CSGJ Student Affiliate Reflections: Winter 2025

March 4: Kakehashi Project Networking & Exchange Event

Rayn Lakhani (Munk One, Contemporary Asian Studies ‘28) 

"On Tuesday, March 4, amidst the hustle and bustle, we had the opportunity to connect with students from the Kakehashi Japanese University cohort. First, we heard from the students as they presented the culture of Japan through a multidisciplinary lens. It was thoroughly fascinating to hear new information about Japan, especially regarding the section on the Ainu people and their representation in Japanese anime.  After the presentation, I had a chance to mingle with students and alumni of the Kakehashi Project. I learned some amazing findings about their areas of focus, their passions and what they loved most about Toronto. I believe that this is a great way to promote a cross-cultural exchange, building a network between the next generation of changemakers. In that way, we can work to expand the knowledge-sharing practices that can lead to better and brighter futures for both Canada and Japan!"

March 17: Democratic Backsliding Damages Favorable U.S. Image Among the Global Public: Implications for the Asia-Pacific Region

Maya Tran (International Relations, Contemporary Asian Studies, & Economics '27)

"Professor Horiuchi’s talk on his research into the impact of democratic backsliding on public opinion toward foreign policy decisions was very informative on qualitative political science methodology. I found it to be a great educational experience, especially as it was fascinating to see experts in the field engage with his research, offering both critiques and suggestions for future avenues of exploration. The research specifically focused on global opinions of the U.S. and its image as a democratic ally to other nations. Surveys were distributed to participants in democratic countries from the Global North. I found his justification for this choice particularly interesting. While a significant point of discussion centered on the exclusion of countries with different governmental structures, as well as African and South Asian nations, Professor Horiuchi explained that countries with similar attitudes toward refugee resettlement and those that accept the most UN mandated refugees were selected. This focused allowed him to study how the U.S.’s democratic image impacts other democratic nations that share similar values, particularly in terms of their willingness to continue partnerships. 

This presented a very relevant and timely topic when looking at U.S. relationships. While Professor Horiuchi himself noted that the study may not fully reflect current circumstances, as it was conducted before the U.S. elections, he acknowledged that even if a similar study was done now, it would be difficult to determine if findings were a result of democratic backsliding or Trump’s presidency, which I found very insightful."

March 25: Mentorship Workshop Opportunity with Hachioji Higashi High School and University Toronto Schools (UTS) 

Rayn Lakhani (Munk One, Contemporary Asian Studies ‘28) 

"As the school year was coming to a close, I had the wonderful opportunity to participate in a mentorship workshop with students from the Hachioji Higashi High School in Japan and the local UTS school! Like our first workshop a few weeks ago, we had the chance to listen to a student-run presentation about the culture of Japan and their experiences at school, comparing their school to UTS. It was fascinating to learn about the different rules in their school and how they differed from those in my high school! After the presentation, we were given time to discuss topics with our groups - comprised of student affiliates, UTS students and students from Japan. We were asked questions on topics of bullying, multiculturalism, food culture, eating habits and extracurricular activities through interviews - and then discussed the differences we shared in our response. We even had the

chance to receive a newspaper authored by the students of Hachioji Higashi! After answering questions and discussing, we were taken on a tour of UTS and got to see some of the unique features of this amazing school. This event was an amazing chance to understand the role of perspectives and how this translates into the conversations we have with others, even on the simplest of topics!"