The Canada China Forum is excited to launch a new initiative: the Accelerator Program, a research program that aims to provide members of the CCF with the opportunity to expand their China competencies, conduct a deep-dive into a timely issue, and strengthen their leadership skills.
Composed of 4-5 members, each team is collaborating with one of our partnering organizations—Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (APF) and the Canada China Business Council (CCBC)—to engage with relevant stakeholders and produce valued research that tackles pressing challenges facing the contemporary Canada-China relationship.
The Accelerator Program is proud to announce its new cohort of Accelerator Program Research Fellows, which includes:
Aeriel Benjamin-Kent holds a degree in International Development and Business Administration from the University of Ottawa. She spent three years in China where she was a teacher trainer, AP Economics teacher, and education consultant. She previously led global market strategy for a China-based edu-tech APP and currently works in client knowledge and operations analysis for a Canadian edu-tech firm. She is working on the APF Accelerator Program project.
Flavian Berneaga holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences from the University of Toronto, a Master of European Politics and Policies from the University of Leuven, and a Master of China Studies, Politics and International Relations from the Yenching Academy of Peking University in Beijing. As a Yenching Scholar, he concentrated his studies and interests on China’s trade policy and developed an interest in how this benefits and affects Canada-China trading relations. He is working on the CCBC Accelerator Program project.
Paulina Chan is pursuing a double master’s degree in International Social and Public Policy with the London School of Economics and Fudan University, for which she is the Program Representative. She holds a bachelor’s degree with a double-major in Political Science and East Asian Studies from the University of Toronto. During this time, she was a lead reporter for the university’s journal on Contemporary Asian Studies, was an executive member of the East Asian Studies Student Union, and undertook a year-long academic exchange to Beijing. She is working on the APF Accelerator Program project.
Darren Choi is a Policy Research Assistant at the China Institute at the University of Alberta. He graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in 2021, with a major in political science and a minor in history. As an undergraduate student, Darren was passionate about student governance, serving as President of the Organization for Arts Students and Interdisciplinary Studies (OASIS) from 2019 to 2020. Darren is also passionate about local politics, volunteering on multiple municipal, provincial, and federal campaigns. He is working on the APF Accelerator Program project.
Liat Fainman-Adelman holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Queen’s University where she served on her university’s investment counsel, designed and launched a multidisciplinary student incubator program, and co-managed the roll out of a $10M student venture fund across Canada. She is currently working as an Associate Consultant at Bain & Company in the London office though she has previously experience working or studying in Toronto, Montreal, Kuala Lumper, and Barcelona. Liat first became interested in China during an internship in Southeast Asia where she travelled to Shenzhen. She is hoping to leverage her global business background to explore and cross compare media industries in the East and West in the future. She is working on the CCBC Accelerator Program project.
David Perez-Des Rosiers holds a Ph.D. in Global Studies from the Institute for Global Studies at Shanghai University. He worked as a research assistant for the Center for Global Governance at Shanghai University with his research interests being on Canada-China relations, AI in international relations and technology and societies. He is also the Special Representative to Mainland China for the Canada China Forum. He is working on the CCBC Accelerator Program project.
Johnsen Romero is a Yenching Scholar at Peking University and a researcher for the Toronto-based Institute for Peace & Diplomacy. A graduate of international relations from the University of British Columbia, he has previously served as a Business Development Officer with the BC trade ministry, as Research Assistant for the Department of Finance, and as a Policy Analyst with the Asia-Pacific branch of Global Affairs Canada. He is working on the CCBC Accelerator Program project.
Ian Stone is the Student Services Manager at the Alma Mater Society, UBC’s student union. Ian first visited China in 2017, evaluating a summer education program on behalf of UBC’s Go Global exchange office. As a student of political science and international relations, Ian was intrigued by China’s growing influence in the world. As a result, he studied abroad at Tsinghua University on a full scholarship from the Canada Learning Initiative in China (CLIC). Ian has previously interned with the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, and attended the Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations Conference in 2018. He is working on the APF Accelerator Program project.
JinHua Yip holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Commerce from the University of British Columbia. Having grown up in both China and Canada, he is particularly interested in the economic, environmental, and geopolitical implications of China’s rise. He is working on the CCBC Accelerator Program project.