51猎奇入口

51猎奇入口 Department of Political Science students Lisa Kim and Jayson Biana received recognition at the SFU-wide Undergraduate Research Symposium (UGRS). Kim won second prize for her poster presentation on judicial policymaking in Canada while Biana was awarded the Outstanding Panel Presentation along with a cash prize for his research on immigration politics in British Columbia.

From Procedure to Policy: The Policy Impacts of Charter Infringements

Kim鈥檚 award-winning poster presentation, From Procedure to Policy: The Policy Impacts of Charter Infringements, displayed the findings from her honours thesis, which investigates how decisions of the Supreme Court of Canada influences government action. 鈥淚 looked at moments when the Court is simply applying legal rules versus moments when it's effectively making policy and then traced how Parliament responds to those major Charter rulings,鈥� she says.

Kim鈥檚 research challenged common assumptions about which Charter rights are most influential in driving policy change. 鈥淚 found that Section 12 cases which deal with cruel and unusual punishments is where the Court consistently acts like policy maker in setting clear limits that influence criminal justice policy,鈥� she explains. 鈥淢eanwhile, Section 11(b) decisions concerning the right to be tried within a reasonable time triggers the strongest legislative reactions, often prompting governments to quickly re-write laws or reorganize the court processes.鈥�

Since Kim鈥檚 project relied on complex constitutional terminology, one of the biggest challenges was simplifying complex legal jargon for the general audience. She says, 鈥淚 had to think carefully about how to make the core ideas accessible without oversimplifying the analysis, which meant ensuring the essential components of my argument were present in a clear manner.鈥�

Kim focused on the cases and findings that best illustrated her argument. 鈥淚 removed dense doctrinal detail that seemed overwhelming for a poster format,鈥� she says. 鈥淎lso, I worked on structuring, so that it would be easier for the viewers to follow the logic.鈥�

Recalling the effort that went into practicing her presentation, Kim says, 鈥淲hen adding sections, I would explain definitions while continuing my argument. My aim was to ensure that the viewers could follow my train of thought without having to replace the proper terminology.鈥�

Admitting that she is a fast speaker, Kim anticipated that this could overwhelm the audience. While ensuring that she was loud, clear, and speaking at a slower pace, she noticed that it also helped leave more room for the viewers to ask questions.

Acknowledging the guidance offered by professors Dr. Eline De Rooij, Dr. Aaron Hoffman, and Dr. Clare McGovern, Kim feels grateful that she received constructive feedback on her research work ahead of submitting to the UGRS team. She says, 鈥淭heir comments helped us refine our visual clarity and ensure that our posters communicated the research effectively.鈥�

The Evolution of Right-Wing Immigration Stances in BC and the Broader Context of Canadian Immigration Politics

Jayson Biana鈥檚 project, The Evolution of Right-Wing Immigration Stances in BC and the Broader Context of Canadian Immigration Politics, explores how BC鈥檚 right-wing provincial parties have discussed immigration in their election platforms over the last three decades. Biana explains, 鈥淭he presentation attempts to capture changes in the political discourse surrounding immigration in Canada, namely the sudden framing of immigration as a destabilizing force to the economy and society.鈥�

Having immigrated to Canada with his family in 2007, Biana鈥檚 vivid experiences have shaped his understanding of immigration and belonging. Recalling his early years in Canada, he says, 鈥淢uch of my childhood was coloured with the hardships of immigrating to a new country, from learning a new language in elementary school to watching my parents work incredibly hard to start a new life from the ground-up. I attended my citizenship ceremony in 2013 at nine years old, during which I was cheered on by fellow new citizens who were teary-eyed from joy and relief.鈥�

As a student of political science, Biana鈥檚 interest in immigration acquired a new perspective, especially amid right-wing anti-immigrant sentiment across the Western liberal democracies. 鈥淚 took a course called POL428: Right-wing Politics in Canada with Dr. Van den Brink, where I had the opportunity to delve into this topic further,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 wanted to focus on my immediate political environment, the BC political landscape. Thus, the idea for this presentation was officially born.鈥�

Biana initially considered measuring political discourse on immigration and looked at parliamentary speeches, press conferences, and other communications by politicians. However, he soon realized that this would require even more intense work than what is required for an undergraduate paper. Instead, he shifted his focus towards party platforms, which have been regularly used as a reliable and predictable measure of partisan views. 鈥淚 analyzed ten party platforms from the BC 鈥榬ight-wing鈥� and identified patterns in how immigration was discussed鈥�, he says.

Identifying the four eras in the stances of BC right-wing parties, Biana鈥檚 project drew three key findings. Describing these outcomes in detail, he says, 鈥淔irst, it agrees with the literature that says that provinces are crucial players in Canada鈥檚 immigration system and politics despite immigration being formally under federal jurisdiction.

Second, it aligns with the literature that says that immigration is typically received in a positive way in Canada (in what is dubbed as 鈥楥anadian exceptionalism鈥�) due to the emphasis on its economic benefits.

Finally, and most significantly, it finds that this positive economic framing has changed in recent years as immigration becomes increasingly framed as having negative effects on society, in line with surveys which show that anti-immigration sentiment is on the rise.鈥�

Biana鈥檚 project demonstrates how immigration has emerged as a significant and often contentious issue in Canadian politics, offering a promising avenue for further research that Biana continues to pursue in his MA studies at the University of British Columbia.

Participating in 51猎奇入口Undergraduate Research Symposium as a Political Science Student

If you are considering participating in the 51猎奇入口Undergraduate Research Symposium in 2027, Kim鈥檚 recommendation is to take advantage of every support and opportunity available throughout the process. She says, 鈥淛oining the Political Science Honours Cohort was especially valuable because it provided a built鈥慽n support system while I was developing my research. Having peers who were navigating the same stages made the experience far less isolating. We were able to review each other's work, give constructive feedback and rehearse together, which strengthened both our confidence and the quality of our presentations.鈥�

For Biana, the Symposium was a unique opportunity and a platform to contribute his academic perspective on a topic that he was deeply interested in and share his knowledge with his peers. 鈥淲e often do not realize how much we can learn from our classmates and peers, let alone those in other disciplines! If you have an academic topic that you have been researching and are passionate about, take the opportunity and sign up for the Symposium. It may seem daunting at first, but it is incredibly rewarding.鈥�