Christine Kuo
MSc Student
Dairy Cattle; Animals in Society
About
At the beginning of my undergraduate degree, I was convinced that I would double major in International Relations and Japanese Language and Culture, and that I would never go to graduate school. That changed when I stumbled upon APBI courses by happenstance, and ended up falling in love with animal welfare. During my third year, I completed an APBI practicum at UBC’s Dairy Education and Learning Centre which got me interested in research because I felt like I had questions that I wanted to find out the answer to. Following that, I completed a Directed Studies under the mentorship of a PhD student, got involved in undergraduate research, and worked in animal welfare-related positions at various places. I graduated with a BA in International Relations and a minor in Applied Animal Biology.
I took some time off after my undergraduate degree, but knew I wanted to go back to UBC for my MSc because of the culture of support and kindness at the Animal Welfare Program. At the AWP, I am continually learning about new ways to understand animals and the systems around them, and am grateful to be here.
Through my International Relations degree, I was exposed to courses in economics, political science, history, and geography, which have allowed me to bring an interdisciplinary perspective to my research in animal welfare. My MSc will focus on the concept of political legitimacy as applied to the dairy industry.
Education & Awards
BA in International Relations, Minor in Applied Animal Biology, UBC
SSHRC Canada Graduate Scholarship – Master (CGS M)