Apolinario “AJ” Schramm
AJ earned his MA in Korea Studies from the University of Washington’s (UW) Jackson School of International Studies. His studies focused on pre-industrial Korean history and how Koreans’ understanding of this history influenced what is now known as “the Miracle on the Han River”, culminating in today’s intensely competitive educational environment. During his time at UW, he presented his paper “An Education Problem: Early Study Abroad in South Korea in Conservative Media” at Harvard East Asia Society Conference in 2020. His research interests extend from foreign policy, electoral politics, demographic change and more.
After graduation, he worked at the Global Peace Foundation (GPF) where he researched the history of Korean immigration to the United States and the community’s understanding of themselves as Korean Americans. Using this research, he advised GPF’s leadership on better ways to hold dialogues with the Korean diaspora on achieving peace on the Korean Peninsula as well as combating anti-Asian discrimination domestically. Furthermore, he opened conversations with other organizations working on Korean American issues to better ensure coordination on important issues. Upon completion of this project, he led GPF’s Fall 2022 intern cohort through a twelve-week program allowing college students and recent graduates to practice what they learned.
Currently, AJ is studying political developments on the Korean Peninsula to better understand the motivations and competing factions underlying government actions. This understanding facilitates policy recommendations that can attain sustainable support from a majority of the population and relevant state actors.