Even though he just graduated from UBC Law this May, KPU distinguished alumnus Brandon Hastings already has his sights set on his next goal - brokering trade relationships between Canada and developing economies in Asia.
On July 31, Hastings will be jetting off to Singapore as a member of Junior Team Canada, the flagship program of Global Vision - a registered charity that has provided over 25,000 young leaders with real-world experiences in trade, politics, business and ambassadorship. The goal of the mission is to promote Canadian communities abroad and increase Canada's access to key global markets, all while providing opportunities for Canada's next generation of leaders, and offering Canadian employers a cost-efficient alternative to sending employees overseas.
For Hastings, the chance to participate is an opportunity for a first-hand glimpse into the inner-workings of promotion and the establishment of international trading relationships, as well as to see the politics of Canada's international relations in action.
"It's a great way to saturate myself in the intersection between international trade and politics. Ever since my undergraduate degree I've been a pretty avid free-trader, and my experience learning about the law of the World Trade Organization during law school cemented that," says Hastings. "Junior Team Canada is going to be an excellent way to get 'inside the machine,' so-to-speak, and see how and to what extent philosophies around free trade are operationalized, and what some of the stumbling blocks are. I'm also just really excited to get a crash-course in Canadian foreign policy, and meet a bunch of people that work to make the world a better place through building international relationships."
Hastings graduated from KPU's BBA Entrepreneurial Leadership program in 2010 with the Dean’s Medal, and was a founding member of the university's business case competition team, which has placed first in the international CaseIT Business Case competition for the past two years. He currently sits on the KPU Alumni Association's Board of Directors.
An avid traveller, Hastings has already been to Singapore twice – once for a case competition with KPU, once on exchange with law school – and says he's looking forward to "pretty much everything" about the trip; visits to China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore included: "I'm really excited to see the business and non-tourist sides of Hong Kong, and I'm looking forward to seeing Guangzhou, which is one of the world's biggest manufacturing centres. I'm also really looking forward to grabbing some Laksa in my old neighbourhood in Singapore."
Global Vision and Junior Team Canada are Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) initiatives, with the goal of each trip being to establish community ties and strengthen trading relationships between Canada and developing countries around the world. For more information, visit www.globalvision.ca.
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