Independent Studies | University of Waterloo

Sian pursued concurrent degrees in IS and in Biotechnology/Economics, Co-op. He has traveled and worked abroad for the last few years. Sian worked at the University of Notre Dame as a research assistant during his 2A co-op term and garnered a co-op report award for his clear delineation of the scientific theories underlying the experiment concerning protein C knock-out mice. After the co-op term, Sian participated in a ten-month exchange at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, where he volunteered to complete a review paper concerning the dietary effect on relieving the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. He is currently on co-op at Shanghai Children’s Medical Center assisting with the various needs of the laboratory investigations, and aims to apply for medical school in the near future.

During his exchange and co-op experiences, Sian has observed the darker side of humanity. In macroscopic terms, he is concerned about the large socio-economic disparity between the various classes around the globe, while microscopically, Sian is deeply troubled by the selfishness of individuals, which often drive people to shrug away human morality as “better” opportunities roll into view.

Driven by these disturbing feelings, Sian’s aim in IS is to complete a novel that explores the darker side of human instincts in the context of looming global challenges including global warming, population stress, decreasing energy supplies, and soaring weaponry threats.

“These global strains will exert a visible effect on our lifestyles in the near future,” insists Sian, “as each global citizen strives harder to maintain his or her current standard of living. These struggles will likely unravel much of our societal etiquettes and moral codes, at that point when survival instincts kick-in, effectively setting the stage for a battle royale.”

Sian tells us:

"During my undergrad years, my global work and study experiences led me to question the socio-economic inequality more critically. My IS thesis therefore examined the contemporary Chinese population—one of the countries that showed much socio-economic inequalities during my stay."

"The IS study showed that the wealthier and the more educated the Chinese population, the more likely they are to think that they have good health even though they are more likely to be overweight, hypertensive, and diabetic. I am now entering post-graduate studies, and I hope to one day link my economics background with my interest in medicine."

Read Sian's thesis: Dissociation of Subjective and Objective Health Status in the Chinese Population.

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Sian Tsuei This page was last reviewed on August 11, 2011