Editorial Committee

Kristi Deki

Kristi is a fourth-year undergraduate student pursuing a major in Ethics, Society, and Law and a double minor in Contemporary Asian Studies and Psychology. Her main research interests include international human rights, surveillance capitalism, and environmental politics. She is extremely excited to be working with the Synergy team for a third year.

Kéah Sharma

Kéah Sharma is a fourth-year undergraduate student studying political science, contemporary Asian studies, and literature and critical theory. Her research interests include the politics of development in Asia, the gender and sexual politics of fascism, and international human rights. She has previously worked with the Laidlaw Foundation and PEN America, focusing on issues related to the South Asian diaspora and global free expression. As the Lead Editor for the South Asia section, she hopes to further her understanding of South Asia's history, politics and culture, and promote discourse on the region's current challenges.

Hannah Wu

Hannah is a fourth-year undergraduate student pursuing a double major in International Relations and History and a minor in Contemporary Asian Studies. Her main research interests include global interactions through education networks as well as the generational impacts of transnational migration. As the Lead Editor for the East Asia section, she is excited to work with the Synergy team this year to deepen her understanding of cross-cultural interactions across the broader Asia region.

Yeji Kim

Yeji is a third-year undergraduate student pursuing a major in International Relations and double minor in Sociology and Environmental Studies. Her main research interests include international and human security threats, ranging from global conflicts and power imbalances to climate change and human rights violations. Through her work with Synergy, she hopes to further explore the role of diplomacy in mitigating security threats in Asia and examine Asia’s growing influence in the international system.

Nicole Shi

Nicole is a sixth-year undergraduate student currently studying Contemporary Asian studies, Political Science, and Philosophy. Her research interests lie at the intersection of equality of opportunity and education. Through her work with Synergy, she hopes to promote discourse on the role of education in realizing social ideals, and a deeper understanding of the structural inequalities and power differentials within the education systems in Asia today.

Yipin Wang

Yipin is a first-year Munk School student pursuing a Master of Global Affairs with a collaborative specialization in Contemporary East and Southeast Asian Studies. He has an extensive background in history, international relations, and comparative politics. His research interests lie in the interdisciplinary studies of modern and contemporary China, as well as China’s political relations with its surrounding countries.

Atlas Wu

Atlas is a graduate student from the political science department with a collaborative specialization in Contemporary East and Southeast Asian Studies. His academic backgrounds range from ethics, political philosophy, to comparative politics and welfare states. His research interests include Chinese ideologies and social policies, with a focus on childcare arrangement. As a contributor to Synergy, he hopes to critically uncover and assess the challenges faced by Chinese youth in a time of turbulence and opportunities.

Thomas Yue

Thomas is a fourth year undergraduate student double majoring in Contemporary Asian Studies and History. His interests include modernization and decolonization of East Asia. As an event reporter of Synergy this year, he hopes to report intellectual and inspiring events to the broader student community!

Ayesham Ali

Ayesham Ali is an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto studying English, History and South Asian Studies. Their research interests include South Asian literary discourse, the disproportionate impact of climate change within the region, and the steady escalation of religious violence in the years following the Partition. Ayesham hopes to use their position as contributor as a vehicle to explore issues of literary censorship and the systematic stifling of activist and minority voices in South Asia.

Sharan Vaidy

Sharan Vaidy is a second-year undergraduate student studying History, Contemporary Asian Studies, and Urban Studies. His research interests circle the comparative development of political economy between the Global South and Global North, as well as focused interests in the phenomenology of Subalternity. As a contributor, Sharan hopes to explore the complex dimensions of class consciousness from a South Asian historiographical standpoint.

Renuka Gawande

Renuka Gawande is a third-year student studying Contemporary Asian Studies, political science, and history. Her research interests include socio-legal discourses around intersectional feminism in the South Asian subcontinent, with a specific focus on the urban-rural divide and the disproportionate access to resources. Renuka, as an event reporter, hopes to focus on perspectives from scholars who highlight voices of marginalized communities and consolidate their theories through a broader understanding of normative contexts.

Hannah Wu

Hannah is a fourth-year undergraduate student pursuing a double major in International Relations and History and a minor in Contemporary Asian Studies. Her main research interests include global interactions through education networks as well as the generational impacts of transnational migration. As the Lead Editor for the East Asia section, she is excited to work with the Synergy team this year to deepen her understanding of cross-cultural interactions across the broader Asia region.

David Daigneault

I am a third-year student at the University of Toronto, majoring in Peace, Conflict, Justice and International Relations, with a minor in Economics. I am the Comms Executive of the International Relations Society and am also working as a Compliance Analyst at the G20 Research Group. I’ve worked with the Clean Air Task Force in researching and creating an index on equitable energy transition for African countries. My areas of interests include climate policies, economic inequality and international security. I speak 4 languages, and have lived in Hong Kong and Jakarta.

Antonette De Los Reyes

Antonette is a second year student pursuing a degree in International Relations and Contemporary Asian Studies. Her main research interests range from Asian labour markets, labour migration, and international affairs. Antonette has previously been involved in global affairs research and refugee educational aid, and is interested in researching more about democratization and economic development. As a contributor editor, she aims to facilitate more discussion about Southeast Asian affairs in a matter that is fair and inclusive.

Tyler Carriaga

Tyler is a second-year Pearson and Laidlaw Scholar studying Architecture, Economics, and Urban Studies. His research interests encompass urban development in the Global South and the social integration of transnational migrants. With experiences living in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam, Tyler aspires to deepen his understanding of the region he grew up in by serving as an Event Reporter for the Southeast Asia section.

Grace Choi

Grace is a second year student specializing in International Relations. Born in South Korea, Grace has always been passionate about history and diplomacy especially within the Asian periphery. Currently, Grace is writing a research paper on Filipino Nationalism and drafting compliance reports about gender equality as a Compliance Analyst for the G20 Research Group. Her main areas of interest are national and international affairs, history and law, as well as foreign policies surrounding conflict and security, environmental sustainability, state building, and gender equality.

Hasna Hafidzah