BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Centre for Migration Studies//NONSGML Events//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://migration.ubc.ca/events/event/ X-WR-CALDESC:Centre for Migration Studies - Events BEGIN:VEVENT UID:20260108T2223Z-1767911004.0226-EO-27217-42@10.19.146.22 STATUS:CONFIRMED DTSTAMP:20260718T163714Z CREATED:20260108T001755Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260428T180427Z DTSTART;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260427T083000 DTEND;TZID=America/Vancouver:20260427T153000 SUMMARY: 2026 CMS Migration & Integration Conference DESCRIPTION: The 2026 Bridging Divides Conference convenes interdisciplinar y scholars to explore migration integration in the mid-21st century. Join t he conversation\, connect with peers\, and engage with cutting-edge researc h at UBC. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

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The UBC Centre for Migration St udies is pleased to invite you to the 2026 CMS Migration & Integration Conf erence at the xʷθəθiqətəm (Place of Many Trees)\, Liu Institute for Global Issues\, on April 27\, 2026\, at the University of British Columbia in Vanc ouver.

Supported by the Migrant Integration in the Mid-21st Cen tury: Bridging Divides research program\, the conference brings to gether researchers from across disciplines to share and engage with new wor k on migration and integration. The program creates space for critical exch ange\, collaboration\, and engagement across fields and career stages.

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Conference Program

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Panels
Through concurrent panels\, participants will explore four key themati c areas:
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[accordion title="Panel 1: Employment and Life-Long Learning"]
Evaluatin g the Effectiveness of Advanced Digital Technologies to Support Immigrant P rofessionals’ Integration into the Canadian Labour Market
A bstract
Anu sha Kassan\, Associate Professor of Educational and Counselling Psychol ogy\, UBCV
Co-presenters: Fatemeh Kazemi\, Senior Researcher\, Centre for Immigrant Research at The Immigrant Education Society (TIES) and Kreisa Hil aro\, Manager\, TIES Centre for Immigrant Research
Dr. Anusha Kassan is an Associate Professor in Educational and Counselling P sychology and Special Education at the University of British Columbia and t he Founder of the Vividhatà Research Group. The lab is dedicated to sociall y and culturally responsive research that prioritizes meaningful community engagement. Dr. Kassan’s research currently centers on two main areas. Firs t\, she studies migration experiences across diverse groups\, including new comer youth\, women\, and 2SLGBQ+ communities. Second\, she investigates te aching and learning within psychology\, with a focus on cultural and social justice responsiveness among graduate students and supervisors. Her schola rship has important implications for psychology training\, professional pra ctice\, research\, and policy.

Dr. Fatemeh Kazemi is an expert in research methodology and data analysis at The Imm igrant Education Society. She implements data-driven strategies to support evidence-based decision-making\, enhancing the quality of life for immigran t communities through community-based research.

Kreisha Hilario\, an immigrant shaped by her experiences\, is a leader ded icated to rooting herself in her new country and championing social justice . Committed to her advocacy\, she empowers communities and uplifts individu als through research and innovative program development.
Immigrant Perspectives on Artificial Intelligence: Preliminar y Findings from British Columbia
Abstract
Annamma Joy\, Associate Dean\, Faculty of Management\, U BCO
Co-presenter: Ying Zhu\, Associate Professor\, Faculty of Management\, UBCO
Dr . Annamma Joy is Associate Dean\, Research\, and Professor of Marketing at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus. Her scholarship has examined ethnic identity and acculturation among immigrants to Canada from India\, Portugal\, and Italy. More recently\, her research explores the use and interpretation of emerging technologies in the art wor ld\, as well as how immigrants from India and China engage with generative AI. In this work\, she focuses on how individuals navigate questions of ide ntity\, belonging\, and cultural meaning in rapidly evolving technological landscapes.
Dr. Ying Zhu pursues two major research paths: 1) exploring the impact of emerging technologies like AI and the Met averse on consumer behaviour\, and 2) examining how marketing approaches (e .g.\, digital marketing\, business networks) drive business outcomes. As an immigrant and a marketing researcher specializing in the impact of advance d technology on consumers\, businesses and nonprofits\, she is deeply inter ested in how emerging technologies—particularly AI—affect immigrant integra tion into the workforce and society.
Credentialized Asp irations and Differentiated Migrant Labour in Canada’s Digital Economy
Abstract
María Cervantes-Macías\, CMS Postdoctoral Research Fellow\, UBCV
Dr. María Cervantes-Macía s is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Centre for Migration St udies and an Affiliate Member of the Department of Geography at the Univers ity of British Columbia. Her research explores how migration and digital la bour are transforming Canadian cities\, focusing on the everyday experience s of immigrant workers in the platform economy. She is also a Non-Resident Fellow at the U.S.–Mexico Center at the University of California\, San Dieg o\, and a former Fox International Fellow at Yale University. Through her w ork\, María examines how borders\, technology\, and inequality shape who ge ts to move\, work\, and belong across North America.

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Humanizing Technologies: Translating Migrant Oral Histories into Im mersive Surrealist VR Narratives for Cultural Resilience
< a href="https://migr.cms.arts.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/42/2026/02/2. 1-Humanizing-Technologies-Translating-Migrant-Oral-Histories-into-Immersive -Surrealist-VR-Narratives-for-Cultural-Resilience-.pdf">Abstract
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Annie W an\, Associate Professor\, Creative Studies\, UBCO
Co-presenter: M arcus Hobkirk\, Undergraduate Student\, Media Studies\, UBCO
Dr. Annie Wan is an international digital media scholar\, with pri mary research interests in adopting extended reality technologies for well- being and for social good. Her latest research involves building a VR\, Ope nAI’s virtual health-assisted application which trains and prepares Alzheim er’s caregivers. While another project studied an Asian heritage in Hong Ko ng\, Kong Ha Wai\, and the relationship between diaspora identity and herit age\, which is complex and multifaceted\, profoundly influencing how diaspo ra and communities understand themselves and interact with the new home.
Marcus Hobkirk is an undergraduate student in Media St udies at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus. His practice primarily involves using game engines to create interactive digital enviro nments and games with vibrant artistic styles. He regularly works with emer ging Virtual Reality (VR) technologies to achieve enhanced immersion within his projects.
His most recent work in “Humanizing Technologies: A Sur vival Toolkit Navigating the Artificial Intelligence Era in Migration Studi es” shows the experience of migrants through distinct\, abstract narratives which unfold in the VR space.
Invisible Struggles\, Em erging Patterns: Mental Health Indicators for Migrant Youth Across Two Deca des in BC
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Shams M.F. Al-Anzi\, MSN\, Stigma and Resilience Among Vulnerable Youth Centre (SARAVYC)\, School of Nursing \, UBCV
Shams M.F. Al-Anzi is a Doctoral Student at the University of British Columbia School of Nursing. Their research focuse s on migration\, youth mental health\, and digital engagement. Their doctor al work examines how migration-related stressors\, structural inequities\, and experiences of belonging shape mental health outcomes among migrant and racialized young people in British Columbia\, with particular attention to West Asian and North African communities. Using mixed-methods and populati on-based data\, they explore how everyday mobilities\, including digital an d social forms of engagement\, can function as both sources of empowerment and sites of marginalization. Grounded in intersectionality and postcolonia l feminist frameworks\, their work aims to inform equity-oriented policy\, community-based interventions\, and responsive health system practices for migrant populations.
Precarious Status\, Precarious Hea lth: Family Outcomes in Immigrant Substance Use Recovery
Abstract
Imroze Singh Goindval\, PhD Student\, School of Population and Public Health\, UBCV
Imroze Singh G oindval is a PhD student in the School of Population and Public He alth at the University of British Columbia whose research bridges migration \, disability\, and care. His work examines caregiving for mandhbuddhi (int ellectual and developmental disabilities [IDDs]) within Panjabi communities in Panjab (India) and the Panjabi diaspora in British Columbia. Drawing on transnational ethnography\, medical anthropology\, and feminist political economy\, Imroze investigates how families navigate migration and structura l inequalities to assemble care across borders and systems. He integrates a rts-based and community-engaged research (ABER) and multilingual\, cultural ly grounded mediums to collaboratively generate insights with participants and to build accessible knowledge pathways across linguistic and social wor lds.
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[accordion title="Panel 3: Citizenship and Participation"]
Digital Platforms\, Identity\, and Integration Among Chinese Canadians
Abstract
Aodi Cheng\, Master’s Student & Resea rch Assistant\, Political Science\, UBCV
Aodi Cheng is an MA student in Political Science at the University of British Columbia . His research interests include comparative politics\, political behavior\ , and the political economy of migration and integration\, with a focus on public opinion and quantitative methodology. He works on survey-based resea rch and causal inference designs\, and is especially interested in how inst itutions and information environments shape attitudes toward immigration an d integration
Public Opinion on Government Use of Artif icial Intelligence: Support\, Out-Group Bias\, and Error Tolerance
Abstract
Maxime Coulombe\, Affiliate Assistant Professor\, Political Science\, Concordia University (Bridging Divides Sch olar Exchange)
Dr. Maxime Coulombe is an Affiliate A ssistant Professor in the Political Science Department at Concordia Univers ity and a Research Associate with the Bridging Divides project and the Inst itute for Research on Migration and Society (IRMS). His research sits at th e intersection of political behaviour and social psychology\, focusing on p ublic opinion\, immigration\, political participation\, elections\, and Can adian and comparative politics. He primarily uses survey data and experimen tal methods. His dissertation examined how social pressure influences votin g and electoral participation\, with related articles published in Elec toral Studies and the Journal of Elections\, Public Opinion and Pa rties.
Self-Recognition as Political Practice: Mar rón Art\, Racialization\, and Inclusion in Argentina
Abstract
Ana Vivaldi\, Sessional Instructor\, Sociology\ , UBCV
Dr. Ana Vivaldi is an interdisciplinary resea rcher whose work explores how Indigenous territorialities are constructed i n and from the city through active mobilities. She examines how migrant and urban Indigenous communities confront unspoken forms of racism through var ious strategies\, including reconnecting urban spaces to traditional territ ories\, fostering new forms of activism that unite members of different nat ions and individuals with unknown ancestry\, engaging in artistic and cultu ral production\, and advocating for anti-racist policies within state insti tutions. Through ethnographic and visual methodologies\, her research sheds light on Indigenous sovereignties and emergent forms of urban conviviality \, particularly how mobility among marginalized populations shapes social a nd spatial assemblages that challenge subordination.
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Immigrant Experiences in Cosmopolitan Social Service Organizations
Abstract
Frankie Cabahug\ , PhD Student\, Social Work\, UBCV
Frankie Cabahug i s a PhD student in the UBC School of Social Work. Before pursuing social wo rk\, she spent a decade serving Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside through roles in the social service and shelter sectors\, which formed her interest in e xploring the complexities of place-based community building. Her research s eeks to explore how migration and mobility intersect with social infrastruc tures in migrant and newcomer identity construction.
St epwise\, Digital\, and Onward: Mapping the Mobility Pathways of Displaced A fghans and Ukrainians to/from Canada
Abstract
Sophie Liu\, PhD Student\, Sociology\, UBCV
Sophie Xiaoyi Liu is a Ph.D. candidate in Soci ology\, specializing in the sociology of law\, race/ethnicity\, and migrati on. She examines how knowledge of and experiences with the law shape the wa ys marginalized groups engage with legal practices in the North American co ntext. Her dissertation examines pathways to justice for hate incident vict ims in Canada\, with a particular focus on the experiences of Asian minorit ies. She employs diverse methodologies to explore these issues\, including survey experiments\, in-depth interviews\, and computational text analysis.
Bridges of Belonging: Creating Bonds with Language and Place in a Forest-Based Augmented Storying Project 
Abstract
Harini Rajagopal\, Assistant Profess or\, Language and Literacy Education\, UBCV
Co-presenters: Kristiina Kumpulainen\, Professor and Department Head\, Language & Literacy Education\, UBCV\, and Melanie Wong\, Associ ate Professor of Teaching\, Program Advisor for the Online MEd in Literacy Education\, Language & Literacy Education\, UBCV
Dr. Harini R ajagopal is an Assistant Professor in Language and Literacy Educat ion. Her work\, grounded in antiracist and decolonizing approaches\, center s collaboration with children\, families\, and educators to value artistic\ , multimodal\, and multilingual ways of knowing in educational spaces. She uses reflexive\, participatory\, and arts-based methodologies to support ju stice-oriented pedagogies rooted in critical care\, creativity\, and hope. Her interests include early years literacies\, multiliteracies\, family lit eracies\, culturally sustaining pedagogies\, childhood studies\, and teache r education.
Dr. Kristiina Kumpulainen is Professor and Head of the Department of Language and Literacy Edu cation in the Faculty of Education at the University of British Columbia. H er research draws on relational and cultural-historical approaches to exami ne communication\, learning\, and education across social and digital conte xts. She studies how identities\, agency\, and knowledge are shaped across settings\, and collaborates with academic\, industry\, and community partne rs to develop playful\, participatory\, and equity-focused pedagogies acros s early childhood\, K–12\, and teacher education\, including in STEAM and c limate education. She is Co-Editor of the journal Learning\, Culture and In teraction.
Dr. Melanie Wong is an educator dedicated to K–12 learning and the preparation of future teachers. Her research focuses on K–12 students\, multilingual learners\, and techno logy-enhanced classrooms. She brings extensive school-based experience\, ha ving worked as an elementary and technology teacher\, an Alberta Initiative for School Improvement Learning Leader\, an English Language Learner Learn ing Leader\, and\, most recently\, as a system ELL Strategist with the Calg ary Board of Education. She is deeply committed to mentoring teachers as th ey enter the profession and to strengthening the connections between educat ional research and classroom practice.
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Panel Discussion: Communic ating Migration for Impact
At a time when immigration debates are in creasingly politicized and Canadian migration narratives are shifting\, thi s featured session explores how scholars can engage broader publics and pol icy audiences in meaningful ways.
Br inging together UBC researchers working across theatre\, comics\, creative non-fiction\, long-form journalism\, and investigative reporting\, the pane l showcases diverse approaches to communicating migration research beyond t raditional academic formats. Panelists will reflect on their experiences\, followed by a moderated discussion on audiences\, necessary skills\, opportunities\, and challe nges across different modes of storytelling.
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Modera tor: Winnie Chi ronga\, Equity Director of AMSSA
Winnie Chironga is the Director of Equity at the Affiliation of Multicultural Societ ies and Service Agencies of BC (AMSSA)\, where she leads a broad equity\, a nti-racism\, and inclusion portfolio. Her work includes advancing Indigenou s Truth and Decolonization initiatives under the guidance of AMSSA’s Indige nous Advisory Council\, supporting sector-wide capacity building\, and stre ngthening organizational practices that promote belonging\, accountability\ , and systems change across British Columbia’s settlement sector. Winnie br ings a multidisciplinary background in law\, business\, and community devel opment\, alongside lived experience as an immigrant woman of colour. Her le adership focuses on bridging community-based knowledge with institutional s ystems\, supporting culturally grounded approaches to mentorship and leader ship development\, and creating spaces where equity-deserving communities c an thrive without having to diminish their identities.
Geraldine Pratt\, Profess or and Department Head\, Geography\, UBCV
Dr. Geraldine Pratt is a Professor and Department Head of Geography at the Univ ersity of British Columbia. Her research focuses on labour precarity\, glob al migration\, and emerging geographies of care. She has long engaged in co llaborative and creative scholarship\, working across film\, installation\, and performance. Her book with Caleb Johnston\, Migration in Performance ( 2019)\, traces the international travels of their testimonial play\, perfor med in Vancouver\, Berlin at HAU1\, Manila with PETA and Migrante Internati onal\, as well as in Whitehorse and Winnipeg. She continues collaborative r esearch with migrant organizations on temporary foreign worker programs\, a longside new projects on aging and the changing geographies of care\, and o n housing (in)justice in the context of climate change with Rafi Arefin.
Elizabeth "Biz" Nijdam\, Assistant Professor\, Central\, Eastern\, and Northern Europe an Studies\, UBCV
Dr. Elizabeth “Biz” Nijdam ( she/her) is an Assistant Professor of Teaching and settler scholar in the D epartment of Central\, Eastern\, and Northern European Studies\, where she serves as Director of Undergraduate Studies for the German Program. Biz’s r esearch and teaching are grounded in the belief that popular culture is cap able of both reflecting social and political discourse and intervening in i t. Biz's scholarship examines the representation of complex histories in co mics and digital and tabletop games\, Tarot’s capacity for innovating class room teaching\, and the role of comics and arts-based research in preservin g Indigenous knowledges\, sharing Indigenous storytelling traditions\, and revitalizing Indigenous languages. Biz established the UBC Comics Studies C luster in 2023\, where she continues to support community partners\, local nonprofits\, BC’s First Nations\, and UBC faculty and students in making co mics about the important issues facing society today. She is also the Direc tor of the UBC Pop Culture Cluster\, which is home to the UBC Critical Play Lab\, and sits on the Executive Committee of the International Comic Arts Forum.
Kamal Al-Solaylee\, Director and Professor\, School of Journalism\, Wri ting\, and Media\, UBCV
Vancouver-based Dr. Kamal Al-So laylee is the author of the bestseller Intolerable: A Memoir of Extremes\, winner of the 2013 Toronto Book Award and a fina list for the CBC’s Canada Reads and the Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction. His second book\, Brown: What Being Brown in the World Toda y Means (to Everyone) won the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing and was finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Awards for Nonfiction . His third book of nonfiction\, Return: Why We Go Back to Where We Come Fr om\, was published in 2021 and was named a Book of the Year by the Glob e and Mail and CBC Books. His nonfiction books mix geopolitics and per sonal narrative with field reporting. He has reported from 20 countries aro und the world\, including Taiwan\, Qatar\, France\, Britain\, Jamaica\, Mal aysia\, Egypt\, Israel\, Spain\, Sri Lanka\, Ghana\, the Philippines and th e United States. He is a two-time nominee for Canada’s National Magazine Aw ards in the column category\, winning the Gold Medal in 2019. More recently \, he wrote and produced documentaries for CBC’s flagship cultural program IDEAS on subjects as diverse as the Queen of Sheba\, nineteenth-century Eng lish writer Wilkie Collins\, and Asian port cities.
Peter Klein\, Professor\, School of Journalism\, Writing\, and Media\, UBCV
Dr. Peter W . Klein is an Emmy Award–winning journalist and Professor in the U niversity of British Columbia School of Journalism\, Writing\, and Media\, and a faculty associate at the University of British Columbia School of Pub lic Policy and Global Affairs. He founded the Global Reporting Centre and s erved as Director of the School of Journalism from 2011 to 2015. He leads t he Global Reporting Program\, a year-long international investigative journ alism course that has partnered with outlets including The New York Tim es\, Toronto Star\, The Guardian\, PBS Frontline \, Vice News\, and Al Jazeera. His students’ work ha s received major honours from the National Academy of Television Arts and S ciences\, the Society of Professional Journalists\, and the Radio Televisio n Digital News Association.
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Ne tworking Session
During the lunch break\, an optional\, informal networking session will be open to all attendees\, with a special invitation to graduate students. This relaxed s pace offers an opportunity to connect with fellow graduate students\, meet faculty and senior researchers\, exchange ideas\, and explore potential col laborations in a low-pressure setting.
Presented with support from:
CATEGORIES:Featured Homepage LOCATION:Liu Institute for Global Issues\, Place of Many Trees GEO:49.276589;-123.220089 URL;VALUE=URI:https://migration.ubc.ca/events/event/2026-cms-migration-inte gration-conference/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://migr.cms.arts.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/42/2026/01/Event-image_2026-BD-Conference-1.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Vancouver BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0800 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 DTSTART:20260308T100000 TZNAME:PDT END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR