Yaoyao Pei

Yaoyao Pei is excited to be co-leading the new Arts and Culture Program of the Asia Pacific Youth Council and bringing Canadians together to celebrate arts in the Asia Pacific. She is a fourth-year International Relations student at the University of British Columbia and currently works as Project Assistant of From the Ground Up: Buddhism and East Asian Religions (FROGBEAR) in the Department of Asian Studies. Her passion for art and design in promoting international co-operation has led her to direct tours and participate in events for the Richmond Art Gallery, assist a youth program at Rainbow Art Studio, and practise her own graphic design and photography.

Yaoyao hopes to raise the modern consciousness of Asian culture and contemporary arts in multicultural Canada and beyond. She was previously part of the Student Election Watch team for the 2019 India election and volunteered marketing and media initiatives for two student-run organizations, IdeasXChange and the Connect Vancouver Foundation. Additionally, Yaoyao and a peer's design proposal for the UBC Climate Arts Competition was voted as a top five submission. In these capacities and more, she's gained experience in applied arts and design, events, and NGOs. Her work and research reflect her specific interest in foreign policy, digital communications, and the educational implications of a closer and stronger Asia Pacific region.