For my ARIA research project, I interned with Professor Jennifer Welsh providing research assistance for “Localization in World Politics,” an interdisciplinary research project which seeks to study localization across the areas of forced migration, protection of civilians, humanitarianism, and transitional justice. More specifically, I reviewed and summarized literature on norm contestation and on the history of localization for the project’s Special Issue. Towards the end of my internship, I also began producing the Localization in World Politics Podcast, particularly the episode on the history of localization.
I was interested in an ARIA project because I wished to acquire hands-on research experience working with a distinguished professor. The topic of the research project was also deeply interesting to me: As a Political Science Major with a focus on international relations, I have always been fascinated by how local actors interact with international norms and dynamics. Another advantage of an ARIA project was that because it was a paid position, I could focus on research exclusively during the entire summer rather than split my time between a job and academic work. Finally, as an ARIA intern, I knew that my personal and academic development would be well supported by the ±«ÓăÖ±˛Ą Arts Internship Office, who organized workshops and training sessions on library research, academic publishing, and poster presentations.
I had three learning objectives for my ARIA project. First, I wanted to improve my ability to summarize research articles effectively. Reading and interpreting complex information quickly is a useful skill that I knew would be beneficial to my future academic and professional career. Second, I wanted to deepen my understanding of the literature surrounding localization. I intend to follow up this research with an Honours Thesis related to localization. Third, I wanted to develop my podcasting skills. As the producer of the show, I learned the intricacies of audio recording equipment and editing.
A highlight of my ARIA research project was sitting in on a paper feedback session for the project’s Special Issue. As a student, I had never been privy to such a meeting before, and it was very interesting seeing professors provide feedback on work from their colleagues rather than their students. The feedback session made me reflect on how I approach my own research work and inspired me to think more about a future career in academia.
Another highlight of my ARIA research project was recording the first podcast episode with Dr. Andrew Phillips and Dr. Adam Kochanski. While conducting the literature summaries, I had studied much of Dr. Phillips’ work, so it was particularly rewarding to interview him. Because this was the first podcast episode, a lot of work and planning went into it, and the recording was a success. Dr. Phillips even contacted me personally after the recording to congratulate me on my professionalism. Though much of my experience was positive, I also encountered several challenges while completing my ARIA research project. As an undergraduate research assistant working with masters’ students, I feared that my own work would not measure up. To overcome this challenge, I took the opportunity to work with them and to ask for their feedback and guidance. Both students were very helpful and supportive.
Another challenge was the recording of our first podcast episode. Because Dr. Phillips was in Australia (a 14-hour time difference), Dr. Kochanski was located in Europe (a 6-hour time difference), and I was located in Montreal, scheduling a good time for everyone was difficult. In the end I found myself recording the session at 2 am, Montreal time. Participating in high level research and interacting with academics while recording the podcast has inspired an interest in pursuing an academic career. As part of my internship, I was incredibly fortunate to read many important pieces of the literature and I was also able to meet many of their authors while recording the podcast. The topic of localization has motivated me to pursue an Honours Thesis with Professor Welsh and has also solidified my interest in undertaking more studies in the sub-field of international relations.
In conclusion, I would like to thank the Max Bell Foundation. Your generosity allowed me to pursue this ARIA research opportunity and to expand my horizons as a future academic.
