First, take a complex research project and encapsulate it into three minutes.
Second, memorize it.
Third, present it in front of a panel of esteemed judges and an audience.
From L to R: Hiryon Park, Michelle Musindo, Alana Paquette, Lloyd Barker, Katelyn Bauer, and Anastasia Bunisevych
It’s a challenging task, but many students take it on each year during FPA Research Month.
The 180HRE is a part of FPA Connects: Research Month. FPA Connects is an event series for undergraduates that includes events throughout the academic year.
FPA Research Month is the Faculty of Public Affairs’ annual celebration of research.
The winning presentation in 2016 was delivered by fourth-year Law and Legal Studies student Lloyd Barker. Entitled “Satisfied Staff = Corporate Efficiency”, it encapsulated his research on Germany’s works council.
“Germany’s work councils are internal bodies that represent employees and improve workplace efficiency,” Barker told the audience. “They have intrinsic rights such as the right to information, the right to consultation and the right to co-determination. However, the main goal is employee job satisfaction.”
Mr. Barker argued that these lessons could be applied in a Canadian context to strengthen the executive-employee relationship. He cited the example of Ontario Power Generation, which worked closely with senior employees to preserve institutional knowledge.
Second place in the competition was awarded to Alana Paquette, who conducted an in-depth study of Canadian Police-Related In-Custody Deaths. Ms. Paquette is a student in the Institute of Criminology and Criminal Justice. She concluded with a recommendation that Canada create a national database for in-custody deaths.
Third place was awarded to Public Affairs and Policy Management student Katelyn Bauer, who spoke about Policy Transfer Mechanisms. She showed how a 2001 OECD study comparing educational systems led to changes in the German educational system.
The other participants were Public Affairs and Policy Management student Michelle Musindo, who spoke on the Internationalization of Sexual Violence; Political Science student Hiryon Park, who spoke on Regionalism in China, Japan, and South Korea; and Political Science student Anastasia Bunisevych, who spoke about U.S.-China relations regarding the environment.
“We were all very impressed with your hard work,” Dean André Plourde told the participants. “This is a perfect example of the intellectual community we’re creating within the Faculty of Public Affairs that fosters a love of learning, research, and intellectual discussion.”
The competition was judged by Provost Peter Rickets; Suzanne Blanchard, the Vice-President (Students and Enrolment); and Cheryl Schramm the Acting Director of the Discovery Centre for Undergraduate Research and Engagement.
