I am Marion Trebalage and I am currently majoring in International Cooperation, Global Affairs, and Policy at Yonsei Graduate School of International Studies. East Asia Institute is my first experience in a research institute, and it was ideal to get a direct insight into the functioning of think tanks.   I had the opportunity to be included in the ADRN project about Myanmar and the February 2021 coup d’état. I could conduct in-depth research about the diplomatic implications in the East Asian region and the international community. Additionally, I followed the news daily to write weekly reports about the Myanmar crisis. I also provided support for translating interviews, preparing questions, researching about pro-democratic activists and their activities. I am particularly grateful that I have been able to take part in the project, through this experience I had the opportunity to apply concepts I have learned during my studies in my work. Moreover, I could hear various perspectives, from scholars to public authorities and civil activists. I could acquire a comprehensive understanding of the complex situation in Myanmar and its impact on international relations.   Additionally, interns oversee the EAI.People project on Instagram. I particularly enjoyed this task because I could develop my teamwork and communication abilities as we had the entire responsibility for the project. Our team was highly diverse, and it was stimulating to share different perspectives and cultivate the open-mindedness necessary in international studies. I could also expand my language skills through translations from Korean to English and improve my writing skills by summarizing webinars and news articles.   Interning at EAI offers space to grow new competencies, explore innovative ideas and enhance research skills beyond the academic scope. I highly recommend the EAI internship for getting extensive knowledge about international relations in East Asia and its connection with the global community. I am grateful to the staff for welcoming us warmheartedly and including us in various projects. I would add special thanks to my mentor and the internship manager, Ms. Jun, for her availability and support during my time at EAI.

My name is Matthew F. Fleming. I am currently a Master of Global Affairs and Policy student at Yonsei University Graduate School of International Studies and a Master of Media and Governance student at Keio University. My motivation for participating in the EAI Internship program was rooted in my desire to gain experience as a researcher and to find opportunities to apply theoretical knowledge from my academic studies in a professional working environment.   Having my research interests based in the Asia-Pacific and wanting to contribute to the repair of the world by focusing on issues of international human rights, cultural history, promotion of personal narratives, and relational contexts, The East Asia Institute's mission of a regional community based on democracy and producing a knowledge net for a better world was compelling and inspiring for a young researcher like myself.   Having the opportunity to participate and listen to renowned scholars and experts in various disciplines in webinars and conferences, contribute to the facilitation of quality research in guidelines, editing, and research drafting, while getting to assist in maintaining the procedural organization of research online and its outreach, has all been an extremely valuable experience for me.   This two-month summer internship experience was not only insightful into the world of academic research as a profession and an institution's daily back-end operations of their caliber, but has allowed me to grow as a writer, editor, and researcher. I look forward to building upon this knowledge and experience I have gained here and continue to grow as I complete my master's degrees, pursue a Ph.D., and continue in the field of academia.   I have very much enjoyed my time at this institute and would like to thank the entire EAI staff for their fantastic guidance and support during my time here. It has been a great opportunity and one that I highly value.  

Greetings! My name is Do Hwi Choi and I’m currently a graduate student majoring in Global Affairs & Policy at Yonsei University. As a student interested in the dynamics of international relations, it is always exciting to see theoretical concepts, analyses, and comparative perspectives come to life through effective projects and constructive discussions. During my internship at EAI, I was given the opportunity to participate in such projects and discussions, and even add on to the overall affair.   Amongst others, my main responsibility consisted of translating Good Governance Webinar Publications, NDI Web Publications, and the transcripts of Global NK “Inter-Korean Relations, Where Are We Headed?” Through this, I was not only able to deepen my grasp of both the English and Korea language, but was also able to expand my knowledge on current issues and gain a deeper understanding on the projects that EAI tackles.   Furthermore, I was given the opportunity to participate in the initial stages of a developing project. Throughout this training, I listened in on the perspectives of renowned scholars and experts, and also observed how problems within the current society trigger research, how such research fuels people to garner ideas on ways to progress forward, and how projects develop in full circle within a think tank. This experience allowed me to further realize the effectiveness of think tanks and the reason why it is crucial for people on the forefront to take a step back and take into consideration the research that think tanks induce.   As my internship comes to an end, I would like to thank the entire staff for being so welcoming ever since my first day. Because of everyone’s warm smiles, guidance, and support, I was able to gain so much from this adventure. Moreover, I would like to thank my fellow interns for being so fun to be around and for making my summer extremely memorable.   It has been such a pleasure.  

Hello, my name is Hyun Yoon, and I am currently an undergraduate senior at UBC, studying urban forestry. My major is an interdisciplinary study in which I not only examine trees, but also forest policies at different government levels. Through my internship, I realized the change in world politics and international relations during the COVID-19 era and the importance of cooperation when unprecedented global challenges, including climate change, emerge.   During my internship at EAI, I worked on various tasks: translated and summarized webinar discussions designed book covers for ADRN created and updated Excel sheets Assisted EAI Academy by attending weekly seminars editing lecture slides created Instagram posts   I cultivated knowledge in contemporary and historical international relations and foreign policy, such as South Korea’s relations with China, US, North Korea, and Japan as well as US-China relations and their foreign policy in the Asia-Pacific. Moreover, I learned the world’s most pressing challenges in the Asia-Pacific in the future and the security of the Asia-Pacific. I want to thank EAI for giving me an amazing opportunity this summer in which I was able to look into the world through a global lens.  

I was able to grow in many ways by participating in the internship program at EAI for a month. First, I learned a new task facing Korean politics by writing five conference transcriptions, including the 'President's Success Conditions' program hosted by EAI. Based on the theoretical content I learned at school, I could see how real politics works. I especially recommend the EAI internship program to students majoring in political science who want to apply what they have learned to reality.   I also investigated the changes in trade trends after the historical conflict between Korea and Japan, and learned how to look at various indicators related to one topic and find out the implications. I learned that it is important to look at changes in various indicators such as import and export sizes, changes in trade balance, and changes in FDI trends between the two countries, and to develop when conducting research.   I also enjoyed the process of running EAI Instagram and communicating with my team members. We put our heads together and came up with ideas to make EAI more familiar to people. I was able to catch up with the latest international issues while preparing posting on Instagram.   In addition, I was able to access various reports that EAI deals with while conducting internship programs. As a student majoring in political science and international relations, it was a good opportunity to study my major steadily even during vacation. I hope that the scope of my school class will also be wider. I think the EAI internship program is a good opportunity to grow further for all students who are interested in overall international issues, including Korean politics and international politics. Thank you.  

My name is Vivian Zhu and I am a current undergraduate student majoring in International Relations and East Asian Studies at Stanford University. Although the pandemic has meant that my internship experience had to be entirely remote, my time at EAI was still an extremely fulfilling and stimulating learning experience for me.   Throughout my internship period, I was able to work on a wide range of projects from assessing and managing EAI’s public-facing social media accounts with my fellow interns, to attending, transcribing, and summarizing informative webinars, to assisting with the publication of papers submitted to the Asian Democratic and Research Network. As I completed these tasks under the guidance of EAI staff members, I was able to learn about the realities of working at a think tank, enhance my understanding of various important issues pertaining to Asian democracies, and strengthen my academic and professional abilities.   I would like to thank EAI for affording me this wonderful opportunity for personal and professional growth, all EAI staff for being so generous and kind, and my fellow interns for the laughter and memories we have shared. I am also immensely grateful to my mentor, Ms. Jun Juhyun, for being so accommodating to my remote work situation, and for all her efforts to make my experience special despite difficult circumstances.   As I return to university and contemplate career paths in academia and policy research, everything I have learned at EAI will be invaluable, no matter what the future holds.  

Hello, my name is Goni Ben Gera, a Global Affairs and Policy student at the Graduate School of International Studies at Yonsei university. I had the great pleasure of interning at the East Asia Institute for two months in the summer of 2021. Although we had to work from home most of the time, my time spent at EAI was very valuable to me.   Interning at EAI, I got to see firsthand, and for the first time, the inner workings of a think tank. While EAI manages many projects, I mostly dealt with work related to the ‘Asian Democracy Research Network (ADRN)’. With great support and guidance from our intern team leader, Jun Juhyun, I got to participate in the process of creating high quality publications through carrying out background research, compiling relevant resources, and reviewing, styling, and editing articles. In addition, I performed some tasks for other projects, such as research for EAI’s Strengthening Civil Society in Myanmar program.   During my internship I had the great opportunity to improve my writing and editing skills, as well as expand my knowledge of current issues that are of great importance to me as a political science major. Through the multiple publications I read, the webinar I attended, and through observing and learning from EAI staff, I benefitted greatly from these two months. It has been a great working as well as research experience, which I believe will be of great use moving forward with my career.   I would like to thank all the staff at EAI, and specifically our team leader Jun Juhyun, for the continuous support they have offered us throughout the internship, making it a great learning experience.  

2021 Spring Semester Seung Yeon Lee, Yonsei University   Hi! My name is Seung Yeon Lee, a recent graduate at Yonsei University with a BA in Political Science and International Studies and Russian Language and Literature. I first came across EAI during an internship at a think tank in Washington DC, which was also my first experience working in the research industry. Through the experience, I came to understand the inextricable links between the private, public, and the think tank industry and the presence of various stakeholders in the implementation of domestic and international policy.   Working as an intern at EAI further enhanced my understanding of the process of policy making and fueled my passion towards pursuing a career in this field. During my internship I was involved in various tasks, including, but not limited to, creating short summaries of our recent publications into card-news, creating transcripts for events and webinars, assisting in spot and background research largely pertaining to the Global NK project and the Asia Democracy Research Network, and supporting webinar and event preparation. Notably, I was directly involved with assisting in “The Military Coup and Future of Democracy in Myanmar” project on the Myanmar coup and its grave implications, both domestic and regional.   I’d like to thank all EAI staff for providing me with this invaluable opportunity. Not to mention, the working environment has been incredibly accommodating; the past two months seem to have flown by. Building on from this experience, I look forward to continue building a career towards bridging diverse, often conflicting, international interests.