VOLUNTEERS
Grace Fong (Vice Chair 2019-2020)
A graduate at Heriot Watt University, Grace achieved her degree in Biological Sciences, and then her Masters in Public Health Nutrition. Through these studies as well as many years working in the Hospitality industry, Grace has developed interpersonal skills and an understanding of serving client's needs.
Grace also has over 5 years of experience working within the RBS/Natwest Group. Initially working as a Financial Crime Associate, Grace has progressed to an Anti Money Laundering Investigator. Here, she gained an Advanced Certificate in Anti Money Laundering for the International Compliance Association.
Being British-born Chinese, Grace has a natural enthusiasm for building a strong network amongst the Scottish and Chinese communities.
Grace has a passion for helping her community and for sharing ideas and cultures. This passion helped tremendously when she was part of the team that brought the Chinese New Year Celebrations to the Scottish Parliament for the very first time, in 2020.
When not socialising with friends/family, going for a swim, or learning new culinary skills, Grace spends time with her beloved dog.
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Chris Costello (Graphic Designer)
Chris, a native Scot, is a graduate of Edinburgh Napier University. He has over a decade’s worth of experience working primarily as a Graphic Designer within the print industry with a wide client base. His skillset lies predominantly around 2D graphic based artwork for print; with jobs ranging from branding for small bespoke start-up companies through to high profile design projects for larger businesses.
A dedicated professional who is passionate to lend a hand whenever and however he can, no matter how big or small the task may be.
Outside of work, Chris is a keen traveller with a strong affinity for the Chinese culture. Often found sat around a bubbling hotpot enjoying terrific cuisine with friends and family.
Working on the BBYTA 2020 New Year celebrations at the Scottish Parliament was a great honour and evoked a huge appreciation into the hard work and devotion the BBYTA has when it comes to creating opportunities and nurturing young talent from Chinese and British communities alike.
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Leah Duncan-Karrim (Marketing Officer)
Leah holds an MA in Chinese from the University of Edinburgh, and is currently undertaking an MSc in East Asian Relations at the same institution. She has previously studied in Tianjin, as a Confucius Institute scholar, and spent a semester at Peking University in Beijing. She also represented the UK at the world finals of the Chinese Bridge Competition in Hunan, China in 2019 and is actively engaged with a number of organisations which promote Chinese language and cultural education in Scotland.
Pui Kei Wong (Marketing Officer)
Pui Kei Wong is a graduate in Anthropology-Music from the University of Aberdeen and is currently pursuing a Masters in Social Research at the University of Edinburgh. Her experiences in studying and volunteering abroad in Hong Kong and Cambodia has inspired her to engage in the social sciences to seek a better understanding of diverse communities and cultures. Having grown up in Scotland, she has a passion for promoting cultural diversity and strives to apply her skills in social research and policy to real-life matters. Pui Kei continues to engage in a range of voluntary work as she hopes to deliver a positive impact for future generations to come.
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Find her on LinkedIn:
Claire Kumesu-Egri (Marketing Officer)
Claire holds an LLB in International and EU Law from the University of Groningen and an LLM in Chinese Law from Tsinghua University. She recently returned from Taipei where she studied Chinese. Through her experiences abroad, she has developed an interest in trade and investment. Claire is excited to contribute to BBYTA initiatives that expand cultural connections between China and the UK in its youth populations.
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Find her on LinkedIn:
Yifan Du (Marketing Officer)
Yifan Du is born and raised in China. She is doing her master’s degree in Social Research at the University of Edinburgh. Aiming at thriving cultural communication between China and Scotland, Yifan endeavours to involve more Chinese students to engage with the activities held by BBYTA. Through the experience of voluntary work in China, she develops a huge interest in social issues and is willing to contribute to the wellbeing of marginalised groups. In the past year, Yifan was engaged with “Stop Asian Hate” movements among young people in the local community.
Tasneem Al Balushi (Marketing Officer)
Tasneem is an International Business undergraduate student at the University of Birmingham. Her cross cultural experience prepared her to work with BBYTA as she has experience working and studying in the Middle East, Europe and the UK. She has a passion for achieving cultural diversity and equality which inspired her to join BBYTA to assist young individuals with finding opportunities and to showcase the beauty of the Chinese culture.
Xinen Wang/Luna (Marketing Officer)
Xinen Wang is a graduate from Newcastle University. She can also speak Japanese and Korean. As a graduate in journalism degree, she focuses on gender inequality problem and keeps fighting for minority rights. Xinen is happy to join BBYTA to create content for improving understanding of Chinese culture and promoting diversity.
