Dan McDowall is a current Master of Global Affairs student at the University of Toronto. Throughout his graduate degree, he has focused on several global policy issues including human rights, security, development, and innovation policy. His interests range from European diplomatic relations, particularly Britain’s relationship with the European Union, to security policy and strategy in East Asia. Dan completed his undergraduate degree at Queen Mary University of London with a specialisation in the history of Nazi Germany. During his undergraduate career, Dan conducted wide-ranging research into several other historical authoritarian and totalitarian regimes, including the Soviet Union, China, and North Korea. From this experience, he developed a strong interest in modern totalitarianism, particularly that of North Korea, and how foreign policy can be used to engage with totalitarian regimes and help the people that live within them, as well as manage any security threats that these nations pose. As a Research Intern with HRNK, Dan hopes to learn further about politics, coercion, and life in North Korea and how a human rights-based policy approach by governments can be implemented to improve the lives of the North Korean people.