I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Certificate of Ethics with a focus on Justice and Law from Simon Fraser University in 2019. After graduating from SFU, I spent a little over a year in Calgary working in the non-profit sector, specifically in an organization that works with low-literacy and professional immigrant women. I loved working in a field and an organization that directly helped women and made an impact in their lives and this experience has made me want to continue on in my academic career to further the goal of serving vulnerable and/or marginalized populations.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO COME TO SFU?

I chose to come back to SFU to pursue my Master of Arts in Political Science because I enjoyed my time here during my undergraduate studies. In addition to this, my current supervisor, Dr. Hira, encouraged me to pursue graduate studies and recommended SFU's program. Although my time in Calgary was great, I'm extremely excited to be back in Vancouver, and at SFU, as an MA student in a department filled with such knowledgeable and well-respected faculty.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR RESEARCH AND/OR PROGRAM.

I'm pursuing a Master of Arts degree in Political Science. In terms of research, I'm mainly interested in energy issues particularly in relation to environmental impacts, sustainable development practices, innovation in renewable energy, and green policy issues, mostly taking on a political economy perspective.

WHAT ARE YOU PARTICULARLY ENJOYING ABOUT YOUR STUDIES/RESEARCH AT SFU?

I recently completed a regional analysis on electric vehicle initiative policies in British Columbia and Norway, using comparative methods and analyzing data from the International Energy Agency (IEA). This kind of research is something that I've done in the past, but the level of work in terms of presentation, data collection, and research implications has been very different than undergraduate work. I love how challenging my coursework is and how precise methodology, research design, and data collection can be. I especially love that I will be able to do learn more quantitative research methods through this program.

HAVE YOU BEEN THE RECIPIENT OF ANY MAJOR OR DONOR FUNDED AWARDS?

During my last few semesters, I was a recipient of the Sharons Credit Union Scholarship. All throughout my degree, I worked long hours, late nights, and at many times, multiple jobs, in order to finance my studies. This award allowed me to prioritize my studies above work during my last few semesters at SFU.  

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennyhkoo/