Student Involvement

Alia Mohamed Fauzi (Third year undergraduate student from Malaysia)

"Finding alternatives and possible solutions for the situation in Myanmar was definitely challenging, but being part of the team allowed me to explore different perspectives—especially through my focus on ASEAN and the UN’s roles. It was an incredible opportunity to deepen my understanding of international responses, and I feel very lucky to have been part of it. I also learned a lot from Claire’s continuous guidance, and my colleague’s skillful research. It was truly a dream team, and I thoroughly enjoyed working with such a supportive and encouraging group."

Tom Forsdick (Third year undergraduate student from UK)

“I was fortunate enough to work as a researcher for the Myanmar Project in the York Peace Lab. My role was to develop a comprehensive understanding of the conflict in Myanmar, to collate relevant information, facts and figures on day to day incidents in the country at a time when the conflict was at its most volatile. Most importantly, the role involved me working alongside the research team (1 brilliant undergrad, 2 very impressive masters students and Claire running the ship). Not only did we present to the Peace Lab but also to a research group at the London School of Economics. I cannot recommend the experience highly enough. It also pushed me to travel to Southeast Asia where I have reconnected with some of my colleagues from Myanmar, something I would never have done without the internship.”

Isaac McAndrew (MA in Peace and Conflict Studies postgraduate student from UK)

“My work in the peace lab was an invaluable experience. It was massively rewarding researching within a team, brainstorming our ideas and collaborating on a shared piece of research and analysis. I was able to put into practise my qualitative research skills, critically analysing foreign policy documents alongside our brilliant team. It was an incredibly rewarding and exciting experience to work alongside people who had the same passion and interest in this project and area of research as myself.  It was also fantastic to present this research to an academic and non-academic audience, considering which aspects of the conflict could be presented in a concise manner. Getting feedback and having conversations with policy experts about how their research translates into policy action in a conflict mediation/peacebuilding setting was extremely useful for my own academic and professional development. I'm greatly looking forward to further presenting this research in 2025, and continuing to develop my own research and presentation skills through this project.”