a third-year undergraduate at the University of Toronto, specializing in Political Science and International Relations. Her research focuses on political and economic developments in East Asia, particularly how governance models and historical legacies shape social issues such as inequality and labor rights. As a research member at the Munk School China Governance Lab, Qingyi has contributed to projects on Chinese governance, economic conflicts, and authoritarianism. Through Synergy, she looks forward to providing valuable perspectives on regional dynamics in East Asia.

Sonia Siming Tao

Sonia is a third-year undergraduate student pursuing a specialist in Finance and Economics and a minor in Statistics. Her main research interests lie at the intersection of politics, economics, and finance, focusing on the impact of economic policies on societal welfare and business dynamics. Through her work with Synergy this year, she hopes to gain a deeper understanding of current economic developments in East Asian countries, including their social implications and effectiveness.

Nidhil Vohra

Nidhil Vohra is a fourth year undergraduate student at the University of Toronto, with a double major in Peace, Conflict and Justice and Political Science, and a minor in Cinema Studies. Nidhil is a writer, recording artist, filmmaker, and researcher with credits including NDTV, South Asian Avant-Garde, and the Hart House Film Festival.

Ankur Phadke

Ankur Phadke is a second-year undergraduate student pursuing a major in International Relations and Public Policy, and a minor in Political Science. His research interests center on incorporating political theory, political actions, and human behavior to explain diplomatic relations and socioeconomic development in South Asia.

Tarushi Sahni

Tarushi is an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto, majoring in International Relations and Economics with a minor in Psychology. Coming from the vibrant city of Mumbai, she loves the city life in Toronto and has been quick to embrace it. She is interested in the way the pandemic and shifts in diplomacy have encouraged western countries and MNCs to shift their manufacturing units from China to South Asian countries. Having written for The Varsity and The Strand, she is excited to begin her role as contributor at Synergy. Apart from studying in her room, you’re sure to see her walking around Vic or getting ice cream!

Sarah Padwal

Sarah Padwal is a second year undergraduate student majoring in International Relations and Peace Conflict and Justice, with a minor in Contemporary Asian Studies. Throughout her degree, she seeks to understand the intersection between economics, politics and history in international relations, with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region. She is hoping to expand her knowledge of post-colonial identity and social relations as a Contributor for South Asia this year.

Pranav Chaturvedi

Tyler Carriaga

Tyler is a third-year Pearson and Laidlaw Scholar studying Architecture, Public Policy, and Geographic Information Systems. His research interests include urban development, spatial inequality, and transnational migration. Having lived in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam, Tyler aspires to deepen his understanding of the region he grew up in by serving as a Lead Editor for the Southeast Asia section.

Farryzki Noor Thoriq

Farryzki is a third-year BIM Scholar at the University of Toronto, majoring in International Relations, Public Policy and Urban Studies. He has always been passionate about political economy, equitable urban development and environmental justice. Prior to Synergy, Farryzki has an extensive research experience through involvement in Munk Undergraduate Research Symposium and internship at Indonesia’s VP Office, specializing in development economics and regional governance policies. As a lead editor, he aims to facilitate a tight-knit community of scholars to develop a rich perspective and ideas across Southeast Asia.

Paul Phanachet

Paul Phanachet is a fourth-year student in the Political Science Specialist program at the University of Toronto. Born in Bangkok, Thailand, he lived through two coup d’etats and numerous protests in the country sparking an interest in topics about Political Development, Institutions and Security in Southeast Asia. He is currently a student Research Assistant at the Munk School and a Contributor in the Southeast Asia Section at Synergy.

Silin Wei

Silin is a third-year student pursuing a double major in Peace, Conflict, and Justice Studies & Contemporary Asian Studies along with a minor in Political Science. Her research interests include climate resilience, equitable education reform, and gender in politics, building on her prior work in researching food justice and related patterns of inequity in the Greater Toronto Area. As a Contributor at Synergy, she hopes to explore the approaches taken by Asian states to shifting global power balances and transnational challenges through an interdisciplinary lens.

Paul Hindoian

Paul is a second-year student studying international relations and mathematics. He is interested in studying the historical context of modern issues to understand modern geopolitics and to forecast possible future outcomes. Through sharing his opinions and perspectives, he hopes to first inform readers, then to encourage them to think critically about the issues at hand and what the optimal path forward may be.

Alvin Wong

Alvin is a second-year majoring in International Relations and Contemporary Asian Studies. Originally from Hong Kong, Alvin is inspired by geopolitics about East and Southeast Asia, specifically grassroots mobilization and state oppression, economic and urban development, and cultural diversity. On top of Synergy, Alvin is a student affiliate at the Centre for the Study of Global Japan (CSGJ), and the president of UofT’s Cantonese Debate Club. Here in Synergy, Alvin is determined to unravel issues like self-determination, diplomatic policy, and global investments revolving around Southeast Asia.

Leo Yao Chen

Leo is a fourth year undergraduate student majoring in Political Science specialist and Contemporary Asian Studies major. His research interests include the geopolitics and international relations side of political science, with a special focus on East and Southeast Asia both domestically and internationally. He is super excited to be the event reporter for Southeast Asia, reporting on Munk School events that help expose and facilitate discussions and knowledge on socioeconomics and politics of the SEA region.

Jivika Bhat

Jivika is a second-year majoring in International Relations and Public Policy. She is deeply interested in Southeast Asian security and geopolitics. Jivika is also working with the G7 Research group as a compliance analyst, research analyst at hart house social justice, and a second year rep at International relations society. At Synergy, Jivika is committed to bringing light to issues that Southeast Asia grapples with and thoroughly researching on security, diplomacy and policy within the region.