Kirsty Hong is currently completing her Master of Arts in Political Science at the Center for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies at the University of Toronto.  She specializes in NATO relations, nuclear weapons proliferation, nuclear strategy, and ballistic missile defense. She travelled extensively around Western and Eastern Europe, working and studying in Finland, Germany, and Poland, and studied both Polish and Ukrainian.  Kirsty started her internship at the ACC in May and is excited to be a part of the leading think tank on transatlantic issues. 

Nino Marshania graduated from University of Montreal with a Masters in science of communication, specializing in media and organizational communication. Nino holds a Bachelors degree in International Journalism from Tbilisi State University. Alongside working with International Organizations such as the Red Cross, Nino has been actively involved in volunteering for Free the Children, Rotary Foundation, and Salvation Army. As Rotary Ambassadorial scholar she was dedicated to promoting cultural diversity and understanding. Nino has extensive experience working as a TV reporter and freelance journalist. Currently she is pursuing her studies in Communication and Culture at York and Ryerson Universities, specializing in cultural studies and politics and policy. Nino is also a coordinator for Eco-Art Media Festival at York University. She speaks fluent French, English, Russian, Lithuanian, Georgian and basic Spanish.  As an intern with the ACC Nino hopes to enrich her knowledge of NATO and Canada’s involvement, as well as acquire an experience working with Canadian NGO.

Tanah Sullivan has recently completed a Masters of International Politics at the University of Melbourne, Australia, specializing in Islamic studies, political theory and political affairs in Northeast Asia. She also holds a Bachelor of International Relations from Bond University, Australia, with a focus on Diplomacy and Global Governance. She studied at Université Robert Schuman in Strasbourg, France, where she completed a major in French for her undergraduate degree. Tanah has worked at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France, at the Political Affairs Section of the Embassy of Canada in Tokyo, Japan, and spent a year in a rural town in northern Japan on the JET Program. She has traveled extensively throughout the world, growing up in Malaysia, Singapore, Oman and Australia. Tanah speaks Indonesian, Malay, Japanese and French and can understand Italian. Her research interests include the roles of Russia and China in the changing international political environment, security issues and challenges in the Asia-Pacific and Transatlantic relations. Through her internship with the ACC, she hopes to achieve a better understanding of the role of NATO in global affairs and its response to the evolving and increasingly complex security challenges today. She can be reached at tanah.sullivan@atlantic-council.ca.

Clara Wong recently graduated with a Honours bilingual (English, French) B.A., in International Studies and Communications from Glendon College, York University. She joined the ACC as an intern this September before attending the NATO Study Tour. Clara looks forward to further developing her organizational skills by assisting with the upcoming events, conferences and roundtables as well as contributing to ACC publications. Her interests in political affairs stems from both her experience moving between Hong Kong, Toronto and Beijing and her decade of active involvement in Model United Nations. Clara is currently the Project Coordinator of Toronto ALPHA (Association for Learning & Preserving the History of WWII in Asia). Born in Hong Kong, P.R.C., Clara is proficient in English, Cantonese, Mandarin and French. She can be reached at clara.wong@atlantic-council.ca.

Monika Wyrzykowska is currently completing her Master’s Degree at the Centre for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies at the University of Toronto, with a specialization in Political Science and History. She also earned her Bachelor of Arts degree at the university, with a double major in Economics and European Studies. Her research interests include the enlargement of the eurozone into Poland and the potential new member states, as well as the political implications of the current debt crisis. Monika is also very active in the Polish-Canadian community. Currently serving as President of the Polish Students’ Association at U of T, she is a former Director of Communications for the national board of the Canadian Polish Congress and an alumnus of the First School for Leaders of the North American Polish Community in Warsaw sponsored by the Polish Senate. Wishing to expand her knowledge of transatlantic issues and Canadian policy interests, Monika is looking forward to utilizing her knowledge of Polish, German, and French, organization skill, as well as her research experience to make an impactful contribution at the Atlantic Council of Canada during her internship.

Amina Yasin graduated from the University of Guelph with an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice and Public Policy, with a focus on Public Policy, Administration, Governance and Law.  She will be pursuing her MSc in International and Capacity Development with a focused interest in public policy and development issues this fall. Amina has quite a few years of diverse professional public sector, NGO, international development work and volunteer experiences.  Over the past couple of years she has been able to work with local and international development agencies such as Solidarites, a French emergency humanitarian aid agency in Nairobi, Kenya.  She also participated as a project lead for Project Serve Canada – Mississippi 2009 as well as a Canadian Delegate at the 4^th World Youth Congress in Quebec City 2008.  Amina has also worked as a civil servant within the public sector at the Government of Alberta and has most recently worked with the University of Guelph Human Rights and Equity Office as a Human Rights Resource Person and Fact Finder over the last year.  She is fluent in English, Swahili, and can understand Somali.  Through her internship with the Atlantic Council, Amina looks forward to learning about transatlantic issues and better understanding the role of NATO in international affairs particularly as it relates to the role that international institutions such as NATO and national institutions such as the ACC play in supporting the rights of marginalized communities on the national level and internationally.  She can be reached at amina.yasin@atlantic-council.ca.