Colleen Burns is a senior at American University pursuing a degree in international studies with a thematic focus on justice, ethics, and human rights within East Asia. As the daughter of an immigrant, Colleen has always found herself interested in international studies, finding herself drawn to a regional focus on East Asia. She chose East Asia due to a lack of exposure to the region in her previous education and a desire to widen her perspective on global affairs. While studying abroad at SOAS University of London, Colleen expanded on her interests in East Asian politics through a class focused on North Korea’s modern history, deepening her interest in the connection between human rights, history, and contemporary North Korean politics.

As a research intern at HRNK, Colleen hopes to further expand on her knowledge of North Korea and the promotion of human rights. She also strives to help shine a spotlight on human rights issues in North Korea, especially those regarding gender issues. Following graduation, Colleen envisions working for an NGO focused on advancing human rights and rights related to gender issues.