In the Fall 2020 semester, Lau worked alongside Social Sciences Lecturer Shawn Lynch<\/a> to examine the different movements persisting in the UK after withdrawing from the European Union. Her research focused on the rise of nationalist and right-wing sentiments and racism after the UK severed ties with the EU.<\/p>\n The topic was one Lau and Lynch expressed a shared interest in.<\/p>\n \u201cI jumped at the chance because of my personal experience witnessing the Brexit vote and aftermath personally, due to my role in the CGS Boston-London Program,<\/a>\u201d Lynch said.<\/p>\n Lynch and Lau came to work together through mutual connections. Lau had expressed her interest for the CITL program to Associate Dean Lynn O\u2019Brien Hallstein<\/a>, the Director of CITL, and Donna Connor<\/a>, CITL\u2019s administrative coordinator, who connected her with Lynch. The pair met over Zoom, where they discussed Brexit and agreed to work together that very meeting.<\/p>\n The pair worked together solely over Zoom, but that didn\u2019t limit Lau and Lynch\u2019s productivity.<\/p>\n \u201cWe met regularly to discuss a variety of research related topics, but also just general global events such as the Presidential election in 2020,\u201d Lau said.<\/p>\n While Lau researched, Lynch served as a resource for her. In meetings, she was able to solicit feedback and ask questions about her paper.<\/p>\n \u201cDr. Lynch\u2019s feedback was extremely helpful for me because it forced me to reconsider my position, dive deeper into the topics, and question the accuracy and reliability of the sources I used,\u201d Lau said.<\/p>\n Upon beginning their project, both Lynch and Lau established several goals, most of which have already been achieved. Lau hoped to learn more about researching and writing a twenty-page paper and enjoy the process of researching Brexit specifically. According to Lau, she planned to translate these skills to Capstone, and her next research project: a directed study focused on feminist literary intellectual thought.<\/p>\n Additionally, the pair shared a goal for her paper to be published, an achievement both Lau and Lynch hope to pursue in the future.<\/p>\n \u201cI came into this experience unsure of what guided research entailed but came out with a wealth of knowledge, a mentor, and a growing passion of shedding light on global events that have an impact on our daily lives,\u201d Lau said.<\/p>\n She strongly recommends the CITL research experience to CGS students as passionate about researching as she is.<\/p>\n \u201cI live by a simple philosophy: learn everything I can, anytime I can, from anyone I can,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"\/cgs\/files\/2021\/05\/160552950_303256627894038_6420424976001428570_n-1-650x293.png\")