By Heather Liau
March 19-23, 2012 is National Co-op Week.
UBC Arts Co-op student Sophia Kim has been recognized by the Canadian Association For Co-operative Education (CAFCE) for her outstanding work with Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC). The honour is being presented to Sophia as part of National Co-op Week (March 19-23, 2012).
During her co-op work term with AANDC last summer, Sophia was given what her supervisor describes as “an ambitious research project examining the economic impact of treaties on First Nations in British Columbia.” Much of Sophia’s research involved conducting interviews with individuals from First Nations groups, the private sector, and government – culminating in preliminary conclusions on the relationship between treaties and economic development.
Sophia produced and presented a report to colleagues in Treaties and Aboriginal Government – Negotiations West, where her findings sparked debate about the treaty system as it relates to economic development.
“Sophia’s work was particularly helpful in shedding light on the First Nations’ perspective,” says Chiara Taylor, AANDC’s Senior Negotiations Advisor who supported Sophia’s nomination for the CAFCE award. “In our daily work, it is not always easy to access this perspective and so her findings were highly relevant and important.” Likewise, for at least one First Nations government member participating in this research project, saying, “Sophia has made some very important observations that will be instructive for AANDC and the Treaty Process.”
For Sophia, then in her second year of studies at UBC, this exposure to first-hand accounts of the First Nations experience brought to light real-life implications of the theories she had learned through her majors in economics and international relations.
“Although the social inequality that exists between First Nations communities and the rest of Canada seemed unjust to me and in need of immediate repair, this negotiation process made me realize just how complicated it would be to create a solution,” said Sophia.
In addition to this honourable mention for CAFCE’s national award, Sophia also received an honourable mention for provincial co-op student of the year by the Association for Co-operative Education in BC and Yukon, as well as top undergraduate co-op student of the year by the UBC Arts Co-op Program.
About UBC’s Co-op Programs
For 32 years, UBC’s co-op programs have provided thousands of students with transformational, educationally enriched experiential learning opportunities with diverse community partners across Canada and around the world. Students specializing in disciplines across the University participate in co-op programs from Arts, Commerce, Engineering, Forestry, Kinesiology, and Science.
For more information on UBC’s co-op programs, visit www.coop.ubc.ca.
