SFU Political Science congratulates Ronaldo Au-Yeung on receiving the Dean of Graduate Studies Convocation Medal

In recognition of his outstanding academic and research achievements, political science master’s student, Ronaldo Au-Yeung, has been awarded the Dean of Graduate Studies Convocation Medal, one of the top honours that Simon Fraser University (SFU) bestows upon graduating students.

Au-Yeung credits his achievements and positive academic experience to the tutelage that he received, “I am immensely grateful that I was able to study under the wing of Tsuyoshi Kawasaki.”

An avid soccer and basketball fan, Au-Yeung’s research expertise lies in international security, balance-of-power politics, and foreign policy. His MA thesis focused on examining the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis and China’s foreign policy behaviour.

Adding another feather to his cap, Au-Yeung’s recently published a research paper in International Journal, the Journal of the Canadian International Council, which has garnered some media attention. Co-authored with Alsu Tagirova, the paper ‘Beyond general elections: How could foreign actors influence the prime ministership?’ looks at how foreign actors take advantage of loopholes to attempt to influence Canadian politics.

“I have known the loopholes in party memberships for a long time when I registered for a party’s membership,” says Au-Yeung. “But the recent [foreign interference] allegations have made it the perfect timing to deliver this paper and make some impacts.”

According to Au-Yeung’s research, “There is no identity and citizenship/residency requirement to become party members – one can easily sign up online, and essentially anyone, including foreign actors, can purchase these memberships.” To test this out, Au-Yeung and Tagirova used random false identities to successfully join the Conservative Party, the Liberal Party, and the New Democrats Party.

Au-Yeung explains, “This is a perilous loophole that is highly susceptible to foreign interference as it effectively allows anyone to become a party member, and hence eligible to choose party leaders and subsequently the prime minister.”  As part of the research, he is most recently nominated for the Pacific Northwest Political Science Association’s Cascadia Paper Award.

In addition to carrying out research in international security and foreign policy, Au-Yeung also has deep interest in issues related to oil and gas policy. He is currently the oil and gas sector analyst at the BC Ministry of Energy Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, and previously worked as a research analyst at the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy.

When asked what prompted him to pursue his political science degree at SFU, Au-Yeung says, “SFU Political Science is one of the few departments in Canada that mirrors American academia in its breath and depth of research fields.”

As Au-Yeung moves on to join the University of Notre Dame in Indiana as a university fellow, he has these words of wisdom for other up-and-coming political scientists, “Publish as many pieces as possible before applying for PhD, go to conferences, and set aside some time to study for the GRE during your MA degree.”