Sarah Park – East Asia Regional Specialization
What did you do before SIPA?
Prior to SIPA, I was a litigation paralegal at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, a law firm based in New York. After two years in Paul, Weiss, I went to South Korea for a year as a Fulbright fellow to conduct research about North Korean refugees.
Why did you choose to specialize in the East Asia Region?
Growing up in China as a Korean-American, I’ve always been interested in U.S. relations with East Asian countries, more specifically Korea and China. At SIPA, I wanted to pursue my interest in North Korean human rights through a combination of the human rights concentration and the East Asia specialization. Through the East Asia specialization, I have taken courses with North Korea experts like Professor Sue Mi Terry. Moreover, the specialization has helped me learn more about East Asia from a variety of perspectives, including security, human rights, economic, and political.
What do you plan to do after SIPA?
Upon graduation, I would like to work on U.S.-Korea relations in the public sector, think tanks, or NGOs. I also hope to pursue my interest in North Korean human rights in some way.
Filip Tucek – East Central Europe Regional Specialization
What did you do before SIPA?
Before joining SIPA, I worked first for the Government of the Czech Republic and then as EU Affairs Advisor for Senator Tomas Grulich in the Parliament of the Czech Republic. Having practical experience, in addition to educational background in international affairs, has been extremely helpful for me at SIPA.
Why did you choose to specialize in the East Central Europe Region?
I have specialized in East Central Europe Region as my pre-SIPA interest and work had focused on the region. Moreover, the courses offered in this specialization are taught with some of the world-leading experts and learning from them is a fascinating opportunity. In general, I believe that specializing early on from the studies at SIPA gives a student a competitive advantage and allows to maximize the SIPA experience.
What do you plan to do after SIPA?
After SIPA, I plan to keep working in policy consulting and policy research focusing on security policy in Central and Eastern Europe. I would prefer to stay in the United States.
