“PCJ gets you to look at something and ask multiple questions”
Kassandra Neranjan presenting her field research at the Munk School as part of Women on the Move, an advocacy group whose mission is to address, critique, and offer solutions to gaps in gendered aid provision within the Rohingya refugee crisis.
What initially drew you to PCJ?
I actually initially came to U of T to pursue a degree in International Relations. But after being in Munk One, I was drawn to PCJ. Munk One was a very innovative experience that challenged me to broaden my perspective beyond a traditional international affairs outlook. Participating in the Human Securities lab, we got to look at gender-based violence in a very interdisciplinary way that involved concepts like ethics and behavioral economics that you wouldn’t get in conventional international relations courses.
What does your position entail day-to-day?
My work is really grounded in questions of gender oppression, justice, and how they intersect with other issues like security and climate change. As I continued further in my research, whether it was in the field or in policy analysis, I realized many of these key questions were legal ones. This led me to expanding my knowledge in legal systems and I am currently getting my J.D./BCL degree at McGill University. My advocacy work has involved writing articles within publications like the CBC, speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, and continuing my first love of research, which currently is centered on gender and security decentralizaion in Myanmnar.
What influence did PCJ have on your path both at U of T and after graduation?
Had I not gone to U of T and been in PCJ, I would not have been exposed to research and innovation. I fell in love with the process of analyzing and challenging questions. I especially enjoyed doing field research on the Rohingya Crisis and understanding the nuances in experiences of the women I worked with. I had studied legal theory for some of my class papers and seeing it in real life really made me want to go further into the field. Everything seemed to come together around the end of third year and what I had learned in PCJ allowed me to really understand the depth of the issues I wanted to explore. Being given the room to explore different issues from different experiences allowed me to find my niche and delve into it through research and critical discourse.
Kassandra with fellow student researchers who travelled to refugee camps in Bangaldesh and created policy recommendations based on their experiences.
The program challenges its students with some pretty daunting questions. Do you find the questions discussed during your time at PCJ are still relevant to your studies now?
As a law student at McGill University, I deal with a lot of theoretical frameworks. My ability to really dig deep in my analysis of it comes from the questions we were taught to ask in PCJ. The challenges I explored during PCJ are the same ones I continue to explore today as none of these questions have clear-cut answers.
What is your favourite aspect of PCJ?
PCJ fosters your ability to think critically and from a multi-dimensional perspective that challenges you to ask questions. I really enjoyed the service-learning component of our program. During my time at Matthew House, I was able to understand how grassroots movements operate. Another great aspect of PCJ is because of the smaller nature of our program, you get to know your peers, who are all doing amazing work.
One piece of advice to either current or prospective students, what would it be?
Recognize that you have earned your place in the program and don’t let any external factors dissuade you from believing that. And most importantly, especially in a program like PCJ, learn to question what you are taught.