People

Manel Miaadi

Manel Miaadi is a PhD candidate (ABD) at Wilfrid Laurier University. Her dissertation investigates the lived experience of borders as tools of control and delay, focusing on how migration policies create waiting, invisibility, and exclusion as techniques of governance. She is currently writing on temporal bordering, gendered displacement, and the erasure of migrant testimony in […]

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Dorcas Boakye Acheampong

Dorcas Boakye Acheampong, a Master of Development Practice (MDP) student at the Balsillie School of International Affairs, is deeply passionate about how finance can be used as a force to drive rural development, reduce poverty, and promote environmental sustainability. Her MBA in finance research examined the impact of Rural and Community Banks on the socio-economic

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Sim Sitzer

Sim Sitzer (he/him) is pursuing the Master of Development Practice at the Balsillie School of International Affairs and University of Waterloo. He acknowledges his role as a settler on the traditional territory of the Attawandaron (Neutral), Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples and strives to incorporate Indigenous knowledge and wisdom into his life and work. Sim holds

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Mona Fathieh-Chigangu

Mona is a graduate student in the Master of International Public Policy program at the Balsillie School of International Affairs. Mona is interested in migration governance, refugee policy, and the impacts of forced migration on wellbeing, particularly in relation to equitable access to mental health services. She aims to advance policies and programs that support

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Abdirisak Ali

Abdirisak Ali is a graduate student in the Master of Development Practice (MDP) at the University of Waterloo. His interest of Development Practices stems from professional journey, lived experience and commitment to fostering equitable and sustainable world. His Bachelor of Business Administration and Diploma in Community Development provided him with a strong foundation in analytical

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Ema Oro

Ema Oro is a current graduate student at the Balsillie School of International Affairs pursing her master’s degree in International Public Policy. Ema graduated from Queens University in 2024, earning an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in History. Throughout her time at Queens, Ema had the opportunity to take classes

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Adrienne Kuntz

Adrienne Kuntz is a graduate student at the Balsillie School of International Affairs in the Master of Development Practice (MDP) program. She holds a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture with a Certification in Environmental Citizenship from the University of Guelph, where she has explored the interconnection of ecological systems and human wellbeing. Her undergraduate thesis examined

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Meena Sabeeh

Meena Sabeeh is a graduate candidate in the Global Governance program at the Balsillie School of International Affairs. She completed her Honours undergraduate degree in Political Science at the University of Guelph, graduating with distinction. Throughout her undergraduate studies, Meena developed a strong interest in diplomacy, international cooperation, and the political dynamics of the Middle

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Shirin Akter

Shirin Akter is a researcher specializing in food security, agricultural economics, and governance. She is currently pursuing her PhD in the Global Governance program at the Balsillie School of International Affairs, with a research focus at the intersection of urban food security, sustainable development, migration, gender, and governance. Her academic interests particularly emphasize governance strategies

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Harris Gowan

Harris Gowan is a graduate student in the Master of International Public Policy program at the Balsillie School of International Affairs. His research interests lie at the intersection of global governance, international political economy, and institutional design, with particular attention to how international institutions and global markets influence equity and justice across the Global South.

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