GPAC Student Research to be Published

The Global Perspectives and Citizenship (GPAC) concentration program is a space for student-driven research. Seniors Arya Kumar and Ali O’Brien, like many of their peers, were eager for an opportunity to investigate a global problem and design a project that reflected the complexities of political systems, economic exchange, and national identity. Ali and Arya thrived in the self-directed process, meeting frequently with faculty to discuss their findings and begin to formulate arguments. Ali’s research is titled, "The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue: The West's Response to China in the Indo-Pacific" and Arya’s research is titled, “Democracy or Autocracy: Singapore’s Increasing Rejection of Democratic Values.” 

Over the course of the writing process, they each amassed incredibly impressive bibliographies that indicated that they had worked with over one-hundred and twenty-five sources each in designing their arguments. It is because of their commitment to the process and their relentless pursuit of a true understanding of their topics, that Ali and Arya were able to craft thoughtful and insightful research papers that will now enter formal academic discussions once they are published in Journal of Student Research. The GPAC program is incredibly proud of their accomplishments. They are well-deserved and serve as models for future GPAC students.

Arya reflected, “It feels good to know that all of the hard work I put in over the summer, and throughout my time in GPAC, was being recognized. It’s inspiring to know that Ali and I – and everyone in GPAC – were able to engage in a college level research process as high schoolers and all produce really interesting papers about complex topics.”

Ali shared, “GPAC has changed my worldview simply by emphasizing how to think critically about the nuance of international issues. All of the research conducted in GPAC underlined the necessity of understanding the historical context of a situation to discuss it accurately in the present."

Learn more about GPAC research from the 2021-22 school year.